Ms. Ostling was teaching English. Wilhelm was kind of dozing off. He had woken up very early that morning and he only drank a little coffee. Lena sat behind him on another side, watching Wilhelm. She was worried about him. She kept thinking, What if he is always this tired? Is he ever going to be able to read any good if he's so extremely tired?
But Wilhelm's tiredness did not elude Ms. Ostling. She asked, "Did Wilhelm need a short break?" Wilhelm nodded. With a deep feeling of thankfulness, he took this opportune moment to rest.
"Wilhelm, you can take a break. You can have some coffee if you need," Ms. Ostling - she said this sweetly -. "However, make sure to come back when you're ready."
Wilhelm's smile grew wide. He got up. His relief was plain to see. A break was now possible. Cheerfully he walked towards the school's cafeteria. There he saw other students also on break. They also enjoyed coffee and pastries.
Wilhelm ordered an espresso and a cinnamon bun. He then seated himself at a table, all alone. Comfortably, he sipped his coffee, ever so slowly at first, gaining energy into his lazy body. He could feel, he started to feel that coffee course through his body. Each sip contributed to his wakefulness, and his alertness was becoming very much improved.
After some minutes. He finished his coffee. Then he walked to Ms. Ostling's class. Fully refreshed and ready to learn. It was the school's unique Fika tradition at work.
"Wilhelm you're back". That was the greeting from Ms. Ostling's class. The words left her lips smiling. They promised friendliness, acceptance. Wilhelm walked into the classroom. Ms. Ostling regarded him with her perceptive yet welcoming glance.
"Better now?" she asked. Wilhelm nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, quite well actually," his voice expressed gratitude. He felt grateful for the break. It played its part in refreshing him. "Ready for the lessons" Wilhelm's voice packed a note of assertiveness. And more excited about studies in Ms. Ostling's class.
Across the room, Lena smiled, now finally relieved that he was no longer sleepy. "Glad to see you're back, Wilhelm," she said, much relieved that her friend seemed to be doing well.