The house, sturdy and solid, built under Petr's leadership and also by his own hands, stood as a proof of his craftsmanship and dedication. Within its walls, the couple found refuge from the outside world, a sanctuary where they could nurture their love and raise their newborn daughter, Radka.
Marie placed her on the living room table for Petr to watch over. Marie used the toiled and then the bathroom and settled herself at the other side of the table to call to workplaces of her parents leaving the good message. She also called her lady-boss that she has a daughter and will proceed with the maternity leave. After it she grabbed a pen from a jar with writing utensils, ready to pour her heart into a letter to her sister. Petr who already used the rooms which are often ignored in stories, took charge of caring for Radka, eager to give his wife the time and space she needed to reconnect with Eva.
With a sense of duty ingrained by years of living under the watchful eye of the state, Petr reached for the private landline phone placed beside where Marie was writing, his left index finger rotating the dialing circle. "An honor to a work, comrade," he greeted, his tone formal, lacking any genuine camaraderie. "I am calling to inform you (*) that I am currently attending to my newborn daughter, Radka. Rest assured, I will resume my job duties promptly tomorrow." Petr then asked his boss to inform his close colleagues about the situation.
The voice on the other end of the line responded in kind, though there was again a too much curiosity about if Petr will have enough time for his hobbies. Petr answered carefully because he knew all too well the delicate dance of loyalty and mistrust that defined life under communism, where every word spoken and action taken was scrutinized for signs of dissent. Like his wife, Petr also left messages in workplaces of his parents.
After the phone handset was hung up and a few minutes passed, it began to ring, its shrill tone piercing the quiet of the house. Startled by the sudden noise, Radka's cries filled the air, her tiny voice rising in protest. Petr's heart clenched with guilt as he reached his left hand out to soothe her while picked up the handset again by his right hand.
But the curled cable connecting those two parts of the phone together was not long enough for that two tasks, so the phone was yanked from the table, crashing to the wall with a resounding thud, the handset holding it precariously by its stretched cord. Petr cursed under his breath, his thoughts racing as he quickly ended the call with his closest subordinate, who had called to offer his congratulations on Radka's birth right after the boss informed Petr's work-group.
During that call, Petr noticed disturbing noises coming from the microphone part. This time after he hung up, he caressed Radka to calm her down and then retrieved his electronic repair kit. He opened the handset of the landline phone for inspection and a possible repair.
And there, hidden behind the microphone, lay the ugly truth of their reality — a tiny electronic bug, its presence a chilling reminder of the state's "care" for their private lives. Petr's jaw clenched with anger as he considered the implications of this discovery, his mind reeling with the knowledge that their every phone and living room conversation, had been recorded by the scary state security.
As fear and anger gnawed at his resolve, Petr partially succumbed to despair. With doubts in his heart, he wished to protect his family, to shield them from the totalitarian state and to help for a future where freedom and privacy were not just distant dreams, but tangible realities. And after he turned his attention back to Radka, her cries soon softened to gentle whimpers, he questioned himself if he would be able to keep especially her safe from harm.
(*)
In Czech language are more ways how to write "you". To show the differences to English readers, I am using the following rules:
1) "... you" = "Ty" and its variations which Is informal and even personal, while writing "ty" with the little initial letter is impolite, which I am writing as _you_. So the marked dialog was informal and also personal but without the proper reason which should be a good relationship. Can you imagine how annoying such communication can be for anybody in less powerful position?
2) "... You" = "Vy" and it' variations which is formal and with personal boundaries, while in Czech language the super-formal and the most respectful "Thou" is translated just as "Ty" and its variations, but I am writing it as "TY" and its variations.