Chapter 1 - Childhood Memories
When I think back to my earliest days in kindergarten, he’s the first face that comes to my mind. A small boy with messy hair and a loud laugh, he was always by my side. We shared toys, giggled over silly games, and somehow got into trouble together more than once. I still remember the day we were punished for spilling paint on the classroom floor—we both sat there quietly, refusing to point fingers, but he smiled at me as if to say, “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”
He was more than a friend. If someone dared to tease me or call me names, he would step forward without a second thought. I didn’t need to ask, and I didn’t need to be brave—he made me feel safe just by being there. Those little moments felt big back then, and I never realized how much they would stay with me.
Then one day, he was gone. Transferred to a big city far away, leaving me with empty corridors and classrooms that suddenly felt too quiet. I tried to make new friends, and I did. They smiled politely, shared small jokes, and walked with me between classes. But it was different. The warmth, the protection, the effortless understanding—I couldn’t find that anywhere. A quiet loneliness settled in, tucked behind my laughter and polite greetings.
I missed him, though I didn’t always say it. Even when I laughed with others, part of me always remembered those small hands passing me crayons, defending me from bullies, and whispering, “We’re in this together.”
It’s strange how someone so small could leave such a big space in your heart. But some memories, I realized, never fade. They wait quietly, like an unopened letter, ready to remind you of what really mattered.
