Jiří Fráňa

“Then there was the May Day. And we who weren't involved in politics back then we didn't go to school in Socialist Union of Youth uniform as many others did. And there was this comrade deputy director at the school, she was red indeed. And she showed that ostentatiously, she mocked everything that opposed her view. And there was this scene, like they were showing themselves off, they were showing themselves off til there was nothing they could show. She handed out placards. And everyone started: 'We have to carry placards again.' I didn't know that madame, or comrade to be precise, was standing right behind me and I told them: 'Idiots, if you would come dressed as usual you wouldn't have to carry a placard. You are wearing the Youth Union shirts, so carry the placard.' And that was it. Comrade Vašková said: 'Fráňa, you are making remarks again.' And she issued me a Soviet flag. So we were the single school on that May Day that came to the platform with just a Czech flag, as the Soviet one remained poised as she gave it to me, resting against the wall. She was on the grandstand of course, as she was this hardcore comrade. And I suppose that she had to explain to the other comrades why we were marching by with just our flag. So after that I was done. I failed in everything, even in subjects I was quite good at. So they threw me out in no time.”

“We were sitting in a guardhouse, waiting for a guard to come to pick us up. You had a visiting card so you went in. And there was this lady sitting in a corner, obviously in a pretty bad shape, she was crying. And all of a sudden, this 'Whistling Dan' appeared there. He asked: 'Who wanted to speak to me?' Without a greeting or anything, as no one cared about formalities at that place. The lady in the corner said that she wanted to ask him for something. That she got this message, that her husband was in a very bad shape, that most probably he would die, so she wanted to see him for the last time. And I can still remember him asking her: 'Are you entitled to visit him?' And she said: 'I am not.' He looked at her and said: 'Dear madam, if your man would die right at this moment, I wouldn't let you in.' That offended my grandmother from Královo Pole, who got up and just started to beat the man. 'You are a Nazi!' she screamed at him. We were thinking that in solidarity we would refuse to go inside as well. In the end, he was so upset that he ran away. And those men who came with him were quite perplexed. They turned around and went away. Fortunately, we were picked up by different group of men so we went inside. And my grandmother was sitting there with that woman. I didn't know what there were into as she was waiting for us, for our visit to end. And while I was there I created this line inside myself. I told myself: 'And these are the people acting like they were supposed to lead us to better tomorrows.' I just told myself that for me, that was enough, being a twelve years old.”