*

The winds of fall strongly blew down many yellow maple leaves. I quickly ran out of the train station. I was worried I wouldn’t catch the bus.

Suddenly, a familiar body was walking at my side. It was Cheng, an old friend. Before, I had had some misunderstanding with him, and I had broken up with him as a friend. It had been years since I had seen him. Now, he looked back and waved to me, as if to say hello, as if to say goodbye. I responded. I waved mechanically, and looked after him. I thought he was thinner than before. I hoped he was better than before.

*
*

Yong Wei (David) Chen is 51 years old. He was born in Zhanjiang, China. He came to the U.S. in 2015. He writes, “I have been fond of playing football and swimming since I was a child, and occasionally I also like reading novels and poems.” At the Queens Public Library’s Elmhurst Adult Learning Center, his teacher is James McMenamin, and Michelle Johnston is the Library Literary Center manager.