Gemotions

Harold, retired and living alone, stared out at the rain-swept landscape. He'd spent his life nurturing the minds of others. What had he gotten in return?

A package arrived, a hefty envelope. From Sarah, one of his students, and now a famous politician. He opened it, revealing an invitation to a gala. He glanced at the invitation, then over at his own simple living room.

He crumpled the invitation in his hand. The weight of his loneliness, his perceived insignificance, felt overwhelming. The gesture, intended to be kind, only highlighted the vast divide that separated him from the world.