Robben Island to Wall Street

65

One for the road

) : GH .OHUN ZKR FRXOG UHDG WKH VLJQV RI XQSUHFHGHQWHG FLYLO WXUPRLO WKURXJKRXW WKH FRXQWU\ WRRN D JLDQW OHDS RI FRXUDJH DQG LQ PDQ\ ZD\V GH¿HG VRPH RI KLV RZQ SDUW\ PHPEHUV +H VKRZHG JUHDW YLVLRQ DQG E\ VR GRLQJ DYHUWHG D FULVLV WKDW ZRXOG KDYH WUDXPDWLVHG 6RXWK $IULFD E\ WDNLQJ WKH GHFLVLRQ WR XQEDQ DOO WKH SROLWLFDO RUJDQLVDWLRQV DQG UHOHDVLQJ 0U 0DQGHOD IURP MDLO $QG IRU GLVSOD\LQJ WKDW IRUHVLJKW DQG YLVLRQ KH UHFHLYHG DSSURSULDWH UHFRJQLWLRQ DQG DORQJ ZLWK 0U 0DQGHOD 'H .OHUN EHFDPH D 1REHO 3HDFH 3UL]H ODXUHDWH 7KH PRUQLQJ RI 0U 0DQGHOD¶V UHOHDVH ZH JDWKHUHG ZLWK IULHQGV LQ P\ KRPH WR ZDWFK WKH OLYH EURDGFDVW DQG WR FHOHEUDWH WKH KLVWRULFDO PRPHQW 6LQFH RXU UHWXUQ WR 6RXWK $IULFD 1DQD DQG , KDG FRQWLQXHG WR KRVW PDQ\ \RXQJ PHQ DQG ZRPHQ MXVW DV ZH KDG GRQH LQ $PHULFD 2XU KRXVH LQ %U\DQVWRQ KDG EHFRPH D YHQXH IRU VRFLDO LQWHUDFWLRQ DQG GHEDWH E\ PDQ\ RI RXU IULHQGV %XW WKDW GD\ ZDV HVSHFLDOO\ VLJQL¿FDQW :H KDG SUHSDUHG DEXQGDQW IRRG DQG GULQNV ZKLOH ZH ZDLWHG JOXHG WR WKH 79 WR ZDWFK 0U 0DQGHOD¶V UHOHDVH $QG LQGHHG ZH ZLWQHVVHG WKH HYHQW ± VDZ KLP DV KH VWHSSHG RXW ZLWK KLV FOHQFKHG ¿VW KLV WKHQ ZLIH :LQQLH 0DGLNL]HOD 0DQGHOD E\ KLV VLGH (QWKUDOOHG ZH ZDWFKHG WKHP ZDON RXW RI WKH JDWHV RI 9LFWRU 9HUVWHU 3ULVRQ 7RJHWKHU ZLWK WKRVH DURXQG PH , NQHZ ZH ZHUH ZLWQHVVLQJ KLVWRU\ LQ WKH PDNLQJ )RU PH WKH PRPHQW ZDV SDUWLFXODUO\ VSHFLDO 6HHLQJ 0U 0DQGHOD OHDYH 9LFWRU 9HUVWHU 3ULVRQ ZKHUH , KDG EHHQ GHWDLQHG IRU HLJKWHHQ PRQWKV MXVW SULRU WR P\ UHOHDVH IURP 5REEHQ ,VODQG ÀRRGHG PH ZLWK PHPRULHV WRR UDZ WR KROG LQ DQG EURXJKW WHDUV WR P\ H\HV 0RVW SHRSOH ZHUH HPRWLRQDO ZUHFNV DV ZH EURNH XS LQ FHOHEUDWLRQ DQG FKDPSDJQH ERWWOHV SRSSHG 0DGLED¶V UHOHDVH PDGH XV H[WUHPHO\ KRSHIXO WKDW UHDO SRVLWLYH FKDQJH ZDV EHJLQQLQJ IRU DOO RI XV LQ WKH FRXQWU\ 7KH IROORZLQJ 6DWXUGD\ 1DQD DQG , DWWHQGHG D SULYDWH FRFNWDLO SDUW\ DW WKH &DUOWRQ &HQWUH KRVWHG E\ WKH -DSDQHVH $PEDVVDGRU $ KXJH VXUSULVH DZDLWHG XV DV ZH HQWHUHG WKH UHFHSWLRQ URRP ZH VDZ D WDOO VOLJKWO\ JUH\LQJ PDQ 0U 0DQGHOD KLPVHOI DQG KLV ZLIH :LQQLH 0DGLNL]HOD 0DQGHOD DQG WKHLU FKLOGUHQ ± DOO ZHUH VWDQGLQJ RQ WKH RWKHU VLGH RI WKH URRP 2XU H\HV MXVW SRSSHG ZH ZHUH LQ DZH DQG KDVWHQHG WR PHHW KLP , ZDV VXUSULVHG WKDW KH VWLOO UHPHPEHUHG PH , KDG WUDQVIRUPHG IURP WKH FKLOG SULVRQHU KH KDG ODVW VHHQ LQ 0DGLED RYHUSRZHUHG PH ZLWK KLV EHDU KXJ DV ZH PHW DQG H[FODLPHG µ+H\ *DE\ KRZ KDYH \RX EHHQ"¶ , ZDV WRWDOO\ ORVW IRU DQ DQVZHU MXVW LQ DEVROXWH DZH 6R LQ D VHQVH IRU PH WKLV PDUNHG WKH FORVLQJ RI D ORRS WKDW , KDG RSHQHG LQ ZKHQ , ¿UVW PHW 0DGLED DW Die Ou Tronk RQ 5REEHQ ,VODQG 7R JHW WR VHH KLP DJDLQ VRPH WZHQW\ VL[ \HDUV ODWHU ZDV D UHPDUNDEOH HYHQW WKDW ZLOO VWD\ ZLWK PH IRU DV ORQJ DV , OLYH , LQWURGXFHG 1DQD WR KLP DQG WKH\ VKRRN KDQGV ,Q KLV XVXDO HDV\ MRFXODU VW\OH DQG K\SQRWLF FKDUP KH VDLG WR PH µ1RZ , NQRZ ZK\ \RX¶UH VR FRQ¿GHQW \RX KDYH D EHDXWLIXO \RXQJ ZLIH WR VXSSRUW \RX ¶ :H ODXJKHG