It was a mildly sunny Saturday in
Silicon Valley. I, enjoying the nearly abandoned streets of a
downtown. I walk looking, absorbing what the
city landscape has to share, up at the tall buildings, down at the blackest of pavements, side to side at the
exquisite, secured
lobbies. Block after block, street after street, past blue windowed hotels, benches with arm rests in the center so the
homeless cannot sleep on them, small city parks nestled between
corporate headquarters.
As I approach an intersection, my eyes catch a glimpse of two teenage boys walking in my direction on the opposite block. Arms flailing to
illustrate a point
impressive only to themselves, they walk hunched forward in the manner that exudes laziness and
fast food summer jobs. This is a manner I
dispise, I remind myself. I cross the street at my
brisk but
restrained pace, still looking inquisitively at the city surroundings. An inadvertant glance ahead lets me know that one of the duo is sporting a used black
bowling shirt, used white
name patch included; the kind of shirt obtained from a second hand store catering to teens who need
unique clothes to stand out and
fit in. They are still engrossed in whatever tale they are relating when they spot me approaching. The voices fall, the arm movements
cease. The thought that needs no expression, "
look who's coming", snaps into their appearance as quickly as their former selves fade.
I can
feel the
snide comment coming.
feel it. I focus my eyes ahead and shift my stride to pass them by on the left, but can't help but issue a few self-annoyed but non-confrontational side glances. I'm not by nature
self conscious, and would like to think I've risen above the level of placing importance on how society sees me, not to mention feeling more intellectually advanced than these two. However, I have to admit to myself that I'm
curious to see what they've come up with, what word or phrase they will use to attempt to
defile me in a moment's time. They wait until just after our
shoulders pass each others to unleash their comment:
"
Android."
Android.
The corners of my mouth rise and my lips part slightly as I
smile my little android smile.