Gemotions

The musty scent of old paper filled his nostrils as Leo unfolded the brittle document. The letter, penned in elegant cursive, was addressed to his grandfather’s superior, a man Leo had always understood to be the enemy. The date was over four decades past. The crisp script offered a resignation, not a complaint or a plea.

He reread the words, the careful phrases, the subtle digs. His grandfather had quit. He’d just *left*.

Leo's knuckles went white as he crushed the letter in his hand. He had heard the stories, the injustices, the reasons why his grandfather had been passed over for promotion, had been treated unfairly. Now, the official story took a new and bitter turn. The man had willingly given up his career. Leo felt a surge of violent dissatisfaction. He dropped the crumpled paper, and then, without any conscious decision, kicked the empty box across the room.