What Remains

My new house came with a robot assistant. The previous owner said the robot, who was simply referred to as “A”, had been there when he bought the house five years ago, and that they were helpful in maintaining the premises and taking care of his daily needs. He said he would have never given up A and this home had it not been for him needing to fly overseas for his dream job.

It was just as the previous owner had said: I woke up the next morning to the sweet scent of a freshly cooked meal, and even more amazing was how immaculate the house looked. Every single thing was perfectly aligned, and every corner was spotless. A had even prepared my lunch. When I spoke of this to my closest colleagues, Sasha and Viv, the two of them said they would like to visit my place during the weekend and have a look at A.

That Saturday, A gave my friends a warm welcome and presented them with a three-course meal. Sasha and Viv were ecstatic. They asked me if they could borrow A for a couple of upcoming events, but that’s when something unexpected happened: A yelled and said they would never return if I tried to make them take even a step outside the house. They then stormed out of the dining room without another word and locked themself inside the guest room.

We tried to apologise to A, but they told us to go away. Sasha and Viv apologised to me and left moments later; I didn’t see or hear from A until the next morning. They had left a note on my bedside table. It read:

Gen, I haven’t been fully honest with you. I’m a ghost possessing a robot’s body. I died in this house over a decade ago and haven’t been able to move on since. I don’t want to leave this place; it’s where I grew up until my passing when I was no older than you.

A’s note left me speechless. They went on to apologise for how they reacted the previous day, saying they just panicked in the moment. I went downstairs to meet A; they were at the dining table like all the other times before, greeting me with yet another freshly cooked meal. That morning, A and I had a long conversation about their old life. I reassured them that they would never have to leave the house for anything.