Robben Island to Wall Street

139

Unzima lomthwalo (This burden is heavy)

WKDW ZHUH QRW HQRXJK RI D EXUGHQVRPH LQKHULWDQFH WKH EURWKHUV QRZ KDG +HDG :DUGHU 'HOSRUW WR QXUWXUH WKHP ,W ZDV XQGHU WKDW JHQWOHPDQ¶V PHQWRUVKLS WKDW WKH .OH\QKDQV VRQV VHUYHG WKHLU DSSUHQWLFHVKLS EHIRUH WKH\ ZHUH UHOHDVHG WR GR WKHLU GLUW\ ZRUN $V D PDUN RI WKH HVWHHP LQ ZKLFK ZH KHOG WKH .OH\QKDQV IRXU ZH HYHQ KDG D FRGH ‘ Die Blok is warm! ¶ 7KH EORFN LV KRW :KHQ D SULVRQHU KHDUG WKDW KH NQHZ WKDW WKH .OH\QKDQV ER\V ZHUH RQ WKH ZDU SDWK 0RUH WLPHV WKDQ , FDUH WR UHPHPEHU KDYH , KHDUG WKRVH IRXU KXUOLQJ LQVXOWV DW LQPDWHV RU LQ WKHLU NLQGHU PRPHQWV VKRXWLQJ ZLWK JOHH ‘Laat waai … Laat waai!’ 0RYH LW 7KH\ EHDW DQG DVVDXOWHG DQG RIWHQ WKUHDWHQHG WR µ« EUHDN HYHU\ OLWWOH ERQH LQ \RXU VWXSLG ERG\ ¶ 6XFK RXWEXUVWV ZHUH QRW LQIUHTXHQW 7KH FRXQWOHVV WLPHV , IRXQG P\VHOI DW WKH PHUF\ RI WKH .OH\QKDQV IRXU , VWUXJJOHG WR UHPDLQ PH ± UHPDLQ KXPDQ 7HDUV ZHUH UDUH , RQO\ IHOW WKHP XQGHU WKH H\HOLGV EXW QHYHU UHOHDVHG WKHP , ZRXOGQ¶W JLYH WKHP WKDW PXFK VDWLVIDFWLRQ ± QRW LI LW NLOOHG PH $QRWKHU RXWVWDQGLQJ ZDUGHU WRUWXUHU ZDV 6HUJHDQW =LOOH $ WDOO PDQ RI VL[ IRRW WZR KH VWUXWWHG LQ D PLOLWDU\ UK\WKP ZLWK KLV UDWKHU SURPLQHQW SURWUXGLQJ VWRPDFK +H KDG D VXQ LQGXFHG GDUN UHG FRPSOH[LRQ DQG GDUN EURZQ KDLU 8VXDOO\ KH ZRUH WKLFN KRUQ ULPPHG RSDTXH VXQJODVVHV DQG ZH FRXOGQ¶W VHH KLV H\HV =LOOH¶V FRQGXFW UHPLQGHG PH RI WKH 1D]L VWRULHV , KDG UHDG +H ZHQW WKH H[WUD PLOH ZKHQ LW FDPH WR JLYLQJ SXQLVKPHQW +LV LGHD ZKHQ LW IHOO RQ KLP WR PHWH SXQLVKPHQW ZDV QRW MXVW WR SXQLVK WKH FXOSULW EXW DOVR ± DQG SHUKDSV WKLV ZDV WKH PRUH LPSRUWDQW JRDO WR KLP ± WR SURYLGH HQWHUWDLQPHQW IRU KLV FROOHDJXHV DQG RU DSSHDVH KLV VXSHULRUV 7KH H[HUFLVH RI FRXUVH ZDV DW RXU H[SHQVH )UHTXHQWO\ DQG ZLWKRXW ZDUQLQJ KH ZRXOG NLFN XV $OPRVW HYHU\RQH , KDYH VSRNHQ WR DERXW WKLV UHPHPEHUV EHLQJ NLFNHG E\ =LOOH 2I FRXUVH ZH UHSRUWHG KLP WR WKH DXWKRULWLHV 2I FRXUVH QRWKLQJ FDPH RI WKDW =LOOH ZHQW VFRW IUHH &KLHI :DUGHU 7KHURQ WR ZKRP ZH UHSRUWHG =LOOH¶V DEXVH D NQRZQ %URHGHUERQG V\PSDWKLVHU ZRXOG VKRXW KLV UHSULPDQG LQ D VKDUS VKULOO YRLFH ODFHG ZLWK SDUHQW OLNH LQGXOJHQFH µ=LOOH Ek het QLH YROVWUXLVH KLHUVR QLH ¶ , GRQ¶W KDYH RVWULFKHV KHUH ,Q EDUHO\ VXSSUHVVHG JOHH =LOOH ZRXOG UHSO\ µ Oooo, Meneer, ek het hom net getik ’ 2K QR 6LU , MXVW WRXFKHG KLP WR WKH JUHDW DPXVHPHQW RI WKH RWKHU ZDUGHUV 7KH\ DOO FKXFNOHG HQMR\LQJ WKH VSRUW VHFXUH LQ WKHLU LPPXQLW\ =LOOH NQHZ XQGHUVWRRG EHOLHYHG KH KDG XQTXHVWLRQHG LPPXQLW\ +H ZDV ULJKW RI FRXUVH 2Q WKH ZD\ WR WKH TXDUU\ ZH DOZD\V SDVVHG WKH OHSHU JUDYH\DUG MXVW EHIRUH ZH FDPH WR 5REHUW 6REXNZH¶V FRWWDJH $W WKH WLPH 5REHUW 6REXNZH WKH IRXQGLQJ SUHVLGHQW RI WKH 3$& KDG EHHQ RQ 5REEHQ ,VODQG IRU IRXU \HDUV +H KDG FRPSOHWHG KLV LQLWLDO WKUHH \HDU VHQWHQFH EXW EHFDXVH RI WKH UHVWULFWLRQ RI WKH µ6REXNZH &ODXVH¶ UHPDLQHG FDJHG ORQHO\ LQ WKDW VPDOO FRWWDJH JXDUGHG E\ DQ DUPHG ZDUGHU

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs