Etichetă: Proză

De ziua mea ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.103, 03/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract Title: On My Birthday (De ziua mea) Source: Fragment from the book Under the Sign of 12 (Sub semnul lui 12) by Ion Bogdan Martin This narrative fragment follows a young man on his birthday, May 1st, as he accompanies his pious mother to a secluded monastery near Bucharest. What begins as a peaceful, mundane Sunday morning—marked by a quiet walk along a sun-drenched lake—quickly evolves into a profound spiritual encounter. While his mother attends the liturgy, the protagonist meets a mysterious, barefoot old monk who possesses an uncanny, clairvoyant knowledge of his life, his education in journalism, and his future as a writer. The story takes a surreal turn when the monk invites the protagonist to his "dilapidated" cell, which proves to be a gateway to a hidden, metaphysical realm. Guided by a light that seems to defy physical laws, the young man descends forty symbolic steps into a cavernous chamber. In this "sacred laboratory" illuminated by twelve torches, he experiences levitation and witnesses a divine vision upon a golden table: a glimpse of the ongoing church service where believers are distinguished by bluish halos of light. The encounter serves as a spiritual awakening, challenging the protagonist's skepticism and urging him to honor his mother’s devotion while hinting at his own predestined path toward enlightenment.

La Hanul lui Șchiopu ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.102, 02/2026 ▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: At the Lame Man’s Inn (La Hanul lui Șchiopu) By Ion Bogdan Martin Set in the dusty, windswept Bărăgan plain during a period of profound political unrest, this narrative paints a vivid portrait of "Hanul lui Șchiopu" (The Lame Man’s Inn) in the village of Nucetu. As autumn settles over the landscape, the inn serves as a refuge for broken souls, local peasants, and weary travelers seeking solace in the renowned wine of Lady Chriachița Mănescu. Against a backdrop of Turkish tobacco smoke and the haunting melodies of the famous "Zaraza," the story captures the transition of an era—where the abdication of the King and the looming shadow of Communism dominate the anxious whispers of the patrons. The atmosphere of melancholy is shattered by the arrival of a mysterious, imposing figure whose presence commands immediate attention. The plot reaches a tragic climax when a young, innocent girl, captivated by the stranger's aura, attempts a naive gesture of affection. In a moment of brutal reflex, the stranger—later revealed as a gendarme—ends her life, vanishing into the dark Bărăgan night. The story concludes with a chilling return to the status quo: the inn remains a place of desperate escape, where the music plays on, indifferent to the silent tragedy that has just unfolded.