Different Drummer
by Dan Sociu, translated from Romanian by Alexandra Gaujan 1 I walked by that Italian church on Magheru Boulevard and I was striding, but I stepped in for a sec, enough to be merrily anointed by the passing priest. When I went home I was feeling the mystique in the air, the unreality. It was then that I met Florinel. He was enquiring for the way to Constanța; he was walking all the way there. No one wanted to show him. Everyone ran away from him in a fright. He was wearing a white cap and had something weird about him, as if he lacked instant, natural reactions. At the same time, he did not seem to be a schizophrenic or some ardent prophet. I liked him a lot. I took him home. At first, I wanted to send him to Adi, but then I thought I’d shelter him since I lived nearby. Eli said it was okay, if he wasn’t dangerous. Since the first Florinel, the one brought in by Ștefan, she’d gained more trust. I got canned beans and cooked for him. He went into the bathroom. I told him to shower,...