Robben Island to Wall Street

133

Robben Island, Prisoner Number 837/63

WKHLU VLGH $QG WKRVH GRJV VHHPHG WUDLQHG WR VLOHQWO\ ZDWFK RXU HYHU\ PRYHPHQW HYHU\ZKHUH ZH ZHQW , IHOW µRQH ZURQJ PRYH DQG WKDW GRJ ZLOO EH DW \RXU WKURDW¶ , SUD\HG WKH GRJV ZHUH WUDLQHG ZHOO HQRXJK WR GLVWLQJXLVK EHWZHHQ D UDQGRP PRYH DQG ZKDWHYHU PRYH ZDV D µZURQJ¶ RQH $QG PRUH ZDUGHUV ORRNHG GRZQ DW XV IURP WKH ORIW\ KHLJKWV RI EURZQ VWHHO DQG ZLUH ZDWFKWRZHUV 3URFHVVLQJ ZDV WKH VDPH PRQRWRQRXV WHGLRXV URXWLQH RI EHLQJ FRPPDQGHG WR ¿OH LQWR WZRV DQG IRXUV WR IDFLOLWDWH WKH HQGOHVV UHSHWLWLYH FRXQWLQJ SURFHVV RI RXU RIWHQ QDNHG ERGLHV )LOHV ZHUH RSHQHG IRU HDFK RI XV :H ZHUH QXPEHUHG VWULSSHG RI DQ\ LGHQWLW\ , UHPDLQHG QRWKLQJ PRUH WKDQ D QXPEHU QRWKLQJ PRUH WKDQ D TXDQWLWDWLYH REMHFW WR EH FRQVWDQWO\ ZDWFKHG FRXQWHG GHSULYHG DQG SXQLVKHG 0\ SULVRQ QXPEHU PHDQW WKDW , ZDV WKH WK SULVRQHU LQ 7KHQ ZH ZHUH HDFK WDJJHG ZLWK D SLQN LGHQWLW\ FDUG PDUNHG µ Maksimum’ 0D[LPXP :H KDG WR FDUU\ WKRVH FDUGV DW DOO WLPHV 7KH FDUG GLVSOD\HG WKH SULVRQHU¶V QXPEHU VXUQDPH ¿UVW QDPHV DOLDVHV SULVRQ VHFWLRQ DQG cell, religion, age, sentence, scale of gratuity, date of sentence, date of discharge, ZLWK ZLWKRXW UHPLVVLRQ DQG QXPEHU RI SUHYLRXV R൵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¿W DOO XQLIRUPV RI KDUG FRWWRQ FUHDPZKLWH VKLUWV ZLWK D VPDOO IURQW SRFNHW WR ¿W WKH SULVRQHU LGHQWLW\ FDUG DQG VKRUW SDQWV ZKLOH ,QGLDQV DQG FRORXUHGV UHFHLYHG VRFNV DQG ORQJ SDQWV :H DOVR UHFHLYHG DQ\ VL]H ¿WV DOO GLUW\ EURZQ FRORXUHG VDQGDOV PDGH RI ROG KDUG OHDWKHU ± WKH PLVPDWFKHG SDLUV RI VL]H QLQH DQG VL]H VL[ RU ZKDWHYHU KDG XV EHZLOGHUHG DQG shaking our heads. 1HHGOHVV WR VD\ E\ WKH QH[W PRUQLQJ WKH VDQGDOV KDG EHHQ VZDSSHG DURXQG SHRSOH MXVW KHOSHG WKHPVHOYHV WR ZKDWHYHU ZRXOG ¿W 5HPHPEHU QRZ UHJXODWLRQV VWLSXODWHG WKDW ZH OLQH WKH VDQGDOV LQ WKH FRUULGRU RXWVLGH WKH FHOOV DW EHGWLPH %\ WKH HQG RI WKDW YHU\ ¿UVW ZHHN PRVW RI XV KDG JLYHQ XS RQ WKH VOLSSLQJ VDQGDOV ZH MXVW WUXGJHG DERXW EDUHIRRW 6RRQHU WKDQ H[SHFWHG RXU IHHW DGDSWHG WKLFNHQLQJ DQG KDUGHQLQJ WLOO VKRHV WR WKHP EHFDPH EXW D GLP PHPRU\ /DWHU ZH ZHUH LQWURGXFHG WR 0DMRU * & 9LVVHU RQH RI WKH KLJKHVW UDQNHG R൶FHUV RQ WKH LVODQG 9LVVHU WKHQ LQWURGXFHG XV WR WKH PDQ WZR OHYHOV EHORZ KLP ZKR ZDV UHVSRQVLEOH IRU WKH GD\ WR GD\ UXQQLQJ RI WKH SULVRQ &KLHI :DUGHU 7KHURQ $ FOHDQ VKDYHQ VKRUW VWRFN\ PDQ ZKR WXUQHG RXW WR EH D WKRUQ LQ WKH ÀHVK MXVW DERXW DOO WKH WLPH RI RXU VWD\ RQ 5REEHQ ,VODQG LW ZDVQ¶W ORQJ EHIRUH ZH H[SHULHQFHG KLV ELWWHU KDWUHG RI EODFN SHRSOH