The Robot Translator (Flash Fiction #15)

Image by kiquebg from Pixaba

This is the 15th part of the story. The previous parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.

Koi’s second wife Malia was a graduate student of the same department and an Eastern European immigrant. As a professor, Koi has never been allowed to date students openly. They kept their relationship secret for a while and when Malia graduated, they got married. There were rumors that Koi did all the homework for Malia and also wrote her thesis, but Ayun never believes that. Malia seemed too smart to let Koi control her life like that. After several years, Malia’s old boyfriend came to America to visit her. Koi couldn’t compete with her old flame and it ended in a divorce.

After that Koi found opportunities to attend international conferences overseas. And during one of these trips, he met Wanyan. They got married soon and Koi brought her back. And this happened just three months before Ayun and Tram hosts this party to show off their robot Fifi. Wanyan is young, energetic, curious, beautiful. She admires Koi so much that she disregarded their age gap to marry him so that she would come to live and see America for herself. As soon as she arrived, she was shocked to find that in the Middlesex County, where their house and Rutgers University are located, there are a lot of Asians. Their neighbors include an Egyptian family, an Indian family, and a Chinese family.

Wanyan immediately demanded that she wanted to see the “real” America and live among the “real” Americans. Immigrants and minorities don’t count as “real” Americans. Her friends and relatives back home would laugh at her if they know that she lives in an Asian neighborhood, not a “real” American neighborhood. Everybody thought she married well and climbed up the social ladder–that illusion needed to be kept alive at all cost.

However selling their house and buying a new house takes time, especially in today’s housing market. In the meantime, Koi tries to do everything to keep Wanyan happy and to keep her respect for his superiority a little longer.

Ayun knows exactly how to pull the strings and stoke Wanyan’s vanity. During the party, she pays special attention to Wanyan and tells her that she should have the best because Koi is a very successful professor and she is Koi’s wife. Wanyan laps up every word. As the party continues, Ayun makes sure everybody knows how good their robot Fifi is. Owning Fifi is like to have a life of the future.

“Wow, I wish we have one.” Wanyan says. Looking at her husband who stands next to her, Wanyan says, “Don’t you think we should have a robot like this at home? You are a brilliant engineer and why can’t we have something like Fifi?”

Ayun seizes the moment and says to Koi, “Tram told me that he would like to be a cooperator on one of your projects. I mean if you let him to be a partner, I am sure Tram will be happy to let you borrow Fifi.”

Wanyan interjects, “Of course Koi will be happy to help Tram. Better still, Koi can help him find a vacancy in Rutgers, although that will take time, just like our selling of our house. So I can borrow Fifi, can’t I?”

Ayun asks Tram to come over. So Tram comes. He is not so willing to give up Fifi, but under the circumstance, he can’t say no. Tram understands how hard Koi is trying to impress his new wife. As a friend, he has to help him.

When the party is over, Fifi is packed up and loaded into Koi’s car.

Ayun is so happy about this that she drinks half a bottle of wine after everybody is gone. Tram is a little sad and he says, “Borrow? Well, probably they will never return it.”

The following day is a Monday. Ayun takes the day off so that she can enjoy the empty house all by herself when her husband leaves for work and her son goes to school. She cleans and scrubs and sings. What a victory. She finally gets rid of Fifi for the second time.

(The End)

(The End)