TWO YEARS AGO
Time passed by. Lots of clouds raged over Europe and the darkest ones had just wiped out that tiny, small piece of land among hills, where out Motherland is. We saw some of the first hits falling on heads of the innocent ones and we ourselves felt them on our backs, but those hits had not made us lower our heads powerlessly. Two years ago we experienced what the loss of Home means. We clenched our teeth and fists.
The head raised up, eye watched around, but we coul not see through the veil of darkness surrounding us. In a strange way we launched looking for way towards salvation. Darkness, darkness, fog and darkness again. Nobody had idea where to go, who to ask for help, where to find the beginning. We were sure by an only thing –
T h e w a r i s i n e v i t a b l e b e c a u s e i n j u s t i c e h a s
b e e n d o n e.
The war is in sight and it depends on us in what fashion to stand in the first rows of the front against the Nazism one day, against whoever and wherever. And this awareness lead us towards the darkness. Not all succeeded in getting through and escaping from dirty hands of the Gestapo Secret Police. Some comrades found themselves in German prisons or concentration camps. The others - and those were not only a few – fell down somewhere on the border with a bullet in their heads.
They were the first victims of this war. The first ones while the war was even far from its breaking out. Then - when we crossed the border successfully one by one - a long march ensued. We eyewitnessed Europe`s fall, but we are not afraid of, it did not complete its fall to the bottom. It – leaned aside a bit – will be set straight by us one day..
Time passed by. Two years ago we were leaving Poland, the first stop at the Way towards Freedom. I recall the night when I stood on the border while sending the last farewell to my Motherland. Like today I can see a gloomy house in Krakow, cramped by all of us, thinking of our prospects. I can see all of you – comrades - in the Male Bronowice Czechoslovak Volunteers` Military Camp.
You were those ones who did not ask for the Way`s to Resistance travel benefit. You made this way claiming nothing and without guarantee of your future. Be assured this all has not been wasted.
Your reward is kept safely. Nor in the National Bank nor on a chair of one of the Ministeries to be. At home, somewhere in a garden, your mum is sitting under a apple tree in her thoughts. Perhaps she is not in the garden, maybe toiling in a field or a factory.
Easy, she will not work for the enemy for long. A day awaited by all of us as well as the ones in our Motherland is coming. And that will be the splendid reward.
Two years have passed. The faces engraved on my heart in its immense simplicity and an iron will to follow the aim shared by us, the trusting faces watched by me on long travels, can expect the Fate. Tony, Emil, John, Frank you are alike as two years ago. I went through the years of the firmest comraderie with you. I will never forget.
Fate twisted our lives unpredictably for two years. Fate laughed at us for two years. But situation is different nowadays. We stand on the new soil, nevertheless being of any sort, is a solid backing against the enemy expansiveness. We stand here anytime ready to volunteer anywhere, where our hand needed is. Well, I believe this time is coming near. And we will go home then. Zdenek Vrsovsky