Robben Island to Wall Street

198

Chapter 24

*RLQJ RYHU WKH HYHQLQJ WDONLQJ DQG WKLQNLQJ DERXW LW ZH ERWK NQHZ ZH KDG WR UHSHDW WKH YLVLW ± DV VRRQ DV SRVVLEOH 7KH IROORZLQJ PRUQLQJ ZH ZHUH EDFN WR WKH XJO\ UHDOLW\ RI RXU H[LVWHQFH EDFN RQ WKH WUDLOHU 1RZ WKH FRQWUDVW EHWZHHQ WKH SHRSOH DURXQG XV DQG WKH SHRSOH ZH KDG VHHQ DW WKH KRVSLWDO ZDV HYHQ PRUH DFXWH PRUH VWDUN LW HPSKDVLVHG WKH PLVHU\ RI our condition. $QG P\ UHVROYH WR HVFDSH VKDUSHU , VZRUH DQHZ WKDW , ZRXOGQ¶W EH ORQJ LQ &KORH GHVSLWH WKH WZHQW\ IRXU PRQWKV WKH EDQLVKLQJ RUGHU VWLSXODWHG 7KH %RWVZDQD ERUGHU ZDV RQO\ NP DZD\ ZH KDG EHHQ WROG 0RUH DQG PRUH WKDW ERUGHU EHFNRQHG PLJKWLO\ DQG , VDLG WR %DNHU µ-DFNVRQ \RX FDQ VWD\ LI \RX OLNH %XW ,¶OO ¿QG D ZD\ RXW RI KHUH ¶ $QG , PHDQW ZKDW , VDLG ± PHDQW LW ZLWK DOO P\ KHDUW ,W GLGQ¶W PDWWHU ZKDW LW WRRN , ZRXOG HVFDSH /HDYH WKH &KORH VLVDO SODQWDWLRQ $V VRRQ DV GR DEOH 7KH HQG RI $XJXVW EURXJKW RXU ¿UVW SD\ GD\ :H ZHUH HDFK SDLG 5 , ERXJKW DQRWKHU SDLU RI XQGHUSDQWV D SDLU RI NKDNL SDQWV DQG D WHH VKLUW RI VXVSHFW TXDOLW\ WKH IDEULF EHLQJ OLJKW DQG KDUG WR GH¿QH %XW WKDW ZDV DGHTXDWH , FRXOG VWUHWFK P\ PHDJUH HDUQLQJV 7KH UHPDLQGHU , VDYHG IRU FRQWLQJHQFLHV 2Q RXU WKLUG YLVLW WR 1REHO +RVSLWDO 0DSKHIR DQG , HQGHG XS LQ KHU URRP DQ RXWFRPH VKH VHHPHG WR KDYH SODQQHG +HU URRP PDWH ZDV RXW IRU WKH DIWHUQRRQ DQG early evening. %HIRUH , NQHZ LW , ZDV XQGUHVVHG DQG VKH H[SHUWO\ OHG PH ZLWK KHU SOD\IXO VRIW FDUHVVHV 1DWXUH WRRN LWV FRXUVH DV , UHGLVFRYHUHG PRPHQWV RI SXUH HFVWDV\ WKDW VXUSDVVHG E\ IDU DQ\ ZHW GUHDPV RI WKH SDVW VL[ \HDUV $ IHZ PRQWKV LQWR RXU &KORH VLVDO SODQWDWLRQ VWD\ , KDG QRW RQO\ KDG LW , ZDV ERUGHULQJ RQ PDGQHVV ± VKHHU PDGQHVV 2QH GD\ , WROG %DNHU WKDW ZH VKRXOG ZULWH MRLQWO\ WR WHOO WKH 0LQLVWHU WKDW XQOHVV KH UHPRYHG XV IURP WKDW SODFH RU RUGHUHG XV RXW ZH FRXOG FRPPLW DFWV IRU ZKLFK KH ZRXOG QRW EH DEOH WR KROG XV UHVSRQVLEOH $QG ZH ZHUH SUHSDUHG WR FRPPLW WKH NLQGV RI DFWV WKDW FRXOG KDYH WDNHQ XV EDFN WR 5REEHQ ,VODQG $W OHDVW RQ WKH LVODQG ZH¶G KDG LQWHOOHFWXDO FRPSDQ\ DQG ZH KDG IULHQGV DURXQG XV VRPHWKLQJ ZH ZHUH VRUHO\ GHSULYHG RI LQ &KORH :KHQ ZH OHIW 5REEHQ ,VODQG DQG DOO WKRVH IULHQGV ZH¶G EHOLHYHG ZH ZRXOG EH MRLQLQJ RXU IDPLOLHV 7KDW KDG QRW KDSSHQHG 6R IDU WKH RQO\ SRVLWLYH WKLQJ LQ FRQQHFWLRQ ZLWK P\ EDQLVKPHQW ZDV WKDW 6DP IURP RXU %HNNHUVGDO JURXS KDG VHQW PH D VHW RI GHFHQW FORWKHV YLD WKH SRVW R൶FH WZR ZKLWH VKLUWV D SDLU RI WURXVHUV DQG VRPH XQGHUSDQWV 1RZ DW OHDVW , KDG D FKDQJH RI FORWKLQJ $OVR E\ WKHQ ZH KDG FHDVHG ZRUNLQJ RQ WKH SODQWDWLRQ LWVHOI ± D NLQG RI SURPRWLRQ LI \RX OLNH 1RZ ZH ZRUNHG DV FOHUNV :H SURFHVVHG ZRUNHUV DQG SHUIRUPHG D VRFLDO ZRUNHU UROH FRXQVHOOLQJ DQG coaching. 7KH SHRSOH ZDUPHG WR XV HVSHFLDOO\ WR %DNHU ZKR ZDV DQ H[WURYHUW DQG KDG IDQWDVWLF LQWHUDFWLRQ VNLOOV )RU KLP WKRVH SHRSOH ZRXOG HYHQ GHI\ WKHLU PDVWHUV