Sabbatical

Andrei Tiganus
Tick, tock, tick, tock. I don't understand why people rush so much when they come in. My old man never leaves; he's been here for as long as I can remember. He fixes me up sometimes. But other times, he leaves me stopped, exactly at twelve o'clock. Whenever he does that and someone enters, he points at me, and the person leaves. Why and for how long he keeps me like that, I don't know. Because once he stops me, it's like time itself stands still. At least for me. He keeps pulling out some wonders from the drawer and tinkers them vigorously with the screwdriver.

Ana Maria Vaida
Does anyone know who the stranger who moved to our island is? For several months, she has been staying in the gray cottage near old Ana. She speaks our language, but she doesn't say where she comes from. She only tells us that there, people run all the time without looking at each other, without speaking to each other. They monkey each other from phones, devoid of meaning and clothing. And what does she do all day? Every morning, she walks along the seaside. She also rides her bike to the port to get food and cooks with the host. She carries a thick notebook with her wherever she goes, constantly writing in it.
 
 Cecilia Fofiu
Brunette, flirtatious, and cute as a button, she portioned the dough at the bakery while thinking about Nelu in the arms of someone else. The trolleybus driver was, in her head, the temptation of all female passengers aged 15 to 50. Luckily, there was Milica, her childhood friend who understood her and tried to calm her down. During the break, she rushes to her phone. New message. Girl, let's go to the monastery on the hill this Sunday to pray, you'll calm down a bit. Are you coming? Think about it, Nelu is free, safe from the crazy ones. She quickly responds, Sure, let's go, but I won't wear a headscarf.

(Translated by Andreea-Daniela Vasilache / University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year II / Corrected by Silvia Petrescu, coordinator of the translations)