Robben Island to Wall Street
70
Chapter 7
6WULGLQJ XS WKH SDWK RI ZKLWH EULFNV WKDW OHG IURP WKH VPDOO ORZ PHVKHG VWHHO JDWH ± WKH SHGHVWULDQ JDWH ± WKH\ FDPH 2QH RI IRXU FDUV EORFNHG WKH ZLGHU FDU JDWH 3DUDO\VHG P\ VLVWHU VDZ WKHP VWRPS RQWR WKH KLJKO\ SROLVKHG EODFN stoep that ran WKH OHQJWK RI WKH KRXVH 7KHQ WZR ZHQW DURXQG WR WKH EDFN RI WKH KRXVH The doors closed, they had to knock. And knock, they did. Knocked loudly, back and front doors. $QG WKDW LV ZKHQ , KHDUG WKHP $W WKH VDPH WLPH , KHDUG VRPHWKLQJ HOVH 8QWLO WKHQ ,¶G EHHQ IDVW DVOHHS , UHLJQHG RQ P\ WZR ZHHN ROG VSHFLDO VLQJOH EDFKHORU EHG WKDW , KDG MXVW ERXJKW IRU P\VHOI RQ +3 KLJKHU SXUFKDVH ± ZLWK LQWHUHVW ZKLFK ZDV WZR WLPHV WKH FRVW ,W ORRNHG MXVW OLNH P\ IULHQG 0RQW\¶V EHG , KDG SODFHG LW LQ WKH EHVW URRP RI WKH KRXVH WKH GLQLQJ URRP ZKLFK DOVR KRXVHG RYHUQLJKW IDPLO\ JXHVWV 1R SURWHVWV IURP Ntate; , ZDV D ZRUNLQJ PDQ RI QLQHWHHQ , ZDV YHU\ SURXG RI P\ PRGHUQ SXUFKDVH LW ZDV OLJKW LQ ZHLJKW KDG DQ (GEOR PDWWUHVV DQG ZDV PDGH RI EORQG ZRRG WKDW FRQWUDVWHG ZLWK P\ SDUHQWV¶ WKLFN GDUN ZRRG RI WKH WDEOH ZLWK PDWFKLQJ FKDLUV DQG D VLGHERDUG GLVSOD\ FDELQHW 7KLV ZDV P\ VWDWHPHQW RI HPDQFLSDWLRQ /RXG YRLFHV 2XWVLGH 6SHDNLQJ WR P\ VLVWHU ZKR ZDV ¿IWHHQ WKHQ 6HPDNDOHQJ WHOOV XV WKH\ VDLG WKH\ ZHUH ORRNLQJ IRU 7KDER *DEULHO 0DJRPROD 6KH UHFRYHUHG HQRXJK WR TXLFNO\ WKLQN RI D ZD\ WR ZDUQ PH WR HVFDSH 6KH ZHQW WR Ntate ¶V EHGURRP DQG LQ D ORXG YRLFH WROG KLP WKDW WKHUH ZHUH SROLFHPHQ µ Whites ,’ she stressed, ‘ DOO RYHU WKH KRXVH ¶ 6RPH ZHUH DW WKH EDFN GRRU VKH VDLG $QG WKDW LV ZKDW KDG URXVHG PH IURP VOHHS $W ¿UVW , WKRXJKW 6PDNNLH ZDV EHLQJ PHORGUDPDWLF 6KH ZDV H[FLWDEOH DW WKDW VWDJH %XW , WKLQN WKLV ZDV ZLVKIXO WKLQNLQJ RQ P\ SDUW RU WKH ZRUNLQJ RI D VOHHS IRJJHG EUDLQ , VD\ WKDW EHFDXVH HYHQ WKHQ HYHQ DV WKDW WKRXJKW FURVVHG P\ PLQG , FRXOG KHDU XQIDPLOLDU QRLVHV RXW LQ WKH \DUG 6RPH RI WKH SROLFH , ODWHU KHDUG ZHUH DOUHDG\ SRNLQJ WKH JURXQG RXWVLGH ZLWK ORQJ VWHHO VSLNHV VHDUFKLQJ IRU ZHDSRQV caches. 6XGGHQO\ , ZDV ZLGH DZDNH EXW VWD\HG SXW IHLJQLQJ VOHHS 7KDW GLGQ¶W VWRS P\ VWRPDFK GURSSLQJ DQG W\LQJ LWVHOI LQ WDXW NQRWV ,Q VWL൵ FRPSHWLWLRQ P\ KHDUW UDFHG D PDUDWKRQ DQG EHDW VR LUUHJXODUO\ , KDG WR RSHQ P\ PRXWK WR FDWFK P\ EUHDWK ,QVLGH , KHDUG VWULGLQJ ¿UP IRRWVWHSV DFFRPSDQLHG E\ Ntate’ V VOHHS\ VKX൷H )URP WKH VRXQG RI LW WKH\ ZHUH OHDYLQJ WKH KRXVH JRLQJ RXWVLGH +RZHYHU WKH\ ZHUH VRRQ UH HQWHULQJ WKH KRXVH ,W ZDV DOO YHU\ GLJQL¿HG ± HHULO\ GLJQL¿HG 7KHUH ZHUH QR UDLVHG YRLFHV RU NLFNLQJ ± WKH H[SHFWHG SROLFH HWLTXHWWH GXULQJ D UDLG ,Q RXU ORFDWLRQ WKDW URZGLQHVV ZDV D ZHOO NQRZQ IDFW HVSHFLDOO\ ZKHQ WKH UDLG ZDV OHDG E\ 6HUJHDQW 6FKRHPDQ 7KDW PDQ DEVROXWHO\ WHUURULVHG %HNNHUVGDO ZLWK KLV
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs