Science Fiction

In 2433, New Rot was not the place to be. Unless, you were a quirky robot with long wispy hair and jar lids for mouths and eyes. These were called Neurots. Neurots, were as their name suggested, neurotic AI robots that belied the New York pseudo intellectual attitude of the early 70s. The odd thing was you could not tell if a neurot was being sarcastic or not. Or were just honest to goodness, weary old jewish men who lived in apartments with possibly a caretaker if their hmo would cover the expense. June, 2410 Melinda Mellner, was widowed Filipina nurse who was married to one such Jewish man. They lived in a Brownstone in The Bronx. He found her in a dating site called Christian Filipinas at the suggestion of a rabbi who had been cruising such pay to play chat rooms. Apparently, there are almost no single Jewess Pinays prowling the chats. Yev Mellender died 2 years ago. She continued her job as an LVN at St. Vincent’s but decided to retire when she turned 55. She had planned on taking her nest egg and joint IRA funds to relocate somewhere in Cebu Island where she’s from. This plan was eventually delayed. In the town of Compostela, Cebu where Melinda was born, her teenage sweetheart Edilberto had just turned 58. He never left Compostela. He worked as a liquor wholesaler for Tanduay Rhum and later, with La Tondeña after a tiff with the regional manager of the former job. He got to be known along the roads running up an down Cebu island. Being that the island stretched out like an empty sock angling from the southwest to the northeast. Edil now retired, got up from his nap on the old hardwood and wicker settee. He was in a dirty sando or wifebeater and basketball shorts 2 sizes too big for him. His rooster jet black hair cropped up like a rooster’s comb. He was proud of that full head of hair. He fished one sandal under the furniture with a toe and got up to rub his stomach. He was smiling broadly. He’d just received a facebook messenger text from an old flame from years ago. As a liquor wholesaler, Edil got to be a frequenter of bars and establishments like such. He cut quite a dashing figure with the ladies working in many of those clubs. The short sleeved white shirt and the maroon tie with the tie clip and lacquered black hair. A practiced bashful, grin for the ladies. He had them lapping up his sleeve. But Melinda… Melinda was different. She was the most devoutly religious person he knew. Melinda saw Edil as a saintly, full of grace.