Gemotions

The man’s face! It was a masterpiece of controlled exasperation. He was practically vibrating with the effort to maintain a civil tone. He wanted to fell the towering pine, the one that cast a welcome shadow across his perpetually sun-drenched patio. Apparently, the needles were a ‘hazard’. I leaned back in my chair, the wicker creaking pleasantly beneath me.

I wanted to laugh, but I knew that would ruin it. He was building up to a dramatic climax, a plea for neighborly cooperation. I could almost predict his final, desperate appeal.

I picked a stray piece of fluff off my cardigan, a small smile playing on my face. How utterly absurd. The drama, the sheer, theatrical nature of it all. This was better than any play.