My uncle takes me to a fancy restaurant. But a very fancy one. The men - all in tails and bow ties; the women - in evening gowns and full of diamonds. 3 forks on the left; 2 spoons on the right and glasses about 5. Michelin stars; renowned chef - a madness. We're sweating with excitement and the whites of our eyes too. The food - insane; the music - smooth jazz; the atmosphere - diaphanous perfume. What a great evening. In fact, I wanted to brag about the restaurant I went to yesterday, but the theme being different, I introduced the character of the uncle.
Alina Ilie
Two drops of swirling sea watched over a nose that shaded only the middle of two petals full of red poppy, God had also given it sparkle, reasons for which all her peers could easily hate her. They were presenting a project for distribution. Hers was good, complex, worked, she wanted to go to Bucharest where they were 30 on a place and 2 were all. In front of the committee she already spoke like a doctor, so beautiful, serious, wonderful. Ok, who recommends you, comrade? Do you have an uncle or something? No, I'm an orphan. All the parents stood up, she's my niece.
Camil Popescu
My tears wouldn't come and my family was worried. My brothers and cousins were already crying their eyes out. And then my uncle brought me out into the world. He knew a crack in the fence that led to monkeys. You'll laugh your eyes out, he said. He slipped away, but when my turn came, I felt my head explode. Nea Vasile, the caretaker, was jumping like a grabber, waving a shovel. The choreographed number ended when he got a hoof to the skull. I bit, to tears, from Vasile, watching the humpbacked wonder.
(Translated by Iulia-Mihaela Țugulea / 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.