“Millie & Marty”

By Martin Jarmick

The fire on the candle burned and Millie gave a large sigh and checked her wristwatch. She tapped her foot on the hardwood floor and crossed her arms, looking restlessly toward the quiet table set for two. Marty was late again.

Marty married Millie for her simple beauty and domestic promise, and Millie married Marty for his ability to provide, and although they had been married only a short while, Marty’s late nights were forming age-old grudges. The motives for their merger were not a secret, but went unspoken, and the mystery of love idled somewhere deep beneath the contradiction.

Millie had waited long enough so she began to clear the table, and while she picked up the empty plates, she thought of Marty and his stupid lab coats, his nerdy science buddies, and their pointless research. Marty built robots, but she was not going to be one of them.

The front door opened and hearing the sound, Millie set the plates as they were before. She looked up to the doorway, but did not see her husband. Instead, a beautiful woman stood. Thick, wavy blonde hair flowed down over round shoulders and her eyes twinkled with kindness. Millie stood, marveling at the creature before her, trying to keep a polite smile on her face. Marty had finally done it, Millie thought. He had fallen in love with one of his assistants during his late eves in the lab. The woman approached her gracefully, holding out her hand, and Millie scooted back in her seat, as she grew nearer.

“I’m Cecilia. What is your name?” said the woman with a soft tone. Millie was convinced that divorce was immanent as she shook Cecilia’s soft hand.

“Millie”, she said, completely still.

“Hello, Millie. Pleasure to meet you. May I please use your restroom?” Cecilia asked, and slipped her hand away from Millie’s.

“Sure,” Millie replied, dazed with confusion. “Down the hall and on your left.”

Cecilia left the room and Marty entered, disheveled and energetic. His bright eyes darted towards Millie over his wire-rimmed glasses as he walked to her. Marty kissed her on the forehead, and rubbed her shoulders.

“Smells great, sweet stuff,” he said, taking a long sniff. Marty sat down at the table and settled in, smiling at Millie. Millie’s look demanded answers.

“What is going on, Marty?” Millie asked, “Are you leaving me?”

Marty giggled. “You must have met Cecilia.”

“Yes. I met her,” said Millie, “You have some nerve bringing that woman here.”

Marty scooted close to Millie, and motioned her to come closer. Millie drew in to him. “She is a robot,” he whispered and looked around cautiously. “I brought her here to test a few things. I want her to have some human interaction with us. Just relax and play along, sweetie.”

When Cecilia appeared in the doorway, Marty sat back in his seat, adjusted his glasses, and winked at Millie. She watched as Cecilia took her seat at the table. It was all very confusing and at the same time very interesting. A robot, Millie thought to herself, unbelievable. She was so real, so beautiful. Maybe Marty really was a genius, and his work was actually paying off. Millie smiled at her husband and shook her head.

“Let’s eat,” Millie said.

Later that night, Marty took Cecilia back to the lab then returned home. They held each other as they fell asleep.

That week, Cecilia joined Millie and Marty. One day, while Marty was at his lab, Millie watched as Cecilia picked flowers in the garden behind the house. She held them in the sun and gazed with innocent wonder at the vibrant colors. This mechanical creation was so natural and so organic, and Millie admired her ability to find such peace in simple things. She quietly approached Cecilia from behind.

“I planted those earlier this year” Millie said and Cecilia turned around. She looked at Millie, smiled, then back to the garden.

“Nature is such a mystery to me. All of this incredible beauty,” said Cecilia, and turned to Millie. “Where do you think it comes from, Millie?”

Millie looked around thoughtfully, and shrugged. “I really do not know.”

Cecilia looked at Millie with her kind eyes. “Man and science have done a lot, but there are still many mysteries, aren’t there?”

Millie was enjoying the company of this machine. A creation of this type had many questions, but so did Millie. Whether one was muscle or machine, many mysteries would always remain.

One afternoon, while Millie was in the basement, she heard laughter coming from upstairs. She wondered why it had been so long since her and Marty had had a conversation, or laughed together. The next day, Marty was showing Cecilia how to chop wood in the back yard and Millie thought about how she was never good at those types of things. Spite began to twist her mind as she watched them swing the axe from the kitchen window. Later that week, Millie observed Marty and Cecilia painting one of the rooms in the house. Marty held Cecilia’s arms and guided her strokes and she giggled with his touch. Marty winked at Millie at the doorway and Millie forced a smile. Resentment was growing for her husband and his toy.

Millie was tortured by panic. Although fascinating, this robot, this machine, this appliance, this experiment threatened their marriage and Marty was too blind to see it. Could she turn Cecilia off, or unplug her? Maybe Marty would understand and do it himself, but it was unlikely. He would never disregard let alone destroy his precious robot.

One evening, Millie sat alone at the table set for two. She tapped her foot on the floor and gripped the handle of a large knife sitting in front of her. She heard the sound of the front door open, and stood up waiting for Cecilia, but it was Marty who turned the corner. Millie quickly hid the knife behind her and received her husband with a smile.

“Hey, sweet stuff.” Marty said and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ve gotta hit the men’s room, but then let’s eat. Smells great!”

Millie stood in the quiet room, perplexed. Where was Cecilia? Did he do it? Did he finally realize the pain this robot was inflicting? Cecilia turned the corner and entered the room gracefully wearing a warm smile. Millie slowly walked toward her hiding the knife close to her back.

“You are interfering with my life. Things are fine without you. Killing a robot is just killing circuits, and that’s what you are. Plastic and wires.” Millie drew closer and revealed the large blade. Cecilia backed up and terror stormed her face. She looked around frantically for a place to run, but Millie was too close.

“Millie! What is going on? Put the knife down! Think about your future. If you kill me, you won’t have Marty, you won’t have the house, you won’t have anything. You will be put away.”

Tears welled under Cecilia’s eyes, and beads of sweat ran down her smooth skin. Millie took a swipe at her with the knife, cutting her on the shoulder with a clean broad slice. Millie watched the wound open up, as she tightened her grip. She cocked her arm back, ready to make the fatal blow through her circuitry as a small stream of crimson ran down Cecilia’s body. Suddenly, an axe blade came through Millie’s neck, sending her head into the air. Marty stood behind Millie finishing his swing as her body limply fell to the ground. Cecilia’s eyes were wide as they looked at the victim on the ground.

Millie looked up from the ground. Her husband stood resting on his knees, Cecilia at his side. Millie looked toward her own body, but it was feet away from her head, spurting sparks from the wires pouring from the hole in her neck. Everything was so confusing, but her sorrow was simple. She was the appliance. The motor. The gadget. The robot. Marty’s marvelous creation, The Millie Five Thousand was gone, and the lights dimmed to darkness.