Two Women

Daniel Popa
They did not see each other for a long time. They were talking simultaneously. Gathered reproaches were flowing like a broken dam. Through poured waters, the deep wounds were coming out one by one. Exhausted, they cried until they started laughing. It was only then when they started to listen to each other truly, to give each other advices and to hearten each other. Finally, they both seemed to know what should be done. They whipped the mirror, because they even spitted at each other at some point, they told each other I love you and turned off the light. One of them got out into the real world, the other remained in the dark. Hoping.

Ana-Maria Butuza
My dear, please, stop using that excuse of Mercury retrograde. I've told you already and I repeat: I don't believe in astrology or any other occult sciences. I understand, I mean, at least I try to get used to the idea that your sign is Gemini, but do something about the other mad woman. You are just enough for me in your calm variant. Dealing with two women would be too much and I am not even that potent to handle it. I mean I am. Maybe it is not such a bad idea. Whenever you have a headache, I have another option. No, darling, you didn't understand. When I have a headache, I can take some ibuprofen. If I want to.

Răzvan Dițescu
Just to recap. I take her to Paris. We check in at Masion Souquet. I set aside one day for sightseeing. Montmartre, Sacré-Cœur and Place du Tertre. Then we go to Louvre. Along the pier to Musée d'Orsay. From there, the Tower is close. I made a reservation at Jules Verne for nine o'clock. Just in time to admire the sunset and the evening as it falls. What is there to wonder? Any man has a woman in his thoughts all the time. Those who are married have one at home too. In addition, a real man never leaves a woman for another one. He keeps them both.

(Translated by Diana Sitaru / University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year I / Corrected by Silvia Petrescu, coordinator of the translations)


Real Fiction is a collective project started in 2013 by Florin Piersic Jr. The concept of Real Fiction continued to exist as a Facebook group, after a volume of stories was published at Humanitas Publishing House. (In July 2024, the group has 13,200 members.) The authors write ultra-short stories, with the texts limited to 500 characters (in Romanian, so the length of the English translation might be a little different) - a flash-fiction exercise on a topic that changes every few days. The group's coordinators are Florin Piersic Jr., Gabriel Molnar, Răzvan Penescu, Luchian Abel, Monica Aldea, and Vlad Mușat. (Drawing by Adrian T. Roman)

Versiunea în română a acestui text se poate citi aici, în rubrica Ficțiuni Reale.