Miriam arrived at the courtyard early in the morning. The sun was already warm. She looked around and saw a long queue. Many people were standing in a line. The queue went all the way across the courtyard. Miriam joined the back of the queue. She smiled at the woman in front of her. The woman smiled back. Miriam looked at the front of the queue. It was very far away. She could not see the front clearly. There were tall trees on both sides of the courtyard. The shade from the trees felt nice. Miriam took a deep breath and waited. The queue moved very slowly.

Miriam took one small step every few minutes. She looked at her bag and checked her things. Then she looked at the queue again. It still looked very long. A small boy near her was playing with a toy. His mother told him to be quiet. Miriam watched a bird land on a stone wall. The bird flew away quickly. Some people in the queue talked to each other. Others looked at their phones. Miriam did not have her phone with her. She felt a little bored. She counted the people in front of her. There were more than thirty people. She sighed quietly.

After a long time, the queue began to move a little faster. Miriam felt happy. She was getting closer to the front. She could now see a small table at the front. A man was sitting at the table. He was helping each person one by one. Miriam waited for her turn. Finally, she reached the front. The man looked up and said, "Good morning. How can I help you?" Miriam smiled and said, "Good morning. I have been waiting for a long time!" The man laughed and said, "I know. Thank you for your patience." Miriam got what she needed and walked away. She felt very relieved. The courtyard looked beautiful in the afternoon light. She was glad the long wait was over.

Miriam arrived at the courtyard just as the morning light was beginning to soften the old stone walls. She had expected a short wait, but the queue stretched all the way across the open space, curving past a row of tall trees whose leaves rustled gently in the breeze. Dozens of people stood ahead of her, some shifting their weight from foot to foot, others staring quietly into the distance. Miriam took her place at the back, adjusted the bag on her shoulder, and told herself to stay calm. The courtyard was peaceful despite the crowd, and the dappled shade falling through the branches made the wait feel slightly more bearable. She glanced at the front of the queue, where the line seemed to barely move, and let out a slow, quiet breath.

As the minutes turned into an hour, the queue shuffled forward in small, reluctant steps. Miriam noticed the woman in front of her tapping her fingers against her arm impatiently, and a man further ahead was muttering something under his breath. "It is always like this," said an older gentleman standing beside Miriam, shaking his head with a tired smile. "You just have to accept it." Miriam nodded, appreciating his calm approach, though she could feel her own patience beginning to wear thin. She occupied herself by studying the courtyard around her, admiring the worn paving stones, the moss growing along the base of the walls, and a small bird that hopped boldly across the ground as if the queue did not exist at all. After what felt like much longer than it actually was, the queue finally began to move with more purpose, and Miriam felt a wave of relief wash over her.

She could now see a wooden table at the far end of the courtyard, where a young woman was efficiently attending to each person in turn. When Miriam finally stepped forward and reached the front, the young woman looked up with a warm smile and said, "Good afternoon. Sorry for the long wait today." Miriam smiled back and replied, "It is fine, honestly. The courtyard is quite lovely to look at." The young woman laughed and said, "That is the kindest thing anyone has said all day." Miriam walked away feeling lighter, noticing for the first time just how beautiful the afternoon light looked as it settled across the quiet stone courtyard.