Gemotions

It wasn't just the noise, it was the inconvenience. The endless stream of trucks blocking the road. The lack of parking. The piles of debris encroaching on the sidewalk. Everything was designed to upset him.

He was a creature of habit, and this disruption to his routine was intolerable. He had complained to the homeowner's association, of course, but it had made no difference. He felt a deep, abiding frustration.

He saw the contractor, a burly man with a permanent cigarette hanging from his lips, standing on his front lawn one day, taking a break. He walked over, the anger simmering inside him. “Do you know how much this mess is impacting me?” he asked, his voice low and pointed.