After I loudly say, "Family Meeting," my stomach makes a gurgling sound reminding me I haven't eaten yet. The smell alone from the homegrown bacon, eggs, buttered bread, and hash browns sends a shiver through my belly. I hadn't realize until now how hungry I really was.
Before I can reach a fork, Frank and Lloyd walk into the dining area. With Frank taking the initiative to ask, "Do you need someone to spoon feed you, your holiness? Is that why we called in?"
I went ahead and took a bite out of the bread I had dunked into the yoke of one of the eggs while I had to endure Frank's sarcastic remarks. I was making a slurping sound as he spoke so I could catch all the yellow drippings before they fell back onto the plate.
Waiting for my response, all three stare at me in that frozen robot state.
I was just about to say something when Wright lightly slaps my hand without the bread saying, "You do not talk with food in your mouth young man." Then she goes back into her frozen state and stares.
You know how creepy it feels when three humanoid looking androids, which you consider your family, stare at you intently without blinking, moving, or talking. The awkward silence was killing me so I swallow the mouthful of food I was eating without finishing the recommended thirty-two chews for proper digestion. Before I could finish, Wright slaps my hand again. But she didn't say anything about it. She knew I knew why she did it.
So I calmly take a drink of almond milk, politely wipe my mouth with the cloth napkin and ask Wright, "Is it okay for me to talk now?"
She nods her head yes once.
"Okay," I say again. "First I'm going to ask all three of you to turn your emotional chips way down so I'm not interrupted as I speak."
They just keep staring at me but I know they did what I asked. Probably before I finished asking it.
"I know this will not come as any great surprise to you, but yes, I think I have been acting out because of boredom."
I wait for a reaction, but none come. Their chips are probably turned off.
"Since the likelihood of an Overseer will be coming here to inspect our living conditions is all but assured," I tell them. "I think the only way around from me being assigned a psychiatrist to straighten out any mental issues, even though we all know I don't need one, is to start my own business to occupy my time."
I pause to see if any of them will take the bait. But not a peep out of any of them or a blink.
"If I show the initiative first, before the Overseer gets here, I believe they will see that I have recognize any problems I might have and have taken steps to better my mental health. In this way, there will be no need for visits from a psychologist."
Lloyd was the only one who flinched a centimeter.
"Yes Lloyd?" I ask. "Do have something to say?"
Before I finish the word "say", Lloyd blurts out what is on his hard-drive-brain of his, as if it is killing him by holding it inside. "Psychiatry and psychology are two different professions. One uses medical knowledge....
"Yes, you are absolutely correct," I interrupt. "I apologize. Beside that little error on my part, does anyone else have something to say about my idea?"
Frank asks flatly, "Do you have any idea of what kind of business you would like to start?"
"Yes I do," I answer. "I have been giving this a lot of thought and I think I would like to open up a cafe."
None of them move for a micro second which seems like an eternity to me.
Frank speaks first by asking, "Do you know how much it costs to get a virtual realm license to be able to stimulate your customer's taste, smell, and feel senses? And do you realize that you will also have to go through a vigorous psychoanalysis before said license will be awarded to you? The very thing you want to avoid by starting a business."
"Yes!" I exclaim with excitement. "But here is the beauty of my idea and we won't have to worry about any licenses either. You see, I'm not going to open up a virtual cafe. I'm going to open up a real-life cafe where real live people can come into to enjoy a real meal!"
This is,
Not So Far Fetched
They Already Have Them In Japan
Jim Hauenstein
And,
“Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all.”
-
That is my story and I am sticking to it!
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