She stood up from her table, ready to leave. The manager had been very kind to give her free food, and she did not want to take advantage of his generosity. Maya knew that homeless people were not welcome in nice places like this. She had learned to leave quickly before people changed their minds about being nice to her.
But as Maya picked up her small bag and started walking toward the door, an older woman with gray hair and kind eyes stood up from her table.
"Excuse me, dear," the woman said in a gentle voice. "Could I speak with you for a moment?"
Maya stopped and looked at the woman. She was about sixty years old and wore a simple but nice dress. Her face was warm and friendly. She did not look at Maya with pity or disgust like most people did; she looked at Maya with respect.
"I don't want to cause any trouble," Maya said quietly. "I was just leaving."
"Oh, you're not causing trouble at all," the woman said with a smile. "Quite the opposite. What you just did was extraordinary. I'm Dr. Elena Rosetti, and I've been teaching music for forty years. I've never heard anyone play piano like that."
Maya's eyes widened. A real music teacher wanted to talk to her! She had not spoken to a music teacher since she left the conservatory.
"I used to study music," Maya said shyly. "But that was a long time ago."
Dr. Rosetti gestured to the empty chair at her table. "Please, sit with me. I'd love to hear about your musical background. That performance was not the work of someone who just learned to play for fun. You've had serious training."
Maya hesitated. She was not used to adults being interested in her story. Most adults either ignored her or told her to go away. But Dr. Rosetti seemed different: her eyes were kind and patient.
Maya sat down at the table. Dr. Rosetti poured her a glass of water from the pitcher on the table.
"Tell me about yourself," Dr. Rosetti said. "What's your name? Where did you learn to play like that?"