The sun had barely risen over the small village of Ama, casting a golden glow over the thatched roofs and the dusty streets. Zilayefa stood outside their small hut, her eyes fixed on the grave that her brothers, Ryan and Bryan, had dug for their father.
The quadruplets had worked together to lay their father to rest, their young bodies exhausted from the physical labor. Zilayefa's eyes welled up with tears as she remembered the pain and sadness etched on her siblings' faces.
She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the tasks ahead. Her mother was still unaware of their father's passing, and Zilayefa knew that she had to find a way to inform her. But for now, their priority was survival.
"Ryan, Bryan , Richard and Bernard!" Zilayefa called out to her siblings, her voice firm but gentle. "We need to get to work. We have to earn money to buy food and take care of ourselves."
Her siblings nodded, their eyes red from lack of sleep and exhaustion. They had taken turns digging their father's grave, and now they were expected to work in the fields to earn a living.
The village head Mr Stevenson ,who owned the farm, had agreed to take them in. He was a kind old man who had known their father, and he had promised to pay them a fair wage for their labor.
As they walked to the farm, Zilayefa's mind wandered to her mother. She wished that she could write a letter to her, but she didn't know how. None of them had been fortunate enough to attend school, and the only people in the village who could read and write were the village head, his family, and the post office man.
Zilayefa sighed, feeling the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. She was only 18 years old, but she had to take care of her siblings and ensure their survival.
The day was long and grueling, with the sun beating down on them relentlessly. Zilayefa and her siblings worked tirelessly, their bodies aching as they labored in the fields.
As the sun began to set, they made their way back to their hut, exhausted but determined. They knew that they had to keep working to survive, and they were willing to do whatever it took to make ends meet.
As they sat down to a meager meal of cornmeal and vegetables, Zilayefa's thoughts turned to her mother again. She wondered when she would see her again, and whether she would ever be able to tell her about their father's passing.
The quadruplets ate in silence, their eyes fixed on the ground. They knew that they had a long and difficult road ahead of them, but they were determined to face it together.
As the night wore on, Zilayefa's siblings began to drift off to sleep, exhausted from the day's labor. Zilayefa sat beside them, her eyes fixed on the darkness outside.
She knew that she had to find a way to inform her mother about their father's passing. She couldn't shake off the feeling that her mother needed to know, and that she had to find a way to tell her.
As she sat there, lost in thought,she felt for her brothers ,they were just 11 years, they have so much to see, her father had promised to enroll her siblings in school the coming year, now how will she and her mother send her siblings to school, what will become of their future, she does not want her siblings to have the same fate as their father and that's the hope of the family, for the four boys to be educated and get good jobs in Ralston. Zilayefa's determination grew. She would find a way to inform her mother, no matter what it takes. And she would do whatever it took to take care of her siblings and ensure their survival.
The night wore on, the darkness outside seeming to press in on them. But Zilayefa's spirit remained unbroken, her determination burning brighter with every passing moment.
Her father bought a land few years back, she was 10 years old then, she and her family planted corns and other vegetables on the father, but just a year ago, the farm caught fire and everything was destroyed, since then her mother Hellen has being working as a maid in the Duke's castle, she sends money and clothes for them in every three months times.
It's being five months and they have not heard from her. Her father fell ill after the farm caught fire, he ran into the farm trying to quench the fire with water, but was badly injured by the fire and since then , he has being bed ridden.
Zilayefa looked at her siblings who were sleeping and she vowed She would face whatever challenges lay ahead, and she would do it with courage and strength. For herself, for her siblings, and for her mother, Zilayefa would persevere.