Robben Island to Wall Street

104

Chapter 13

(DFK RI XV ZDV JLYHQ D WKUHH IHHW VLVDO PDW WZR LQFKHV WKLFN DQG WKUHH JUH\ FRDUVH ORZ TXDOLW\ EODQNHWV ,Q VLOHQFH ZH PDGH RXU ORQJ EHG DV ZH KDG GRQH LQ .UXJHUVGRUS 3ULVRQ MRLQLQJ WKH PDWV WRJHWKHU XVLQJ VRPH RI WKH EODQNHWV DV XQGHU sheets and the rest for cover. %XW WKDW DZIXO QLJKW ZH VOHSW ZLWKRXW RXU XVXDO DQLPDWHG DQG GH¿DQW VLQJLQJ )DPLVKHG ZHDU\ ORVW IRUORUQ DQG VXEGXHG OLNH ZRXQGHG DQLPDOV ZH OD\ RXUVHOYHV GRZQ HDFK WR OLFN KLV EUXLVHG DQG EOHHGLQJ VRXO :H ZHUH VR GRZQ ZH FRXOGQ¶W HYHQ DFNQRZOHGJH WKH LQPDWHV IURP 3UHWRULD ZKRP ZH IRXQG DOUHDG\ there. %HIRUH WKDW ODWH DIWHUQRRQ ZH KDG WKRXJKW ZH ZHUH KDUG ZH KDG EHOLHYHG ZH ZHUH UHDG\ WR IDFH DQ\WKLQJ ± HYHQ RXU RZQ GHDWKV )RU WKH ¿UVW WLPH VLQFH , KDG VLJQHG XS , ZDV DVVDLOHG E\ VHULRXV GRXEWV DERXW P\ RZQ FRPPLWPHQW , ZRQGHUHG LI WKH OLIH RI P\ GUHDPV ZDV ZRUWK DOO WKDW SDLQ , ZDV QRW DORQH LQ VXFK VRXO VHDUFKLQJ /DWHU QRERG\ FRXOG GHVFULEH WKH RUGHDO HYHQ DV ZH VDW DQG ZRQGHUHG DPRQJ RXUVHOYHV $OO HYHU\ERG\ UHPHPEHUHG ZDV WKDW WKH LQVWUXPHQWV RI RXU YLRODWLRQ ZHUH $IULFDQV MXVW OLNH XV WKH UHVW LV D EODQN 1RQH DPRQJ XV FRXOG UHPHPEHU QHYHU PLQG GHVFULEH WKRVH PHQ¶V IDFHV RU RWKHU SK\VLFDO DWWULEXWHV %ODQN %XW , FDQ VWLOO VPHOO WKH GDPS PRXOG\ VZHDW\ YLOH VWHQFK RI WKHP ,QWXLWLYHO\ , IHOW WKDW RXU IUHVK H[SHULHQFH DW /HHXZNRS ZDV MXVW WKH EHJLQQLQJ RI UHDO KHOO 0\ PRXWK ZDV VWLOO ¿OOHG ZLWK ELWWHU ELOH ZKHQ , ¿QDOO\ GR]HG DPLG WKH DQJXLVKHG JURDQV DQG PRDQV RI P\ PDWHV , GLGQ¶W NQRZ RU ZLVK WR NQRZ LI WKH\ ZHUH DZDNH RU LQ SDLQIXO GUHDPV 0\ RZQ SULYDWH SHUVRQDO DJRQ\ ZDV WRR GHHS WR VKDUH HYHQ ZLWK WKHP ZLWK ZKRP , KDG DYRZHG VROLGDULW\ , SUHWHQGHG , ZDV KRPH DVOHHS RQ P\ QHZ EHG %HGWLPH KHUH ZDV SP HYHU\ QLJKW ZLWK EODULQJ OLJKWV IRU WKH VL[ \HDUV RI P\ LQFDUFHUDWLRQ WKLV ZDV EHG WLPH ± SP 7KH ¿UVW PRUQLQJ DW /HHXZNRS 0DJDOLHV DQG .KXPDOR VXSHUYLVHG RXU PDQGDWRU\ WKLUW\ PLQXWH VSULQWLQJ DURXQG WKH FRXUW\DUG )RU H[HUFLVH ZH KDG WR UXQ DW IXOO VSHHG ZKLOH ZH ZHUH WULSSHG DQG ODVKHG E\ 0DJDOLHV¶V FDQH µ Hardloop!’ 5XQ DQG .KXPDOR¶V VWLFN ZLWK WKH KHDG KLWWLQJ XV EHKLQG WKH NQHHV µ Nges’dumo mfana.’ 7KLV ZKLOH VRPH RI WKH FRPPRQ ODZ SULVRQHUV MHHUHG )LQDOO\ VKRUW RI EUHDWK DQG ZLWK RXU NQHHV VKDNLQJ ZH ZHQW IRU EUHDNIDVW 7KDW WRR ZDV VHUYHG ZLWK HQWKXVLDVWLF HQFRXUDJHPHQW IURP .KXPDOR µ Hamba nges’dumo mfana.’ *R ZLWK KDVWH ER\ ‘Nges’dum’o!’ :LWK KDVWH +H VDQJ DQG VFUHHFKHG DQG ZH KDG WR UXQ WR JUDE IURP WKH WDEOH WR JHW RXU UDWLRQ RI IRRG $V D SULVRQHU JUDEEHG D UXVW\ PHWDO ERZO RI SRUULGJH .KXPDOR VKRXWHG DJDLQ DQG DJDLQ ‘Nges’dumo! Shesisa!’ :H VFDPSHUHG JUDEEHG DQG VFXWWOHG R൵ DQG DZD\ WR KLV EHDW $ SULVRQHU JUDEEHG D FXS RI phuzamandla DQG KDVWHQHG R൵ . 7KHUH ZHUH QR XWHQVLOV ,I RQH UDQ SDVW D SODWH PLVVLQJ LW WRR EDG WKDW VSHOW D PLVVHG PHDO IRU