he told himself in the mirror. He has a beautiful, intelligent, healthy child. He has a beautiful, cheerful, smart wife. In stark contrast to him. Opposites attract. He has everything a normal person could want, a house in installments, a second-hand car, his mother-in-law far away, a salary of over 1,200 euros, friends, not that. Problems, yes, emotional and mental. He has already made about 3 attempts to reject life. He is always sad. Malignant. A parasite. He has lived the last three months like a fairy tale. Travels, restaurants and parties. Lyme disease.
Claudia Ene
After more than five years, the sculpture was done. He had no more reason to exist. The man knelt before his marbled lover and commenced kissing her soles, thighs, elbows and cheeks. He fondled her braided hair and playfully pulled her ears. Everything was just the same as it was when she still existed. Mornings were inscribed with complicit glances, evenings with tender kisses. Only one night needed to be repeated. The one on which, waking up from drunkenness, he had attacked her with an axe. That's it, the next day he could start things over.
Camelia Popescu
I saw her the way she had been her whole life- a Cinderella-like woman. Every day, both male and female in her household, as she used to say. And I thought what it would be like if she turned into a princess for a few hours. I offered to do her makeup, dress her elegantly and take some pictures of her. She fit into an evening gown. Somehow I found a pair of high heels for her. Now, mother stands in agony on stiletto heels, striking a pose like a fashion model. She blinks at every flash and doesn't know what to do with her hands. Oh, mother, I made you, you're killing me.
(Translated by Bogdan Macarie / University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year I / Corrected by Silvia Petrescu, coordinator of the translations)
Versiunea în română a acestui text se poate citi aici, în rubrica Ficțiuni Reale.