The Quiet Seat in the Library

Lina is twenty-two and new in the city. She studies English in the morning and works part-time in the evening. On Saturday she goes to the public library. She wants a quiet place to read and write notes. She finds an empty table near the window. The light is soft, and she feels calm. She opens her notebook and starts to write. After a few minutes, a young man sits at the same table. He has a laptop and a big cup of coffee. He puts on headphones. At first Lina is not worried. Then she hears a small sound: tap, tap, tap. The man is typing very fast. The table shakes a little each time. Lina tries to ignore it, but her pen keeps moving. She looks up and takes a deep breath. She does not want to be rude, but she also needs to focus. She leans a bit closer and speaks quietly. "Hi. Sorry. The table moves when you type. Can you use another seat?" The man stops and pulls off one headphone. He looks surprised, then his face becomes red. "Oh no. I didn’t notice," he says. "I’m working on an important report. I’m a bit stressed." He points to the other side of the room. "There are no free tables." Lina feels a little guilty. She remembers her first week in the city, when everything felt hard. She looks around and sees a small reading area with two chairs. It is not perfect for writing, but it is quiet. "We can change," Lina says. "I can sit there. You can keep the table. But please type more softly." The man nods quickly. "Thank you. Really. I can also move my laptop to the edge so it shakes less." He does it right away. Lina moves to the reading chair and puts her notebook on her knees. It is slower, but it works. After ten minutes the table is almost still. She can finally think again. When Lina packs her bag, the man stands up too. "I’m Marco," he says. "Thanks for being patient." He smiles, not too big, but honest. "I’m Lina," she answers. "It’s okay. Libraries are for everyone." She walks out feeling proud. She did not stay silent, and she was also kind.