To support her 4 children, a woman began to work as a parttime cleaner in secret from her husband. One day, she came to a rich house and seeing a picture on the nightstand, she froze in horror.
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"And who are these? Whose kids are these?" whispered one elderly woman to another, sitting on a bench late at night.
The last days of summer were coming to an end. The sun was setting behind the horizon, birds were chirping, and music could be heard in the distance, possibly from a cafe. And here, on a bench under a shabby fivestory building, were sitting two elderly women, the main gossips of this block. They always smiled and said hello, but behind each other's backs, they often gossiped and said nasty things about everyone.
"So that's Kasey Kramer. She has four kids! Did you hear that they are from different men? Young people are so reckless nowadays!" said one of them.
"Nah, Kasey's married. And she has a child with her husband, I think... Well, I don't know for sure, of course. And then she took in three more kids when her friend died in an accident!"
"Really?!" the other neighbor gasped.
"Yeah, she felt sorry for the kids and took them in. Her apartment is fairly big, but with four kids, it's still cramped! And the oldest one is graduating from school this year; he's going to college."
"Which one is hers?"
"The youngest one. I know her friend was older than Kasey."
"Alright, be quiet; she is coming!"
At that moment, Kasey was already close enough, and, of course, she heard everything.
"Should I say that it's none of their business? Although, why waste time and energy on it?" Kasey thought, and greeted the elderly women with a gentle smile. All her children also greeted them.
They entered the building and started climbing the stairs. The first to go was Erica, the eldest daughter of the late Maya. Kasey followed, holding the hand of her son, Troy, who was almost four years old. He had curly black hair, an exact copy of his father. Behind them, Maya's middle son, Sam, and her youngest daughter, Julie, weaved through the stairs.
Kasey herself was darkskinned, petite, and beautiful. Men often looked back at her, but her husband, Luis, paid no attention to it, just like he paid no attention to his wife.
Kasey and Maya were not just childhood friends; their bond was more like that of sisters. Maya and Kasey were the only children in their families. No brothers, no sisters. There is no one to stand up for them. Maya was older and always protected her friend, defended her, and supported her.
Once, Maya saved Kasey's life. Kasey was pushed off a bridge by some boys, not knowing that an 11yearold girl couldn't swim. She had never been taught because her parents simply didn't have time for that. They were always busy with arguing and earning money!
Kasey found herself in the water, and Maya jumped in without hesitation. She didn't even remember that she had just been discharged from the hospital after being bitten by a dog and needing 15 stitches! Maya pulled Kasey to the shore, but her wounds got infected, and she ended up in the hospital with sepsis. She was barely saved.
When Maya finished school, she moved to the city. From that point on, their communication became less frequent. They still called each other, of course. But now, a different, adult life has begun for Maya. There was a 4year age difference between the girls.