Gemotions

The shop was his life. The smell of leather, the click of the tools, the satisfaction of creating something with his own two hands. Now, he had to teach someone else. The young man they sent was eager to learn, enthusiastic, but lacked the years, the experience, the…soul.

"Show me how you do that," the trainee said, watching with avid eyes. The man felt a heavy weight in his chest. He picked up his tools, his hands moving with a practiced ease that the younger man couldn’t comprehend. Each stitch, each cut, felt like a farewell.

He found himself lost in his thoughts as he walked the trainee through his craft. He could feel the familiar fatigue of the day settling over him, an unrelenting pressure that made him want to lie down and sleep.