Writing Sample

       The path to destiny is rarely ever a straight line, and for Nassir that was exactly the case. Being the oldest of 5 was not something he thought made him special. He knew he was loved, his parents made sure that it was known, felt, and demonstrated. He loved his siblings and took his care of them seriously, and was proud to be fiercely protective of his family. 

      So on the day that fate came knocking, it caught him and his family off guard. On this, the first day of autumn a strange wind blew into the sleepy town of Atmore. Gathering his siblings from school he noiced a strange new star in the sky that he was sure didn't belong, and could have sworn wasn't there just hours ago as he finished up his daily chores just hours ago, and was most definately not there last night.

     Looking up into the sky as he ushered the smaller children into he grandmothers house, next door to their family home, somthing made him uneasy, setting off alarm bells in his head. Happy cheers of the kids shouting, "Nana," and running into the house for hugs drew him out of his brooding. Mattie, his meternal grandmother, Nana to him and half the children of the neighborhood, owned most of the land on the block around their houses, had for as long as he could remember lived in the little home next door, but heard stories from momma about how  his current room had been hers as the oldest of her 4 siblings. And how, when Grandpa passed away, shortly after marrying dad, she'd had the smaller house built and offered the house to his parents, and mostly because the promise of a convient babysitter, but so she could keep an eye on her mom, it was aparently an offer they couldnt refuse.

     "What's wrong, baby?" his grandmother's voice snapping his attention back to the presant. 

     "Nothing," he says shaking his head, "just some wierd new star or something." He walks over to her for his turn to hug her. 

     His grandmother wasn't a large woman, but she was stout and strong, and he caramel brown eyes had the uncanny wisdom of knowing just what was needed at any given moment. Her careworn, chocolate brown face, uasually had a smile, and as he laned in for his hug, the comforting smell of her cocoa butter lotion hit his nostrils. After the hug, her strong hands gripped his giving a gentle squeeze, "After I get there little 'uns settled show me. You go sit for a moment while I get them snacks.

     He nods, sitting in the comfortable, worn arm chair, "Yes, Ma'am."