Robben Island to Wall Street

144

Chapter 17

%XW WKH ZDUGHUV EXUVW RXW ODXJKLQJ µ 'LH ND৽U KHW YLU KRPVHOI JHNDN ¶ 7KH ND৽U KDV VKLW RQ KLPVHOI )RU PH KRZHYHU WKDW ZDV D IHDW RI VKHHU FRXUDJH , VKDUHG %DNHU¶V PRPHQW RI WULXPSK %XW WKDW ZDV VRPHWKLQJ WKH DXWKRULWLHV FRXOGQ¶W XQGHUVWDQG ± MXVW FRXOG QRW XQGHUVWDQG WKDW D SULVRQHU FRXOG KDYH WKDW NLQG RI FRXUDJH 2Q SULQFLSOH WKLV PDQ KDG YRZHG KH ZRXOG QHYHU VD\ baas WR D ZKLWH PDQ %DNHU¶V YDOLDQW VWDQG KLV PDJQL¿FHQW VZHHW VPHOOLQJ GH¿DQFH HDUQHG KLP WKH UHVSHFW RI WKH SULVRQHUV RI FRQVFLHQFH +H KDG VHW DQ H[DPSOH IRU DOO RI XV $QG , FHUWDLQO\ WRRN QRWHV SUHSDULQJ P\VHOI IRU ZKHQ P\ WXUQ FDPH 7KH IROORZLQJ 6XQGD\ DW WKH klagtes HQ YHUVRHNH FRPSODLQWV DQG UHTXHVWV VHVVLRQ %DNHU UDLVHG WKH PDWWHU ZLWK WKH &RPPDQGLQJ 2൶FHU ZKR VHHPHG WR HPSDWKLVH 7KHUHDIWHU ZH ZHUH LQIRUPHG WKDW ZH QHHG QRW DGGUHVV ZDUGHUV DV µ%DDV¶ ± 0HQHHU 6LU ZDV HQRXJK ± WR 'HOSRUW¶V DQQR\DQFH , DP VXUH 7KLV LV WKH VWX൵ RI OHJHQG DQG LW ZRXOG UHPDLQ MXVW WKDW RQ 5REEHQ ,VODQG IRU \HDUV WR FRPH (YHQ ZKHQ 1HOVRQ 0DQGHOD DQG WKH 5LYRQLD 7ULDOLVWV DUULYHG LQ -XQH WKHLU VHFRQG WLPH DURXQG RQ 5REEHQ ,VODQG WKH\ VDLG WKH\ KDG KHDUG DERXW these hardegatte ZKR UHIXVHG WR VD\ baas. 7KLV XQFRPSURPLVLQJ VWDQG ZDV ODWHU DGRSWHG E\ DOO ZKR IROORZHG DQG HQGHG XS RQ 5REEHQ ,VODQG :LWKLQ WKH 3$& WKH HWKRV ZDV µ1R FROODERUDWLRQ ZLWK WKH HQHP\ ¶ $W WKH HQG RI WKDW ¿UVW GD\ DIWHU DOO WKDW VKLW DQG WKH UHVW RI LW WKH ZDUGHUV VLJQDOOHG XV E\ VKULOO ZKLVWOHV :H GRZQHG WRROV RQO\ WR EH WROG ZH KDG IDLOHG WR IXO¿O RXU TXRWDV 7KH SXQLVKPHQW ZDV µQR 6XQGD\ PHDOV¶ 7DON DERXW DGGLQJ LQVXOW WR LQMXU\ 8QDFFXVWRPHG DV ZH ZHUH WR VXFK KDUG ODERXU RQ WKDW ¿UVW GD\ RQ WKH spans ZH DOVR JRW UDZ UHG EOLVWHUV RQ RXU KDQGV ± WKLQJV , KDG RQO\ VHHQ EHIRUH WKLV ± VHHQ RQ WKH KDQGV RI RWKHUV 7KDW LV ZKDW ZH¶G JRW IURP WKH KDPPHULQJ :H KDG QR LGHD KRZ WR KHDO WKH VWLQJLQJ ZDWHU ¿OOHG OHVLRQV RQ RXU SDOPV RQO\ WKH VORZ FUHHS RI WLPH ZRXOG HYHQWXDOO\ KDUGHQ WKH VNLQ (YHU\GD\ XSRQ RXU UHWXUQ IURP WKH TXDUU\ ZH DV DOO WKH RWKHUV KDG WR µ Val in! ¶ LQWR ORQJ TXHXHV VWULS QDNHG DQG SXW RXU FORWKHV WR WKH VLGH DQG ZDLW IRU WKH ZDUGHUV WR VHDUFK WKH FORWKHV 7KHQ ZH ZHUH WR tausa, that is, turn around and face DZD\ ZLWK KDQGV KHOG XS KLJK DQG OHJV VSUHDG ZLGH DSDUW ± WKHQ EHQG GRZQ IRU WKH DQDO VHDUFK ± E\ WKH ZDUGHUV 7R RXU XWWHU DPD]HPHQW VRPH RI WKH FRPPRQ ODZ SULVRQHUV VHHPHG WR UHOLVK WKDW PRPHQW DV ZH KDG ZLWQHVVHG DW 1XPEHU )RXU DQG /HHXZNRS 3ULVRQ :LWK HQHUJHWLF DJLOLW\ DQG PDVWHUO\ FRRUGLQDWLRQ WKH\ ZRXOG FODS WKHLU KDQGV DERYH WKHLU KHDGV ZKLOH VSLQQLQJ DURXQG DQG DW WKH VDPH WLPH VSUHDG WKHLU OHJV WR ODQG DOUHDG\ EHQW IRUZDUG IRU WKH DQDO LQVSHFWLRQ 1RW DW DOO RXW RI EUHDWK IURP ZKDW FHUWDLQO\ WR XQLQLWLDWHG XV VHHPHG H[KDXVWLQJ WKH\ ZRXOG WKHQ H[FODLP µ Nkosi yam!’ 0\ NLQJ 1RW VLQFH /HHXZNRS 3ULVRQ KDG , HYHU H[SHULHQFHG DQ\WKLQJ WKDW GHKXPDQLVLQJ