Robben Island to Wall Street

131

Robben Island, Prisoner Number 837/63

VODEV RI VODWH RQ WKH RXWVLGH 7KH ZLQGRZ VLOOV ZHUH VR ZLGH WKDW ZH FRXOG OLH RQ WKHP DQG LQGHHG GLG RQ RFFDVLRQ VOHHS RQ WKHP TXLWH FRPIRUWDEO\ )RU PD[LPXP VHFXULW\ DQG WR SUHYHQW VPXJJOLQJ WKH ZLQGRZV ZHUH FRYHUHG ZLWK PHVK ZLUH RQ WKH RXWVLGH DQG IXUWKHU UHLQIRUFHG ZLWK IRXU RU ¿YH LQFK WKLFN LURQ EDUV PDGH RI D KROORZ PHWDO SLSH LQVLGH RI ZKLFK WKHUH ZDV D URWDWLQJ LURQ URG WKDW FRXOGQ¶W EH VDZHG R൵ 7KH ZLQGRZV UDQ DOO DURXQG WKH HQWLUH FHOO VR WKDW IURP DOO VLGHV WKH ZDUGHUV RXWVLGH FRXOG VHH ZKDW ZDV JRLQJ RQ LQVLGH 1RZ DQG WKHQ ZH ZRXOG KHDU D WKUHDWHQLQJ VKULOO µ Bly stil!’ .HHS TXLHW WKURXJK WKH ZLQGRZV )RU IXUWKHU UHLQIRUFHPHQW WKHUH ZDV EDUEHG ZLUH DURXQG WKH SHULPHWHU RI WKH SULVRQ 7KH EXLOGLQJ ZDV VXUURXQGHG E\ JXDUG SRVWV PDQQHG DW DOO WLPHV E\ KHDYLO\ DUPHG JXDUGV $ FHOO XVXDOO\ DFFRPPRGDWHG VL[W\ PHQ :H HDFK JRW D GLUW\ VWLQNLQJ VLVDO PDW DQG WKUHH VFUDWFK\ JUH\ EODQNHWV WKDW ZHUH QHDWO\ IROGHG E\ WKH SUHYLRXV RZQHUV 7R WKH DQQR\DQFH RI WKH UHVW RI XV ZKHQ KH ZDV JLYHQ WZR KDOI EODQNHWV -RKQ 0RKDSL SURWHVWHG µ, ZDQW D IXOO kombers.’ ,W VHHPHG WULYLDO WR FDXVH VXFK DQ XSURDU RYHU D SULVRQ EODQNHW %XW IURP H[SHULHQFH KH NQHZ EODQNHWV ZHUH FKHFNHG WKRURXJKO\ DQG LI DQ\ SDUW ZDV IRXQG PLVVLQJ KH ZRXOG EH VHYHUHO\ SXQLVKHG $OO WKH EODQNHWV ZHUH WKUHDGEDUH ZLWK WKH HQGV WRUQ R൵ E\ WKH FRPPRQ ODZ SULVRQHUV ZKR XVHG WKH VWULSV WR VWUDQJOH HDFK RWKHU GXULQJ WKHLU DOO WRR IUHTXHQW ¿JKWV 5LJKW QH[W WR WKH HQWUDQFH WR WKH FHOO ZDV D ZDOOHG EDWKURRP DUHD ZLWK WZR XQFRYHUHG PHWDO EXFNHW WRLOHWV ZH FDOOHG balies )RU ZDVKLQJ WKHUH ZHUH WKUHH GHHS FRQFUHWH VODE EDVLQV DQG VKRZHUV ZLWK RQO\ FROG ZDWHU 7KH ¿UVW PRUQLQJ ZH ZRNH XS WR WKH FXVWRPDU\ ORXG ULQJLQJ RI WKH EUDVV EHOO ± DW :H GLGQ¶W QHHG WR EH LQVWUXFWHG WR IDOO LQ OLQH IRU WKH EDWKURRP 2YHUQLJKW WKH EXFNHWV KDG EHHQ RYHUXVHG DQG ZLWK QR WRLOHW SDSHU LW ZDV QRW D SUHWW\ VLJKW WR VHH ¿UVW WKLQJ LQ WKH PRUQLQJ ± RU DW DQ\ WLPH RI GD\ IRU WKDW PDWWHU ,Q WKH HDUO\ \HDUV WKLV DVSHFW RI SULVRQ OLIH ZDV SUHWW\ URXJK RQ XV /DWHU ZH GLG UHFHLYH UDWLRQV RI HLJKW VTXDUHV RI WRLOHW SDSHU SHU GD\ DQG D EDU RI VRDS IRU WKH ZHHN IRU HDFK PDQ :H EUXVKHG RXU WHHWK ZLWK RXU ¿QJHUV RU XVHG SLHFHV RI FORWK ZH¶G UXEEHG VRDS RQ )URP WKH OHVVRQV RI /HHXZNRS 3ULVRQ ZH IROGHG RXU VLVDO PDWV DQG EODQNHWV WR UHVW DJDLQVW WKH ZDOO %\ DP ZH ZHUH UHDG\ LQ OLQH WR EH FRXQWHG EHIRUH WKH RSHQLQJ RI WKH FHOO GRRUV IRU XV WR EH OHW RXW Here, we ZHUH WKH samponkaans. W e WRRN WXUQV WR FDUU\ RXW WKDW XQSOHDVDQW WDVN RI HPSW\LQJ WKH EXFNHWV HYHU\ PRUQLQJ DQG HQVXULQJ WKDW WKH\ ZHUH WKRURXJKO\ FOHDQVHG WR DYRLG D OLQJHULQJ VWLQN DP ± IROORZHG E\ WKH VWULQJHQW FRPPDQG ‘Word wakker! Staan op!’ :DNH XS *HW XS