Gemotions

The newspaper's words echoed in his ears as he scrubbed the pots. Chef Kenji felt a familiar prickle of… something he couldn’t name, in his chest. His ramen, lauded for years, was now "a broth of blandness." He slammed the pot down, a hollow clang in the quiet kitchen.

He felt the sudden need to *do* something. He closed his eyes. Then, he grabbed his chef's knife and moved towards his garden, where he grew his own herbs and vegetables. The aroma of damp earth and fresh basil calmed him.

He spent the rest of the day in his garden. He pulled weeds, watered the plants, and observed how the sunlight fell on each leaf. When he went back inside, he changed the broth. He added a hint of something sour. It was a new broth, something from his soul.