A man I’ve never met
introduces me to a woman I’ve never met.
It’s all done over the phone.
A Chinese social media app.
Tim—that’s his English name—
texts me in English about our plans to meet
next Monday in Southern China.
His company—and my company’s partner—
has tasked him to accompany me
while I give a presentation.
Tim later texts
he’s not coming.
His company will send a colleague instead.
Hours pass,
someone named Jody sends me an invite
I add the name to my app
An unmanageable number of Contacts.
S/He texts in Chinese
s/he will accompany
me
on Monday.
The app has a translator.
I don’t respond with words—although I assume s/he speaks English—
instead send an animation
two cute cartoon characters
facing backward
quickly spin forward
revealing in their grasps
two fluffy letters
O and K.
The texts continue in this manner
regurgitating the same things Tim and I have already,
and which he has obviously not shared;
namely,
the time, the address, where to meet,
again,
my arrival time.
I text her/him 1:10,
then send another GIF,
a photo of
a bug-eyed mad chemist
giving two thumbs up,
the background flashing
multicolored strobes.
Jody replies
a one-second cartoon-loop
a bunny dancing.
There are Chinese characters imbedded down the side,
but the phone can’t translate these.
But it doesn’t matter.
And that’s that.
Done.
I put down the phone
and consider a moment,
how conveniently alone we’ve become.