The eggs were the unknown factor: rumors had it that they had been sold or they were to be found in this or that shop. One had to wander in the city, to listen to the rumors, and to stay in a queue where maybe you had the chance of not seeing the merchandise sold until your turn was due. I went one day to pick up my kids from the German private kindergarten, in Cotroceni. A few days before, in this idyllic district, covered in verdure, a few villas had been rapidly pulled down: I was afraid that the works at House of the People would destroy this area as well. They had only built a pathetic ? hunger circus?, an empty food store, gray, dirty, and near it, a market place.  The mothers and Frau had been warned: eggs were expected. I went in corpore to the market place. A mother remained with the kids, the rest lined up in the queue. When our turn was near, we brought them too, so that we could buy a whole carton of eggs. Finally, we had succeeded: I had three cartons of eggs and two kids to take home. In that moment they were almost as precious.  The kids were little; I held their hand all the time in the streets. I was helpless now; I needed my hands to carry the eggs. I told the kids to hang on to my skirt and I started to walk, victorious and vulnerable: at any time I could have been forced to choose between the security of the eggs and that of my children who, moreover, pulled my skirt and twisted it in every direction. On my way home, the humiliation exceeded the contentment. (87)

You could buy lambs at Easter, some troublemakers these lambs; you could buy them at the corner of the street. When the Militia passed by, they pretended to check them, they exchanged a few words and a few packages. They wrapped the lamb in newspapers right there behind the car. Jokes were heard then: ? Look, if it does not bite, then it must be good, without the skin you wouldn?t be able to tell what it is?. (114)

EGGS

I was very young in those times, but one thing I?ll never forget is how one day I went out to buy eggs. I was about 6. My folks used to buy food on their work card at some food shop where they had been assigned by their factory. My sister and I were assigned to the neighborhood food shop. One day we heard they had eggs on sale. So I went and stood in the line. I?d say I was the youngest there. The line was huge, so a man was standing in the shop door and would only let five people in at one time, then another five and so on. After several hours? waiting, and a lot of fighting with the old ladies in the line, I managed to get in and buy some eggs. How many? Four. I was now holding my bag of eggs, and faced a big dilemma: how was I to get out without breaking them? I tried hard and finally managed, and took them home. When I got home, I told my mother: ?Mom, I have the eggs! But I only bought some for Corni and myself. They didn?t give me your share.? Mother meant to bake us some cake or something with those eggs, but I told her I wanted them scrambled. I can say those were the best tasting scrambled eggs I?ve ever eaten. (I. C. M., 164)