Gemotions

The bustling school cafeteria felt like a cacophony to Mr. Bell. The noise levels seemed to have gone up a notch over the past few years. He sat alone at a table, picking listlessly at his lunch. He felt a deep ache within him, a kind of yearning he couldn’t name. He just wanted to go home.

A student approached him, a girl with bright eyes he recognized as Sarah, a former student. “Mr. Bell?” she asked. “This is for you.” She placed a small, intricately folded origami crane on the table. He stared at it, the delicate paper a stark contrast to the surrounding chaos.

He had always told his students that art was an expression of the soul. He wondered if this was true. He accepted the crane. He thought about Sarah. He hadn't known she had become so skilled in paper folding.