Ross laid on his bed staring at the ceiling, when his curtains automatically opened, ushering sunlight into his bedroom. For the first time in many moons, he noticed the beauty and warmth of the sun so much that he immediately got out of bed and walked to the balcony to consciously bask in the sunshine, running his fingers through what was left of the few strands of hair on his balding head.
He suddenly noticed his dead cactus dahlia that his ex-girlfriend gifted him when he moved into the apartment. He recalled his ex-girlfriend telling him that cactus dahlias are quite resilient but appreciate being watered during extended dry spells. This fact about dahlias, which he considered ‘silly’ and paid no attention to, seemed to be an honest summary of his life. He had failed to tend to or ‘water’ parts of his life that needed to be nurtured to make him whole, things such as relationships, his health, appreciating nature and living in the moment.
Instead, he dedicated his entire existence to writing code for the invention of ‘Robots on Steroids’ for his company, neglecting everything for the ‘greater good of tech evolution’, only to be replaced by the very machines he helped create. This made Ross sick to the core, all that set him apart as a supremely intelligent being was now insignificant. He felt out of touch with his own humanness, as though he was ‘hacked’ and not in control of who he was.
He stepped back inside and made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth, staring at his own reflection, he felt empty and useless like his excessively squeezed toothpaste tube. The thought of learning to be human weighed heavier on his mind than that of applying to Mzansi-Connex to have his brain implanted with an AI chip.
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Read – Father’s Day – A Flash Fiction by Edwin Mamman, Nigeria
