Plums in a loop! "Plums in Chocolate" by Ernestas Parulskis
BogiReads brings you the daily speculative reading recommendation of editor Bogi Takács.
Today's recommendation -
Author: Ernestas Parulskis – translated by Kotryna Garanasvili
Title: “Plums in Chocolate”
Venue: Samovar, June 2023 (ed. Laura Friis, Greg West, Sarah Dodd)
Type: Short story – 1858 words
Themes: Contemporary fantasy, time loop, post-Soviet, food
Where to read: Text free online
A Lithuanian couple go to Poland for a shopping trip, and it goes badly for both of them. The husband is harangued by a bicyclist who also mocks him for his Polish accent, and soon after returning, the wife finds herself in a time loop. She tries to find out why, and just as importantly, how to escape…
This is a fun story of petty little Eastern European things, like the proverbial ‘taking things home’ from the factory. Both of the couple have everyday people problems, when suddenly this huge speculative event happens – but the resolution ties it all back to the beginning.
I found it all too relatable, it’s kind of spoilery to get into the details (and it’s short, so you can just read it), but you might too.
Until next time,
Bogi.