Early 1977 , the authorities ended my field of mining limestone hard labor , so I was in the prison courtyard to do something , be able to arrange a large courtyard in the prison life in prison , is really a liberation . So I can read a book all day , write a letter , discuss issues with like-minded persons , or prepare some legal documents. The location of the prison on Robben Island , I also use the free time to develop the two hobbies : vegetables and tennis.
To spend hard time in prison , you have to find ways to find a little comfort in everyday life . Wash clothes , make clean as new ; clean sweep foyer hallway , making spotless ; pack up the room , so narrow jail cells so spacious as possible . These can be thought prison life more satisfying and fulfilling .
Almost to Robben Island in Iraq so , I will ask the authorities to allow me to open one in prison courtyard garden . This authority has been rejected, not the whole story , but eventually the authorities made some concessions, I was able to reclaim the prison courtyard near the wall of a narrow garden .
Prison compound built on garbage , dried soil , rocks arisen. In order to reclaim the garden , to make room for the growth of the crop , I moved many large stones. During that time, I have kept all day digging in the ground , for some friends joking I was born a miner .
Authorities gave me a seed , I first planted tomatoes, peppers , onions, these are anti-poor , and without startling care vegetables. Beginning of the harvest little , and soon there will be improved. Harvest when the authorities began to see the garden , they did not allow me to go back on vegetables , I often give regulators provide some of the best tomatoes and onions.
I have a soft spot for farming garden , until after I was detained , have the opportunity to take care of their own garden . Back in college , when Ford Hal , I planted vegetables in the garden of a professor , which is part of the school of manual labor required . After the hard mental work , I go to the garden , immersed in intimate contact with the land , the lot. When I went to Johannesburg to study and work , have neither the time nor the place to reclaim the garden .
With the prison garden after I started growing vegetables subscribe to relevant books, learn a variety of farming techniques , learn how to use various types of fertilizers . I do not have the book discusses many of the materials needed to grow , but I can learn to practice and failure. Once, I tried to peanuts , with a different soil and fertilizer , but eventually gave up because of failure .
I was in prison vegetable garden is a rare thing to self- management . Sow seeds, observe the growth , taken care of , then harvest. Become masters of this side of heaven and earth feeling , so I appreciate the hint of the taste of freedom .
In a sense, I think the farming life in the garden implies certain aspects of the profound truth . As leaders , we must seriously take care of their own garden . They want to sow , observation, work, before the harvest , like gardeners , leaders must be held accountable for their work careers. They have good care of their work , to repel the enemy , make every effort to save everything can fight efforts to remove all obstacles to success.
I have beautiful tomatoes on a strain wrote two letters to Winnie , Winnie told me how to nurture it into a grain delicate seed strain robust plants and bear deep red fruit. But due to some mistakes in the care or lack of it , this strain of tomato gradually began to wither and die, though I did not make every effort to restore its vitality. When it finally died , I pull it out from the ground , washed his roots, to be buried in the garden of the iceberg.
I went to great lengths to give this little story about Winnie , I do not know what she read out . Writing this letter mood is very complex , and I am , I always unable to maintain a good life in a number of important feelings. Sometimes no matter how hard a person , those things are not destined to save disappearing .
