Twelve times twelve years is a night in people's minds. First, it gets a little dark and sadness covers their hearts; then, as darkness takes over, misunderstanding, worry, fear, wrath and madness eat them alive. The crack of dawn finds them broken, but the ones that are left feed on light and grow again: with joy, tolerance, trust, courage, kindness and wisdom. Ever since the master of chaos destroyed the counting, the number of nights has been lost and we can no longer decipher light. Where could we possibly be? And how?
Alina Ilie
She had no reaction for the first eleven nights, so they prepared themselves for something they had never imagined. On the twelfth night it was the dad's turn to hold her hand. He fell asleep, but when he felt the touch of the little monkey, as he used to call her when she jumped on his shoulders from the couch, he opened his eyes and started calling for the nurses. On the thirteenth day after the inexplicable faint, Anuța opened her eyes and saw the faces of the happiest parents on earth. Mommy, why are you crying? Daddy, are you mad at me?
Elena Fermuș
Champagne, fireworks, crowds of people, it's New Year's Eve and they hold hands. 3, 2, 1, 0. Will you marry me? That's how he proposed. And more fireworks, friends, a white dress, a bowtie and the honeymoon. Champs-Élysées. A dream came true. Their house, the dog, the child names list. Lots of love and spoiling. But it didn't last for long. A curse? Destiny? Misfortune dressed her up in a black dress, thousands of tears and painful sorrow. Pining for his soulmate. It was only on the twelfth night that he could sleep. And they found one another in his dream, Oh, Champs-Élysées.
(Translated by Cristina-Andreea Dobre / 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.