The Only Thing That Matters

Monica Aldea
The flames had consumed Gherghina's house on the hill. With frozen faces, smeared with soot, the neighbours were hauling buckets up a Golgotha of despair. They had fought the opposing wind for a while, but remained powerless in the face of the disaster. Thick, choking smoke rose triumphantly to the sky in dense columns. The volunteer firefighters had barely arrived at the scene. Behind them, the woman was climbing the path with her mind lost. A rescuer stepped out, swaying. Holding a glove, he gripped a phone, its screen being frozen on a final call - Mom.

Florentina Ghițescu
Every single day, my grandfather went to work. And when I was born, the only grandson of the only son, he was at work. I don't know if he loved his job. When the time for retirement came, he didn't ask to stay any longer. He received a watch as a gift and moved to the countryside, to his parents' house. From that moment on, he never spoke about his working years again. My grandfather's life seemed to be divided into two parts by a very thick line that didn't allow the colors to mix. I learned how to enjoy life from him.
 
 Raluca Safta
Mom, when I grow up, I want to be an astronaut. Do you know why? Because I want to find a planet and give it to you, and then we'll move there, just the two of us. Finally, we'll have our own home, from which we'll never leave again, said the boy, dragging behind him the canvas bag full. Don't be upset, I'll make you a garden too, with even more flowers. Look, there's granny's star in the sky. Maybe we'll move near her. Oh, and do you know what else I want? For the planet to be close to the sun. That way, we'll never be cold again.

(Translated by Alexandra-Ecaterina Radu / University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year I / Corrected by Silvia Petrescu, coordinator of the translations)