Robben Island to Wall Street

14 Journeying to Robben Island

December 3, 1963 )URP WKDW DZNZDUG WRUWXURXV VOHHS ZH ZHUH ZRNHQ XS DW DP E\ WKH FRPPRWLRQ WKH ZDUGHUV PDGH 7KH IDPLOLDU FOLQJ DQG FODQJ RI NH\V DJDLQVW WKH EDUV VRPHKRZ VHHPHG PDJQL¿HG WKDW PRUQLQJ µ Umthetho wasejele! ’ ,Q SDLUV ZH IRUPHG D QHDW URZ DQG VOHHSLO\ IROORZHG WKH GLUHFWLRQ WKH ZDUGHUV LQGLFDWHG 2XWVLGH LW ZDV D ZDUP VXPPHU PRUQLQJ WKH VXQ DOUHDG\ FDVWLQJ D VLOYHU\ JOHDP WKDW ZDV EXV\ FKDVLQJ DZD\ WKH ODVW RI WKH GDUN RI QLJKW %XW XS WKHUH WKH SUH GDZQ VN\ VWLOO VSRUWHG WKH PRRQ DQG WKH VWDUV ± WKLQJV , KDG DOPRVW IRUJRWWHQ H[LVWHG /LNH D GHVHUW WUDYHOOHU , LQKDOHG GHHSO\ P\ KHDUW VRDULQJ ZLWK XQGLOXWHG SOHDVXUH 6XUSULVHG , VPLOHG WKULOOHG , FRXOG VWLOO H[SHULHQFH WKH MR\ RI VLPSOH QDWXUH %H\RQG WKH SULVRQ ZDOOV ELUGV FKLUSHG DQG FKLUUXSHG EXV\ FRPPXQLFDWLQJ DPRQJ WKHPVHOYHV IURP WKH WUHHV 'DZQ EHDXWLIXO GDZQ 7KH VZHHW VPHOO RI WKH MXVW ZDWHUHG JUDVV DQG VRLO RI WKH SULVRQ¶V LPPDFXODWHO\ PDQLFXUHG JURXQGV DGGHG WR WKH VHQVH RI ZKROHVRPHQHVV 6XGGHQO\ , WKRXJKW RI P\ ¿UVW VZHHWKHDUW 0DPRGLSDQH RU 3DSDL , ZDV DSSUHKHQGHG MXVW ZKHQ , KDG ¿QDOO\ UHDFKHG WKH HQG RI P\ FRQIXVLQJ SXEHUW\ DQG ZDV H[SHULPHQWLQJ ZLWK WKH P\VWHULHV DQG SOHDVXUHV RI DGXOW OLIH $V , WKRXJKW RI KHU WKDW PRUQLQJ , GLGQ¶W UHDOLVH GLGQ¶W NQRZ WKDW , ZRXOG QHYHU VHH KHU again. 0\ WKRXJKWV ZHUH EURNHQ E\ WKH VHUYLQJ RI EUHDNIDVW (YHQ RQ WKDW VSHFLDO GD\ WKHUH ZDV QRWKLQJ VSHFLDO DERXW RXU IRRG :H JRW WKH VDPH ROG motoho. The only GL൵HUHQFH ZDV WKDW WKLV WLPH WKH motoho ZDV VWLOO ZDUP %XW VR ZH ZRXOG QRW EH FDUULHG DZD\ LW ZDV VWLOO VHUYHG LQ WKH VDPH VPDOO UXVW\ PHWDOOLF ERZOV DQG VWLOO PDGH VOLJKWO\ SDODWDEOH E\ WKDW IUXJDO VSRRQIXO RI EURZQ VXJDU VSULQNOHG RQ WRS :H JXOSHG LW GRZQ %XW P\ VWRPDFK JURZOHG IRU PRUH IRRG Fat chance of that!

112

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs