Gemotions

The hum of the refrigerator filled the silence of the empty apartment. Mark ran a hand through his hair, pacing the worn wooden floorboards. Mrs. Rodriguez, his neighbor in the apartment across the hall, had always been a mystery. A woman of few words, always dressed in practical clothing, her apartment was always very neat and tidy. Now, the details of the will were circulating among the tenants. The details described a trust fund that would make her children millionaires.

He sat heavily on the sofa, the cushions sinking under his weight. He’d judged her, he realized, based on appearances. He had seen himself as better off than her, which he now knew was untrue. A tight knot formed in his stomach.

The image of her, her shy smile, her quiet efficiency, suddenly seemed different, veiled in a new context. He suddenly felt exposed. He rose, the air thick and heavy.