Sample from "Dare to Take the Next Step"

In June 1952 I finished grade 8 and was hoping to go
to Gimnázium (high school). Because of my father’s
resistance to join the collective farm and my uncle’s
imprisonment, I was refused admission to high school and
was told to sign up as laborer in the local collective farm.
By the time winter came our food supply was mostly gone.
Father worked in the stables of the collective farm, looking
after cows. He was able to bring home milk every day but
was not going to get paid until the next year’s harvest. The
communists broke his spirit as he was not able to provide
for his family. He was always a very proud man, a little bit
on the stubborn side, and seeing his family hungry put him
into deep depression. One night as we watched my 7 year
old sister crying herself to sleep because she was hungry,
my hatred towards the communists intensified. I vowed for
revenge at the right opportunity. Now, I had to focus on
helping our family to survive.