Titela Durnea
It feels like it was just yesterday. The whistling kettle spreads the steam, you can see their smile. 1980, May 19th, 8 o'clock. Only the witnesses Teo and Vera, a bouquet of carnations and a bottle of Murfatlar. Mia then insisted that she wanted to go to the mountains. Vera recommended a dream guesthouse. They burst out laughing when they saw the name. The honeymoon turned into the milk week. Of goat. Which they have been drinking every May for about 40 years. Otherwise, lime tea. He turns back to the veranda. Mia dozes off, lips parted and a guttural breath.
Cristina Daniela Dumitru-Pascal
I come from a twin pregnancy. It's a lie that twins love each other, or feel each other. I can't stand my sister. She's the most beautiful, the smartest, and I don't exist. And on top of that, we fell in love with the same man. Of course, she was the one chosen, and they're going to get married. But this time, I'm going to get back at her. I'll buy a special dress, go to the beauty salon, steal the groom's attention, and make love to him in the bathroom to see if she'll still want to marry him. Good idea, my guardian angel says, but there's a slight problem, you're a boy.
Vlad Mușat
I almost imposed the name on my client. It's an agreement between me and the person requesting our services and, of course, nothing illegal. We have special packages for ladies and, believe it or not, for gentlemen. Our robots are built in the image and likeness of the husband/wife or, if the partner is more permissive, we can choose a different appearance. Robots are not allowed to intervene when the partners are involved and the relationship is working OK, but only act when our clients feel lonely.
(Translated by Eduard Mihai Uretu / University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year II / Corrected by prof. dr. Nadina Vișan / Edited by Silvia Petrescu, coordinator of the translations)
Versiunea în română a acestui text se poate citi aici, în rubrica Ficțiuni Reale.