Ludmila Vlková

"How was the meeting with your brothers that you have not seen for two years?“ – „They were glad. I used to go farming with them to the fields and began to like it here a lot. I did not have to speak any Ukraine, trying to remember the words. I did not understand the Germans either; it was a hard life here and difficult to talk to anyone.“ – So you liked it in Czechoslovakia, as you could speak easily to the locals...“ – Yes, and I liked the fact I was back in Czechia. I did not even cry or were sentimental over the stuff I left behind. Such beautiful flowers I left there. But I ddi not mind. I thought, that we would finally get out and stop fearing. I came here to Hrušovany to my brothers and he had some stuff hanging outside the house.I told him: ´Do take care and bring it in, so that it does not get stolen!‘ But he just laughed and said: ‚There is no stealing here, you can leave your house unlocked.‘ So it was a big relief for us here not having to hide everything.“

"We took what we could, what they allowed us to carry. Grains for the cattle, when we spent two weeks traveling by train."-"Did you take cattle along too? "- "Yes, we had two cows and two horses." - "And what else have you brought with you?" - Nothing else. Grain for cattle, the pig was killed to have food on our way." "How long have you traveled for?" - "For two weeks." - "And what other personal stuff could you have taken with you?" - "We took our beds and nothing else. We also brough grain boxes and not much more"-"Did you go straight to your brothers? Were they already there?"-"They have been here and have come to to pick us at the station. We arrived in March, there was a lot of snow here."