An old man rebels in front of a reporter: nowadays children educate their parents, not the other way around; people only touch screens, they have forgotten how an embrace feels; women run corporations, men make sarmale; masks sit hanged in people's closets, robots invade our lives, they handle our chores, they organize our thoughts. Someone knocks on the door. I turn off the TV and open it. It's God. He kneels before me and starts to pray: Robot, please give me the strength to put "man" back in "human."
Caterina Tudorache
Two. What are you saying? I have chickens, but at home. I brought you a turkey. Sometimes it flails, but it's tame. I took it to check his liver, but the doctor said she's only up for greens. What else can I say, doctor? Three. What did you say? What do I want? I don't want anything anymore. I have everything I need. Including diabetes. I'm going tomorrow, my daughter is bringing a rabbit. You know, it doesn't work that way. If I come, you look at me. I look at you. But not like Gicu. I'm old, you know. The doctor was writing in the register. So, do I hear or not properly? You need new eardrums. New times?
Ionuț Tuhoarcă
Back in my day, there were only two series. Seinfeld and the one with the Bundy Family. The Flintstones at most. Now, this abundance of series kills you. Watchthat one, it's so good. Watch that one, the actors are fantastic. Watch that one, it won an award for its sets. Watch that one, it's about horses. So much information slowly kills you, as the song goes. When I want to relax, I gamble. You spend some penny, but at least you know they're gone. Just like spending it on bumper cars. Tuța told me as well. The competitive spirit is learned from a young age. Even from high school.
(Translated by Marian-Cătălin Niculăescu / 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.