The two rare coins Kudibal gave me before the trip, I inadvertently lost when I was going to some store, still in Prague, getting some last minute items. They were in my pants pocket and I must have lose them getting something else from the pocket. I went back trying to retrace my steps, but did not find them. I will write details about leaving and life as a refugee in Austria in another story, so I will try to keep this pertinent to Kudibal.

After sneaking out from the bus tour in Vienna, as I planned it with Kudibal, I went to Great Britain Embassy to try to apply for emigration to Australia They sent me to Australian Embassy in Vienna. There was a Czech speaking lady, who helped me with the application after I explained to her my situation and my plans. I also explained to the lady at the embassy Kudibal’s situation and that he will be trying to leave Czechoslovakia with his 4 children. She explained that the easiest way is to get a trip to Yugoslavia and visit the Australian embassy there. She said that his children will not have a problem getting immediately Australian passport at the embassy in Yugoslavia and will be able to leave for Australia, since they were taken to Czechoslovakia while they were not adults yet. She said that with Otto Kudibal it will be different story, since he escaped once from communist country, decided to go back on his own and now he is trying to escape again. She said that she does not think he will be allowed to do that.

After about 6 month, I got my Australian emigration papers and tickets for a charter boat trip to Australia. There were several reasons for me changing my mind and applying for emigration visa to USA, one of the reasons being that I realized that Kudibal will not leave Czechoslovakia. Later I found that he did go on a trip to Yugoslavia, went to the Australian embassy and most likely was told the same as I was, and he decided to stay in Czechoslovakia. While I was in Vienna, Kudibal asked me to buy him tie rod ends for his Opel car, he could not find in Czechoslovakia. I gladly did it. They cost me most likely more than his 2 rare coins he gave me, so I felt that this way I paid it back to him. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to talk to him and explain the whole story. I did send a letter to his cousin in the USA, but it came back as addressee unknown.

I heard that sometimes in late 1970’s or early 1980’s all his children left Czechoslovakia. Otto Kudibal died in Prague June 24, 1986. He did not live long enough to see the collapse of communism. With all the information currently available on the internet, I was searching what happened to his children. I found that Roman Kudibal died February 9, 2007 in England, Diana Kudibal died January 12, 2011 in Denmark, Janetta Kudibal died in July, 1988. According to newspaper article, she was found dead by her twin brother Marian after she overdosed on some anti-depressant pills. She had been depressed since the death of her father and her aunt. Marian Kudibal most likely died January 10, 2013 in England. I am not 100 percent sure about Marian, but found death record for Mariam (Marian Karel) Kudibal.

When I was visiting Prague in 2018, I found Vera Motlikova – Kudibalova and met with her for a few hours. She was 80 years old, looking good. She was very bitter, she did not have one good think to say about Otto Kudibal or his children. She was very resentful, that she was studying in law school and than working as a lawyer, while Kudibal was retired, sick and at home. They had no children and she was left alone. I was happy to see her and regardless of her negativity, I always remember Otto Kudibal as a good older friend, who had a great influence on my life.