Androids

From the window of the first-floor lounge Lawrence gazes down on to the garden with its carefully trimmed lawns. ‘Having a good time?’ asks the duty supervisor. She’s around 30, her face set in a fixed smile. ‘We like our guests to enjoy themselves.’ Lawrence doesn’t recall seeing her before, and guesses she must be new. She’s dressed in dark blue Lycra and wearing trainers. ‘I’m alright,’ Lawrence says. ‘No need to worry.’ The woman’s face assumes a look of exaggerated concern as she continues to gaze at him. ‘Only alright?’ she says. ‘That’s not very good is it? Let’s see what we can do to help.’  She snaps her fingers and two figures step in from the next room. They look identical;  each dressed in shorts and Hawaiian shirts, their eyes hidden behind tinted shades. Lawrence hasn’t seen these two before either, and suspects they are androids. ‘Our friend here is only feeling “alright”,’ the woman says. ‘We like to do better than that here don’t we?’ The androids make a chuckling sound and take a step forward. ‘I’m leaving you in their capable hands.’ 

Published in Why are you here? (Odd Volumes, 2020).

Simon Collings lives in Oxford, UK. His poetry, short fiction, translations, reviews and essays have appeared in a wide range of magazines. He has published two essays on Roy Fisher’s work: ‘Making the Cut: Roy Fisher and Language poetry’ (Journal of Poetics Research) and ‘Roy Fisher’s marginalia’ (Stride).  A collection of Simon’s prose poems and short fiction, Why are you here?, was published by The Fortnightly Review in November 2020. His fourth chapbook, Blue Eyes, was issued by zimZalla in spring 2024. ‘Androids’ is intended to reflect and celebrate Roy’s sense of humour.

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