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.
Continue reading Story of Otto Kudibal – Part IVCategory Archives: Story of Otto Kudibal
Story of Otto Kudibal – Part III
Kudibal told me many times, after he separated from his wife, that he was planning to “escape” again from Czechoslovakia and go back to live in Melbourne, Australia. He said that if we wanted, he will take my sister and me with him and that after we were in Australia, we would write a book about our experiences in a Communist country.
My father was arrested and taken away by the secret police in the fall of 1960. We did not know why he was arrested and did not know where he was until a year later at his trial. During this time we suspected that it had something to do with Kudibal, until we found at my father’s “secret” trial that it had nothing to do with Kudibal.
Continue reading Story of Otto Kudibal – Part IIIStory of Otto Kudibal – Part II
I was meeting Otto Kudibal approximately every other week, until I was drafted into the army in September 1962. We either met at a restaurant for a lunch or dinner, or a coffee shop for coffee and pastries, or at his apartment for tea and some pastries. He told me stories from his life, which I was very interested in. I told him the story of my life, and the difficulty I had communicating with my father. My father was of a age that he could be my grandfather; he grew up in an era predating the communist society, where he held powerful positions. After my father’s 3-year jail sentence in 1948, he could not grasp or relate to the cultural changes that had happened since Communist take over. Kudibal took interest and explained to me how to understand my father, how to avoid clashes, and how to better relate to him. I looked up to Kudibal and considered him to be my very wise, understanding, and important friend.
Continue reading Story of Otto Kudibal – Part IIStory of Otto Kudibal – Part I
One Sunday afternoon, sometimes in March of 1960, the doorbell to our apartment in Prague rang. When I opened the door, there was an impressive figure of man, around 40-years old. He introduced himself as Otto Kudibal and asked to see my father. My father was surprised to see him since they had not see each other since 1948. Kudibal said that he had lived in Australia for the last 10 or so years, and he decided to come back to Czechoslovakia with his wife and 4 children. My father’s reaction was fear because my father had been a political prisoner for 3 years after 1948 and could not understand why anyone would return to Communist Czechoslovakia without working for the secret police. He was afraid that the secret police were trying to set him up. Otto Kudibal was surprised about my father’s situation and explained that he came to see my father to ask for advise and help since my father used to be a high government official. He expected my father to still have a high position and a lot of influence and be able to help him to find a good job.