Cultural differences

She let me down softly when I offered to help

On Sunday, I gave an Aboriginal lady a lift to church and she asked whether I could take her to the hospital afterwards to visit her sister. I said I had something on, but maybe I could take her the next evening. She asked what time and said visiting hours are 5pm. I said, "Maybe 5:30, I finish work at 5pm." Then she said she would ask her niece to take her, but instead of just saying "Don't worry about it" or "I don't want to put you out," she felt she needed to give me a way out, or give herself a way out, I guess. I had offered something she hadn't even asked for, I obviously really wanted to do it, so she needed to suggest that it wouldn't really suit me in order to politely decline the offer. "Maybe you'll be tired," she said.