Poon and the Quiet Bench

At lunch break, Poon ran toward Lin with a paper pinwheel. “Come play!” he called, sitting close beside her under the rose-apple tree before she could answer.

Lin hugged her bag and moved away. “May I be quiet for a while?” Poon stopped. Thinking she did not like him, he walked back toward the teacher with a sad face.

The teacher said that hearts sometimes need room, just as bodies need air. “Try asking whether she wants you nearby or would rather see you later,” she suggested.

Poon returned and stopped an arm's length away. “May I sit at the end, or would you like to be alone first?” Lin pointed to the far end of the bench and nodded.

They listened to the leaves without needing to speak. Soon Lin smiled. “May I try the pinwheel?” she asked. Poon passed it over, and the quiet bench became a place where two friends understood each other.

A good friend listens to the answer, respects personal space, and stays near without pressure.