Legaturi Bolnavicioase Page #3

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our trip to the Govora spa that year.

And the year after that,

Nicusor went back to his wife

and left me to pay the bills

on my own.

Which is why I bring it up.

My, you're so elegant. You can tell

your parents raised you well.

You're not like those cheap girls

I see on the street,

who wear pants that show off

their bellybutton.

Mrs. Parvulescu

has asked me to lunch.

So, we're agreed on that. You'll say

you're my niece, and you're just visiting.

Yes, Auntie Lucretia, don't worry.

I'll see you.

Bye, sweetie.

I'll take that into the kitchen.

Last-minute preparations.

Let's go into my room.

- What?

- We need to change your top.

It's a weird room.

- What's this about?

- I'm opening a button store.

No, really.

When I was little, I had a friend,

a girl I liked a lot.

We used to crawl under the desk,

build armies out of buttons & fight each other.

Once, she took a pair of

nail scissors, lifted her shirt,

and tried to cut her nipples off.

- Why?

- I don't know. She said she wanted

to give me a present.

The truth is, her nipples

looked like two little hearts.

- Why do you have two beds?

One was Sandu's.

I was afraid to sleep alone.

- Cristina! Lunch is ready!

Hello.

Hi! I'm so glad you came over,

Alexandra. -Sit down.

Give me a hand, please.

Oh, no! That's Sandu's seat.

You two sit on this side.

I'm going to the kitchen,

I'm not done yet.

- So how do you like Bucharest?

- She's been here for over a year.

- I lived on the Regie campus.

- And why did you move out?

It wasn't very pleasant.

Girls, you should have seen

the state of things in the 70's,

when we went to college.

If we managed to get a bed and a table

to slice the salami on, we were delighted.

The world has modernized now.

Cristina, what is that greasy bag

on the sink?

I brought it. It's some eggs and some larded

meat from my parents. They make it very well.

Oh, you shouldn't have, dear.

They sent it for you to eat,

not for us. Please take it back.

Plus, we don't usually eat fatty food.

Cristina, please give it back

to Alexandra when she leaves.

Are your parents in agriculture?

No, my father's a vet,

and my mother's a teacher.

They have hens, and last year,

father decided to get a pig.

Then I may have met your mother

when I conducted school inspections.

We used to do real work back then.

I know this country by heart.

Where are you from?

- From Pietrosita.

- Well, I've never been quite that far.

- Sandu's here.

- Hi.

- Sandu, my boy, why don't you wear

slippers, for goodness' sake?

- What are you staring at?

- Cut the yapping.

What are you doing? Sticking your

fingers in the food in front of a guest?

Better relax, Mama,

so we can all eat.

I need to be somewhere

at 5:
00 o'clock.

Is this the same rotgut

we drank last time?

Why do you call it rotgut? You liked it.

You drank half the bottle.

Don't think he's an alcoholic.

He drinks moderately.

He's not an alcoholic.

He just drinks a lot.

Leave the boy alone.

A toast! To Alexandra's arrival

to Bucharest.

Yes, to Miss Alexandra.

- And to my new passport.

- What's that for?

Well, you expect me to leave

the country on my bus pass?

Would you mind not wallowing

in the bowl?

Just put some food on your plate.

I don't want to eat after you.

I don't want to get herpes.

Stop being so sensitive.

I wonder where you suppose you can

go with that passport, just like that.

To Pitesti.

Don't be cheeky to your father.

I won't say more. A guest is present.

You just keep behaving like a brat.

The aubergine salad was very good.

How did you make it?

I'm glad you liked it.

I add some onion and a bit of

mayonnaise, for a smoother taste.

That's a beautiful top.

Cristina has one just like that.

Right?

- Yes! I bought it for her.

- It is Cristina's.

I lent it to her. It suits her,

doesn't it? She's beautiful.

It looks better on you than it does

on my sister. You can keep it.

She used to wear it without a bra.

Why are you kicking me for, mama?

It's strong!

That's because you're not used

to spirits.

- Of course I am.

- She's used to everything.

I don't need uppers.

And actually,

here's proof of courage.

- Cristina, did you do that?

- I did.

You'd better see a doctor.

It's infected.

She doesn't need a doctor.

It will heal completely in a week.

It must be from those trinkets

in your ears.

Girls go through hell for beauty.

Then you suffer the consequences.

Put some antiseptic cream on it.

- Well, can you pierce holes?

- What do you mean?

Your phone is ringing!

Stop nettling each other.

You behave like you weren't

brother and sister.

- Some Coke?

- No. Don't open it.

I'll take it

to Alex's place later.

- As you wish.

- Cristina, pass the plate.

I forgot to tell you, I talked to

Mrs. Negulescu the other day.

She's arranged for me to stay with a cousin of hers

in Switzerland for two months.

- Do you want to go?

- Yes, I'm leaving, since I've realised I can't pierce holes.

And you're going with that old lady?

Cristina, please. Mrs. Negulescu isn't old at all.

And if it hadn't been for her, Lord have mercy.

Lucky him, he gets to be

the boy-wonder at her company.

What other services

do you do perform?

Stop grinning.

You know I hate that.

Stop grinning, you idiot!

Why do you show off here and talk

nonsense in front of everybody?

You should be ashamed,

saying filthy things to your sister.

Stop signalling to me.

I know what I'm talking about.

What signals, Aurel?

Just relax and sit down.

If you're all done, I'll collect

the plates and bring the soup.

Cristina, wouldn't you like

to sleep at my place tonight?

I can't. I might be in the way.

What if Mrs. Negulescu comes by?

You'll sleep at home.

- Cut the crap. Are you coming?

- No, I'll sleep at Alexandra's.

You, get up right now and get out.

Get up, where?

Get up and leave, you bastard.

That goes for you, too.

Alexandra, can you please help me?

Cristina, you, too.

We would spend

most days and evenings together.

We liked to wander aimlessly

around those buildings

with the plaster peeling

off the balconies, like sagging breasts.

I hadn't yet told her

how much I loved her.

In fact, I didn't know myself yet

how I felt.

Or we would go the cinema

and spend the entire day there.

We didn't dare go out.

We took turns sleeping.

All I could remember afterwards

was the smell of her skin.

When we were sick of Bucharest,

we'd just go to the mountains.

We'd rent a room, lie between some strangers'

bed sheets and stare at the passersby.

I would listen to her while lying on

my belly, chin propped in my hands,

paying more attention to her impeccably

manicured fingers, with the well-trimmed nails.

We knew, though, that our break-up

would be nothing dramatic,

as that was not how we lived then.

We were like crazy kids who knew

their life would start some day,

so they lived to the limit

the time they had left.

- Where are you going?

- To take a shower.

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