On summer nights when I was young I used to lie on the grass in the garden and count the stars. Then, one day, someone told me that if I kept doing that, my face would be full of dots. For fear of spots making my complexion look ugly, I kept admiring the sky, not counting any more stars. Today, while I was standing in line for bread, a gorgeous woman with a face full of freckles walked into the store. She must have counted a lot of stars when she was a child, I thought to myself. Tonight I hope the sky is clear.
Florentina Ghițescu
The child was trying to wipe the spots off her face. She failed with water. Didn't succeed when she scrubbed with soap either. The mother, with empty eyes, looked at her but saw nothing. She started making food, every time beans. It was cheap and could feed her two children. Maybe tomorrow she'd have money to buy some sausages too. She'll keep looking for work, maybe find someone who needs help around the house. The older brother understood, that's not why dad left us. You didn't do anything wrong.
Cecilia Fofiu
Where in God's name did you get the measles from, she worriedly chides him, wrapping him up and shoving the thermometer into his mouth. You probably got it up at the club, at the checkers table, you're not yet done with your loitering. At your age it's dangerous. Look how you blistered. Lucky I had it when I was a kid and I can take care of you, you jitterbug. You'll get over it. Sit down wrapped up, I'll call the family doctor, and thenI'll go to Vasilica's to borrow a lemon until I get to the store. Mișu opens the door, I was just coming over to see you, I don't know what's wrong with my wife, she's really spotted.
(Translated by Corina-Alexandra Belu / 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.