Robben Island to Wall Street
161
7KH ZKHHOV FRPH Rɜ
7KH QHZV FDPH DV QR VXUSULVH \HW , IHOW D VHQVH RI XWWHU GHVSDLU 2XU LQLWLDO SULYLOHJHV DV ' JUDGH SULVRQHUV DOORZHG XV WR UHFHLYH DQG VHQG RQH OHWWHU HYHU\ VL[ PRQWKV 0\ ¿UVW OHWWHU ZKLFK , ZURWH RQ WKH WK RI 0DUFK ZDV GLUHFWHG WR P\ IDWKHU , QHHGHG WR UHDVVXUH KLP WKDW , ZDV ¿QH HPRWLRQDOO\ DQG SK\VLFDOO\ WKDW , ZRXOG VXUYLYH DQG UHWXUQ KRPH DQG EH DEOH WR WDNH FDUH RI KLP DQG FRQWLQXH P\ UROH DV KLV ¿UVW ERUQ VRQ ,W ZDV D YHU\ GL൶FXOW OHWWHU WR ZULWH XQGHU WKH FLUFXPVWDQFHV EHFDXVH DW WKH WLPH , ZDV H[WUHPHO\ LOO DQG ZDV DOPRVW FHUWDLQ RI WKH 7% GLDJQRVLV ZKLFK FDPH RQO\ VL[ GD\V ODWHU , GLGQ¶W NQRZ ZKDW NLQG RI WUHDWPHQW , ZDV JRLQJ WR receive in order to recover. $V D PDWWHU RI IDFW P\ ZLOGHVW JXHVV ZDV WKDW ZH ZRXOG MXVW EH QHJOHFWHG , KDG UHVLJQHG P\VHOI WR D VORZ DQG GHELOLWDWLQJ HQG %XW , KDG WR MXVW KRSH WKDW VRPH PLUDFOH ZRXOG KDSSHQ *LYHQ DOO WKLV , KDG WR EH FDUHIXO DERXW WKH FRQWHQWV DQG WRQH RI P\ OHWWHU WR Ntate DQG VR LW ZDV ZLWK D ORW RI WUHSLGDWLRQ WKDW , SODQQHG WKDW ¿UVW OHWWHU WR KLP 7KH QH[W OHWWHUV ZHUH PDLQO\ WR /HRSDUG DQG P\ VLVWHU 6HPDNHOHQJ $QG ERWK UHSOLHG FRQVLVWHQWO\ DQG HDJHUO\ , UHPHPEHU EHLQJ WROG , KDG WZR OHWWHUV RQH IURP 6HPDNHOHQJ DQG RQH IURP /HRSDUG DQG , ZDV DVNHG ZKLFK , ZRXOG OLNH WR KDYH 5HPHPEHU QRZ WKHVH DUH KDOI \HDUO\ OHWWHUV 6R , FRXOG RQO\ JHW WZR OHWWHUV D \HDU 7KHUHIRUH WKH ¿UVW , DFFHSWHG ZDV /HRSDUG¶V DQG DW WKH HQG RI VL[ PRQWKV , WRRN WKH RQH IURP 6HPDNDOHQJ , NQHZ WKH\ OLYHG FORVH WR HDFK RWKHU 6HPDNHOHQJ ZRXOG VKDUH ZKDWHYHU , VDLG ZLWK /HRSDUG DQG YLFH YHUVD 7ZR FRPPRQ ODZ SULVRQHUV DFWHG DV QXUVHV 2QH RI WKHVH QXUVHV ZDV 7HH]D IURP $OH[DQGUD 7RZQVKLS ZKR WUHDWHG XV ZLWK H[WUHPH FUXHOW\ +H QHYHU JDYH RU VKRZHG XV DQ\ HPSDWK\ :H H[SHFWHG PRUH KXPDQH WUHDWPHQW IURP KLP FRQVLGHULQJ KH ZDV DQ outie IURP $OH[DQGUD 7RZQVKLS DQG ZDV D bra 7KH RWKHU DWWHQGDQW ZDV /XFDV ZKR KDG WKH FKDUDFWHULVWLFV RI D .KRLVDQ DQG KDG ZRUNHG DW WKH KRVSLWDO IRU D ORQJ WLPH /XFDV KDG VHUYHG PRUH WKDQ \HDUV DQG KH WROG XV KDG QR LGHD RI OLIH RXWVLGH RI SULVRQ +H HQWHUWDLQHG XV ZLWK KLV FRPLFDO DQWLFV DQG ZRXOG RQ UDUH RFFDVLRQ EULQJ XV DQ RGG PDJD]LQH WR UHDG /LNH PRVW RI WKH FRPPRQ ODZ SULVRQHUV ERWK /XFDV DQG 7HH]D VXFNHG XS WR WKHLU PDVWHUV DQG ZRXOG QRW KHVLWDWH WR VS\ RQ XV IRU WULYLDO R൵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span . )XUWKHU EOHVVLQJ QRW WR EH RYHUORRNHG ZDV WKDW ZKLOH KRVSLWDOLVHG ZH ZHUH IHG D GLHW ZLWK QXWULWLRXV FRPSRQHQWV ± D YDVW GL൵HUHQFH IURP WKH GLHW LQÀLFWHG RQ WKRVH
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs