When Sarla moved to her new home, she had questions about so many things –

autumn, 

snowflakes, 

canyons, 

earthquakes.

She thought she would find the answers at school.

But when she tried to ask, 

the questions got all muddled,

and jumbled, 

and twisted into a tight ball inside her.

So Sarla sat at an empty lunch table 

and sketched.

She sketched parrots from her old home,

the rickshaw she took to school,

The crowds at the mela,

Nani’s shawl.

Until –

Hideyo stopped by.

Hideyo was the ‘new-kid’ before Sarla. 

He showed Sarla his sketches –

pink blossoms on cherry trees, 

his old bike, 

crowds at a snow festival,

his sobo’s hairpin.

There were newer sketches too –

a sea of sunlit ginko trees,

a bridge hugging the clouds,

a packed farmers market.

a butterfly.

The bell rang. 

Hideyo got up to leave. 

Sarla felt a tug inside. 

A new question

wiggled, 

and jiggled,

and struggled

to come out.

Sarla stood up.

“Hideyo,” she called out, “Will you be my friend?”

Hideyo smiled, “Yes!”

They walked together.

Autumn, 

snowflakes, 

canyons, 

earthquakes –

Sarla got all her questions answered.

Later,

Hideyo had questions too,

as did Lily,

and Mike,

and everyone else. 

Sarla felt as light as a bird.

She made lots of friends, 

and never stopped asking questions.