Robben Island to Wall Street

108

Chapter 13

)RU WZHQW\ WKUHH KRXUV RYHU D IRUWQLJKW ZH ZHUH HDFK RQ RXU RZQ ± WRWDO isolation. ,Q WKRVH FUDPPHG FRQ¿QLQJ FHOOV ± GDUN DQG EDGO\ YHQWLODWHG WKH RQO\ OLJKW D WULFNOLQJ ÀLFNHU IURP WKH YHQWLODWLRQ KROH ¿IWHHQ IHHW XS ± WKH RQO\ VLJQ RI OLIH WKH ZDUGHU YR\HXUV ZKR SHHNHG LQ WKURXJK D SHHS KROH RQ WKH VWHHO GRRU 7KHQ WZLFH D GD\ IRU PLQXWHV PRUQLQJV DQG DIWHUQRRQV ZH ZHUH OHW RXW IRU H[HUFLVH ,W ZDV SK\VLFDOO\ H[FUXFLDWLQJ WR UXQ RQ KXQJU\ VWRPDFKV DW WZLFH WKH QRUPDO VSHHG 7KH\ UHDOO\ ZDQWHG WR NLOO XV ± ZHUH EHQW RQ NLOOLQJ XV :H ZHUH WROG ‘ Hardloop!’ 5XQ DV 6¶GXPR FKDVHG XV DURXQG WKH FRXUW\DUG +XEHUW %R\FH ZKR ZDV WKH ¿UVW WR H[SHULHQFH WKH LVRODWLRQ FHOOV IRU IUHTXHQW LQVXERUGLQDWLRQ KDG EHFRPH D UHJXODU LQ LVRODWLRQ DQG IDPLOLDU ZLWK WKH ZDUGHUV 1RZ WKH ZDUGHUV IRXQG KLP VRPHWKLQJ WR GR KH ZDV PDGH WR KDQG XV RXU IRRG %HIRUH WKDW RXU IRRG ZDV MXVW OHIW RXWVLGH WKH GRRU DQG ZH¶G ZRQGHU ‘Hoe gaan ek die kos kry " ’ +RZ ZLOO , JHW WKH IRRG" 7KHQ ZLWKRXW DQ\ H[SODQDWLRQ RQH GD\ ZH ZHUH UHWXUQHG WR WKH PDLQ FHOOEORFN :H GLGQ¶W DVN IRU UHDVRQV IRU WKDW DFWLRQ DOWKRXJK ZH GLG ZRQGHU :RQGHU DV ZH KDG ZRQGHUHG DW WKH RQVHW RI RXU LVRODWLRQ )RXU PRQWKV DIWHU RXU WULDO DQG VHQWHQFLQJ ZH ZHUH VWLOO ODQJXLVKLQJ DW /HHXZNRS ZKHQ RQ WKH WK RI 1RYHPEHU 3UHVLGHQW -RKQ ) .HQQHG\ ZDV DVVDVVLQDWHG LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV :H PRXUQHG DQG VRUURZHG +LV GHDWK H[WLQJXLVKHG D EHDP RI KRSH IRU RXU RZQ VDOYDWLRQ .HQQHG\¶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µ:KRVH SDSHU LV WKLV"¶ 0DJDOLHV DVNHG KLV YRLFH FROG DQG TXLYHULQJ ZLWK UDJH 1R RQH RZQHG XS +H LPPHGLDWHO\ RUGHUHG WKH GUHDGHG VWULS DQG DQDO VHDUFK µ)DFH WKH ZDOO DQG WDNH \RXU FORWKHV R൵ ¶ KH EDUNHG , IHOW OLNH VSLWWLQJ LQ KLV FRQWHPSWLEOH IDFH $XWRPDWLFDOO\ ZH FRPSOLHG GLVVRFLDWLQJ RXUVHOYHV IURP WKH DFW 7KHQ LW ZDV ‘ Sop, sop! ’