Gemotions

A leaden feeling pressed on Arthur’s shoulders as he rummaged through the inherited desk. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating dust motes that seemed to dance with a mocking energy. His father’s things. He felt adrift. He had to sort through everything. A carefully folded piece of paper caught his eye – a letter, typed with a heavy typewriter font. It was addressed to his father’s employer.

Arthur reread the words, the dry legal language of the resignation. He felt a profound sense of disconnection. His father, the jovial man who always had a joke, was revealed in this document to be something else. He felt a sharp pang in his chest. A sudden dizziness made him grip the edge of the desk.