THE SPACE BETWEEN MEMORIES

CHAPTER 1: THE FAMILY I KNEW

In the heart of our small town, where the sun dipped into the horizon and painted the sky with hues of crimson and gold, stood out little home. Our home has a creaky front door with its rusty hinges and faded blue paint. It was a place where love dwelled, where laughter echoed. and where memories were woven into the fabric of our lives.

I, Franklin, is the eldest child of the White family. Though not born with a silver spoon but I was born into a family rich in love, kindness and wisdom. My mother, Joy, is a teacher and my father, Kelvin is a writer, a wordsmith who breathed life into characters and stories that danced into my imagination.Their love for literature and learning is contagious and it rubbed off on me.

As a child, I devoured books of all kinds. Our home has a small library with different collections from different writers. Our library, tucked away in a cozy nook, was my sanctuary. My parents really did a thing of organizing our home. I will sit in the library for hours getting lost in the worlds of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and other amazing writers whose books I found in my dad's collection. The only thing capable of bringing me out of the library is my mother's food. The aroma from her kitchen wafts through the air, tantalizing my taste buds and making my stomach growl with anticipation. That was how much I couldn't trade books except for food. I began to scribble my own stories and poems as I couldn't help but think in the direction of these writers. The scratch of my pen on paper, the flow of ink onto the page is like music to my soul.

My siblings, Gold and Favour were my partners in crime. We spend hours together telling stories and exploring the world around us. Our home was a symphony of sounds, a kaleidoscope of colors and a tapestry of textures I was lost in all these that I didn't for once think of leaving my family, little did I know my life was about to take a dramatic turn. A turn that would lead me away from my only home I had ever known, away from the people I loved and into a world of uncertainty. The threads of fate weaving a new tapestry, one that would test my courage, challenge my resolve and shape me into the person I was meant to be