Robben Island to Wall Street

136

Chapter 16

VRPH WHHWK DQG KLV H\HV ZHUH EORRGVKRW DQG JOD]HG &OHDQ VKDYHQ OLNH DOO RI XV KH KDG SHFXOLDU PDUNV RQ KLV IDFH DQG KHDG 1HYHUWKHOHVV GHVSLWH WKDW GUDVWLF FKDQJH WKH WHUULEOH HURVLRQ , FRXOG VHH FOHDUO\ WKDW WKLV ZDV P\ XQFOH WDNHQ DZD\ IURP XV VRPH WHQ \HDUV EHIRUH /DWHU 8QFOH ,VKPDHO WROG PH KH FDPH WR 5REEHQ ,VODQG ¿YH \HDUV EHIRUH RXU arrival. %XW KH KDG QR LGHD ZK\ KH ZDV VHQW WKHUH XVXDOO\ RQO\ LQFRUULJLEOH SULVRQHUV ZHUH VKLSSHG WR WKH LVODQG ± DV D ODVW UHVRUW WRZDUG UHGHPSWLRQ 2QH GD\ ZKHQ , KDG EHHQ RQ WKH LVODQG IRU D ZKLOH , DVNHG 8QFOH ,VKPDHO ZK\ KH KDG FULHG WKDW ¿UVW GD\ ZH PHW +LV DQVZHU ZDV WKDW KH¶G WKRXJKW , ZRXOGQ¶W EH DEOH WR PDNH LW WKHUH 7KHUHDIWHU FRQGLWLRQV SHUPLWWLQJ P\ XQFOH VXSSOLHG XV ZLWK QHZVSDSHUV VPXJJOHG RI FRXUVH 1HZVSDSHUV ZHUH D SUHFLRXV FRPPRGLW\ WR XV RXU UHIXJH DQG EHDFRQ IRU WKH IXWXUH 7KH FRPPRQ ODZ SULVRQHUV ZRXOG SUHWHQG WR FOHDQ XS DIWHU WKH ZDUGHUV 7KHQ VXUUHSWLWLRXVO\ WKH\ ZRXOG VWUDLJKWHQ XS WKH FUXPSOHG SDSHUV 6RPH OLNH 8QFOH ,VKPDHO ZRUNHG DV GRPHVWLFV LQ WKH ZDUGHUV¶ PDUULHG TXDUWHUV DQG WRRN LW XSRQ WKHPVHOYHV WR VDOYDJH DQ\ QHZVSDSHUV 0RVW ZHUH LQ $IULNDDQV 7KH PRVW VXUSULVLQJ VRXUFH RI LQIRUPDWLRQ ZDV Die Stem 7KH 9RLFH DQ $IULNDDQV SXEOLFDWLRQ 7KLV SURYLGHG XV ZLWK LQIRUPDWLRQ ZH VKDUHG $QHWZRUN RI VPXJJOLQJ QHZVSDSHUV GHYHORSHG )URP QHZVSDSHU FXWWLQJV WRUQ SDJHV PHGLFDO MRXUQDOV LQ ZKDWHYHU ODQJXDJH ZH GHYRXUHG HYHU\WKLQJ MXVW WR JOLPSVH ZKDW ZDV KDSSHQLQJ RQ WKH RXWVLGH ,W GLGQ¶W PDWWHU WKDW VRPH RI WKH VPXJJOHG QHZV ZDV RXWGDWHG ± WKDW KXJH ZDV RXU KXQJHU IRU QHZV 6RPHWLPHV WKRXJK ZH UHFHLYHG PLVLQIRUPDWLRQ RQ ZKDW ZDV JRLQJ RQ 6RRQ DIWHU RXU DUULYDO ZH KDG RFFDVLRQ WR DJDLQ VWULS QDNHG ± IRU PHGLFDO LQVSHFWLRQ 7KLV ZDV VR ZH FRXOG EH DVVHVVHG IRU spans ± WKH VWURQJHU PHQ ZHUH DVVLJQHG WR WKH TXDUU\ span w KLOH D IHZ RI XV ZKR ZHUH YLVLEO\ ZHDN DQG IUDJLOH ZHUH JLYHQ WDVNV WKDW ZHUH OHVV VWUHQXRXV 7KLV ZDV QRW GRQH RXW RI EHQHYROHQFH RU DOWUXLVP EXW SUDFWLFDO FRQVLGHUDWLRQV ± QHFHVVLW\ 7KH SULVRQ KDG WR EH EXLOW LQ D UXVK 7KH FRXQWU\ZLGH DUUHVWV KDG UHVXOWHG LQ QXPHURXV PDVV WULDOV DQG FRQYLFWLRQV WKXV UDLVLQJ D SUHVVLQJ QHHG WR DFFHOHUDWH WKH EXLOGLQJ SURFHVV DW WKH 5REEHQ ,VODQG IDFLOLW\ 7KH ¿UVW IHZ ZHHNV EHFDXVH RI LOO KHDOWK DQG \RXWK , ZDV DVVLJQHG ZLWK RWKHUV WR SHUIRUP OLJKW PXQGDQH GXWLHV 7KHUH ZDV D VHQVH WKDW ZH PLJKW QRW EH UHDG\ WR EH LQWHJUDWHG LQWR WKH EULVNO\ PRYLQJ KDUG ODERXU DW WKH TXDUU\ +RZHYHU MXVW D IHZ ZHHNV ODWHU WKH QHHG IRU ODERXU RYHUURGH DQ\ KXPDQH FRQVLGHUDWLRQV DQG QRZ ZH ZHUH VXGGHQO\ FRQVLGHUHG PDWXUH HQRXJK WR ZRUN WKH TXDUU\ 7KDW ¿UVW GD\ RQ WKH TXDUU\ span ZDV D GD\ , ZLOO QHYHU IRUJHW

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs