At 22, I received a letter from a lawyer representing my biological father. He said I was set to inherit $80k. My mom was uneasy and begged me not to go, but curiosity won. I met my dad, Calvin, signed a few papers, and over the next two years, we became close.
Then one day, I got a call—Calvin had died suddenly of a heart attack. At the lawyer’s office, I learned the $80k wasn’t all. Calvin left me The Haven House, a rundown boarding house with six tenants. The catch? I couldn’t sell it for five years. I had to either fix it up or give up the deed.
At first, I wanted to walk away. But when I met the tenants and heard how Calvin had given them second chances, I couldn’t do it. I started small—repairs, helping them with little things—using some of the inheritance. It wasn’t about Calvin anymore. It became about building something that mattered.
Seven months later, Aunt Folami returned, claiming Calvin promised her the house. She wanted to sell it. I refused. With help from the tenants and volunteers, we fought to keep it alive. By month ten, The Haven House wasn’t perfect, but it had become a true home—and the story began to spread.