After 10 years, Aimée entered the University as a tenured professor of comparative literature. Her heels were slightly uncomfortable, but she picked up her pace. She wore her hair tied up with a red velvet ribbon, just like in her student days. She couldn't stand being late, especially now that she had a new position and it was midst of the exam session. Perched on the last step of the spiral staircase, a student was highlighting some lines in her notebook. The red ribbon had slipped off her hair onto the step. Aimée picked it up and said to herself. I did it, dear, I did it!
Paul Dârvariu
Emil is quite a character. He has a habit of writing nicknames for teachers in his student record book. Granny Gluey, Old Screwy, Old Electrolyte, Mr. Spindle. Mironiuc, the physics teacher, is a true vigilante. During the exam, he took Emil's record book, started flipping through it and burst into laughter. I see that you've written the nicknames of my colleagues here. May I know why? This way it's easier for me to remember them. Hehehe, how are you going to call me? Mironiuc, naturally. Well, won't you come up with a nickname for me? I don't have to. Mironiuc will do. It's quite enough.
Florina Hegedüs
I have an exam tomorrow. No one is pushing me. I want to give up. These drawings that I've made on the cupboard door make me crave a drawing board. The water is boiling on the stove. I'll take care of that pot (there is hardly any oil inside), but they don't fall for the corn kernel hooked on this pin. Those damn pigeons. I do another calculation, draw one more line, and go to the window sill. Still nothing. The weather is just fine. Tâmpa lures me out for a stroll. I close the window. Good thing that I still have some seeds, and I can push myself as far as I can.
(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.