Cornelia si Cornel /Cornelia and Cornel
(sua ce inseamna „norocul”) (or the meaning of „luck”)
Eu cred ca singura minune a lumii se petrece in pintecul unei femei.
(Nu roata, nu piramidele, nu curentul electric, nu aburul, nu radioul, nu bomba atomica, nu televizorul, nu calculatorul sau, doamne fereste, telefonul mobil. Nu!)
Este apoteoza creatiei. Din nimic sa aduni tot ce are universul mai bun si sa creezi un alt ... univers: o fiinta, care vine pe lume spre bucuria parintilor, rudelor, prietenilor ... omenirii.
I think that the only wonder in the world happens in the woman’s womb.
(neither the wheel, nor the pyramids, the electricity, the steam, the radio, the atomic bomb,the tv, the lap tops or , God forbid, the mobile phone. No!)
It is the apotheosis of the creation. Out of nothing it gathers everything that’s best in the universe and creates another ... universe: a little being that comes to the world, to the joy of the parents, relatives, friends ... mankind.
Dar daca sint doi, sau trei sau mai multi? Nimic mai simplu: minunea e dubla, tripla ... si ii numim: gemeni !
But what if they are two, or three or more? Nothing simpler: the wonder is double, triple ... and we just call them: twins !
Identici, diferiti, cu citeva ore sau chiar zile mai „ in virsta / mai tineri”, fata si baiat, albi, negri, cicolatii, cu ochii albastrii, caprui, rotunzi, oblici ....
Identical, different, with hours or even days „older / younger”, boy and girl, white, black, chocolate, with blue, brown, round, oblique eyes ...
Ce poate fi mai „universal” dar si mai „unic”, in acelasi timp, decit copilul care creste si care incet incet incepe sa se joace cu roata, curentul electric ... telefonul mobil si celelalte inventii ( nu minuni ) si care, la rindul lui, se va indragosti atit de mult de ... oameni incit, printr-o repetabila minune, va creea un nou univers (imbogatit cu propriile sale inventii) pe care noi toti ceilalti ar trebui sa-l protejam: fiinta omeneasca (alaturi de toate celelalte fiinte, parti egale ale universului vesnic)
What can be more „universal” and „unique”, in the same time, than the child that comes to the world, grows up, slowly starts playing with the wheel, electric power ... mobile phone and all the other inventions (not wonders) and who, when his turn comes, will fell in love with ... mankind so dearly that, through a repetable wonder, will create a new universe (enriched with his own inventions) whom we should all protect : the human beeing (alongside with all the other beeings, equal parts of the everlasting univers)
Ce fericire, ce uimire se citeste pe fetele uturor. In fata unei asemenea minuni cine ar putea ave alta reactie decit aceea de dragoste, bucurie, incintare ?
What a joy, what a surprise on everybody’s faces. In front of such a wonder who could have any other reaction but love, happiness, enchantment ?
„Dr”. Josef Mengele
Ati auzit de el ?
Ever heard of him?
„Doctorul” lagarului nazist Birkenau- Auschwitz –„ Ingerul Mortii”, cel a carui specializare in medicina era selectionarea detinutilor „bolnavi / inapti de munca” pentru camerele de gazare, iar „expertiza” sa pe tarumul „cercetarii” medicale: cele mai inumane experimente ... pe oameni. Slabiciunea lui deosebita ca ” medic cercetator” : experimentele pe gemeni.
The Nazi’s concentration camp Birkenau -Auschwitz „doctor”- „the Death Angel”, who’s medical specialty was the selection of the „ill / unable to work” inmates for the gas chambers and his „expertise” in the research field: the most inhuman experiments on ...humans. His special „weakness” as „research doctor”: experiments on twins!
De aceea la sosirea fiecarui transport de detinuti una din comenzile auzite pe rampa mortii de la Birkenau era:
Gemenii un pas inainte !
Therefore, one of the comands heard on the death ramp in Birkenau, everytime a new transport came was:
Twins forward !
Pe 9 iunie 1944 au „sosit” la Birkenau 8, din cei 9, membrii ai familiei ai mele. Intre ei Cornelia si Cornel, gemenii, care urmau sa implineasca 14 ani in mai putin de 2 saptamini.
On the 9th of June 1944, 8 out of 9 members of my family, „arrived” in Birkenau Auschwitz. Among them Cornelia and Cornel, the twins, who would have been 14 in less than 2 weeks.
Printr-o „inspiratie” de moment, la comanda „gemenii un pas inainte” Iolanda, mama lor, nu i-a lasat sa iasa si in foarte scurt timp, in aceeasi zi, au fost dusi in camera de gazare ...
In a moment’s „inspiration”, when the command „twins forward” was heard, Iolanda, their mother, didn’t let them go and shortly, that same day, they were taken to the gas chamber...
Cornel, Iolanda, Cornelia
De cite ori am povestit, remarcile ascultatorilor au fost aceleasi: saracii, ce soarta ce ... ce NOROC ! Da „ce noroc” este intotdeauna replica mea. Sa nu credeti ca sint nebun, dar amintiti-va titlul acestei povestiri : „Cornelia si Cornel (sau ce inseamna norocul)” si ginditi-va pentru o clipa:
Gemeni, 14 ani, baiat si fata, „Dr”. Jozef Mengele.
Nici nu indraznesc sa ma gindesc prin ce ar fi trecut, inainte sa moara ( oricum ) daca nu aveau „norocul” sa mearga alaturi de mama lor in camera de gazare !
Every single time I told the story, the remarks of my listeners were always: pour souls, what a fate ... what „LUCK”! Yes „what luck” is always my reply. Don’t think I’m crazy, remember the title of this story: „Cornelia and Cornel (or the meaning of luck”) and think for a second:
Twins, 14 years old, a girl and a boy, „Dr”. Josef Mengele.
I don’t even dear to think what they would have had to go through before dying (anyway), if they would have not been „lucky” enough to walk alongside their mother to the gas chamber !
Aceste aberatii, distorsiuni (numiti-le cum vreti) au fost si vor fi intotdeauna rezultatul final al ideii ca, doar pentru ca e diferit sau face lucrurile diferit, cel de linga noi este mai prejos.
These aberrations, distortions (name them what ever you wish) have been and will always be the end result of the idea that the one next to us, only because he’s different or does things differently, is a lesser person.
In memoria Corneliei - posibila mea matusa – si a lui Cornel – posibilul meu unchi, (al carui nume, in traditia evreeasca, il port) doua din milioanele de universuri ... pierdute!
In the memory of Cornelia – my aunt to be – and Cornel – my uncle to be ( after whom, in the jewish tradition, I was named) two out of the millions of ... lost universes !
Cornel Lustig
27.09.2014
