Pavla Jonssonova - a beautiful day

Last week we had a couple of days of glorious sunny spring weather, and that's the inspiration for the following memory. Pavla Jonssonova teaches Czech literature at several universities and institutes of higher education here in Prague. She's also well-known as bass player with the now disbanded popular all-women band Zuby nehty. Here she remembers a very ordinary, everyday experience, as she was travelling on a Prague tram a few days ago.

"I walked into a tram. The tram was pleasantly empty and the first thing I noticed was a beautiful young Romany girl, sitting comfortably and enjoying the ride - enormously enjoying the ride - basking in the sun, looking out of the window, she looked a bit like a queen in a carriage. She was beautifully dressed, in a nice jacket, and she was out - going downtown - and life was so wonderful, I could see it on her. And suddenly a ticket inspector came up to her - immediately, she was the first person - and it was amazing to see her reaction. Whereas people that I know completely cringe in fear and hysteric panic, she just kept sitting comfortably in the chair smiling, when he asked her: 'Can I see your ticket please?' She just said: 'I don't have a ticket.' And then he said: 'So then, it's 400 crowns.' 'I don't have 400 crowns.' 'Then I need to see your ID.' 'I lost my ID.' 'So, then we have to go to the police,' and she said: 'If you must.' And I could sort of get behind all that - well, maybe you'll take me to the police, but tomorrow you'll deal with my brothers and sisters, so what does it matter really? And the fact that she wouldn't have the day be spoilt for her was kind of really miraculous, and it made me think that it's really a beautiful day."