Nana's aunt pleaded but he insisted not to allow such and promised her to be rest assured that he would take proper care of her sister's children. He went back to Lagos to attend to his business but before he left, he instructed that his fourth wife should be responsible in taking care of Nana and nothing must happen to her. Nana's aunt stayed for another two weeks before she went back to bendel, in Benin City. After she left, Nana's father came back home to Nana to check on her. They continued living that way till the time Nana started her primary education. Nana's father always shuffle his movements from Lagos to the town where Nana is living.
Nana was very brilliant and intelligent, she always answer any questions that the teacher asked. She started representing the school for quiz competition and debating and she always come first. She did that till she gets to primary six. Her step-mother brought her the son she had with another man, the boy and Nana were of the same age, his mother took him to Nana's school and they were in the same class. They do go to school together and go home together, they also do their homework together. Nana's step mother started disliking Nana because she's the only one coming home with gifts, whenever they are looking for something, she would say it should be Nana's doing. Whenever she gives the children food and her children tell her that they were not satisfied, she would give them and tell Nana that she must not ask for more. It continues this way but whenever Nana's dad is around, she would treat her well.
One day, Nana's father was around and they ate beans for dinner, her own children asked for more which she gave them, Nana started licking her plate, her father told her to ask for more if she isn't okay but she replied that her step-mother would not give her even if she asked, she said she only give more to her children but not her. Nana's father was so furious that he couldn't hold his tears and anger, he didn't even listen to her before sending her out of the house. He was crying that night that he couldn't believe they have been mistreating her daughter under her nose, this affected him so much that he made sure he created a strong relationship with his daughter and told her to always trust his judgements. He told her not to be scared of anybody or anything, he told her to be bold enough to stand up for what is right and object what is wrong. The stepmother's family went to ask for Nana and her father's forgiveness, Nana also pleaded with them and told her father to forgive and forget and allow her step-mother in but she was boiling inside. The head of their family appreciated Nana's father for the kind of upbringing he instilled in his daughter and he prayed God continue to guide and protect her from evil. The wife moved back in and thanked her family members for their supports and she promised not to repeat such behavior again that she would treat Nana as her own from that day.
When Nana got to primary five, her teacher suggested that she should write common entrance(which is the entrance exam to junior secondary school), she passed the exam and proceed to junior school but her step-mother's son repeated that same class, which made Nana ahead of him with two classes. When Nana was in JSS1, the boy was still in primary five, when she got to JSS2, he promoted to primary six and so on. The woman wasn't happy with the way things were and tried to intill punishment on Nana. Her secondary school was very far from home but she wouldn't give her transport fare while going, so, she always trek to school and back home.
When Nana got to JSS3, she was supposed to attend morning classes for preparation for her Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) but the woman looked for a way to stop her, she told her to be hawking bread in the morning before going to school, so she would always get to school late, she wouldn't even meet them on the assembly. She made sure she left home to sell bread exactly 6:00am but she would still got late to school because she will still trek to school. Her teachers started complaining about her lateness but she wouldn't even tell anybody and nobody knew she was hawking before coming to school. She always hide somewhere whenever she sighted her school mates while selling bread in the morning, she would sell bread in the afternoon too when she got home. She continued this way till the time of the exam, she would still hawk before going to the exam hall but that doesn't stop her from doing well. She did so well and came out in flying colors. Her result was one of the best results that year.
After her exam, she stayed at home before others in junior secondary school could write their third term examination. Her step-mother called her and told her that she would have to be hawking for her daily since she doesn't do anything at home for now, she should not stay idle. When others are going to school in the morning, she would also go out to sell breads, she does this all through the long vacation as well, she would hawk bread in the morning and in the afternoon every day and she used to sell very all the bread's she took out. People have known her for selling fresh breads and people trust her as well. She knew what type of bread different kinds of people want and the amount they want, she also knew where to keep the bread for them and in most cases she knew where to take the money and return the balance when needed. She's so free to many people and people love and trust her so well to the extent that people waited for her to come even if she was late and they needed to eat bread, some will even went all the to look for her to be fast. She thought to herself that she might be able to stop hawking bread when she resumes senior class as she has done so well in helping her step-mother, moreso, she doesn't allow her children to hawk for her.
One day, Nana went hawking in the evening but before she comes from selling bread, her dad has already came back from Lagos but she wasn't aware, her step-mother sent someone to look for her as she always do whenever her dad came back from Lagos, she used to say that she sent her on an errand and the person would collect money and the bread from her and told her to rush home that her dad is back. But the person didn't see Nana this very day, she checked everywhere but still couldn't, she went back home to inform Nana's step-mother, she was very worried because it is getting late as well. Nana has been crying looking for money, someone took all the bread's money she sold and left the plastic she used to put the money and that has never happened to her since she has been selling bread. She cried and at the same time looked for the money everywhere but still couldn't see it, so, she decided to come back home but not knowing that her dad was around. Her dad was sitting in front of the house, there was no way they could collect the tray of bread from her. When her step-mother saw her, she was shocked the way she saw her tattered. Her dad was not happy when she also saw the way his daughter was looking, he quickly rushed to her but saw her crying, he asked what happened to her that she was looking worn out, she just started crying and this made her dad so worried, he carried her and consoled her to say whatever she wants to say. She told her dad that she doesn't know how she misplaced all the money she sold from the bread she carried out. Her step-mother told her not to stress herself because it wasn't her fault but Nana's father shouted at her to keep quiet.
Nana's father was the type that easily shed tears when they did wrong towards his daughter, he sobbed bitterly but didn't even know what to say, he thought to himself that this is the way his daughter has been treated while he was away, he couldn't eat that night, he just cried through out the night and was calling Nana mother's name and blaming himself that he is a useless man, he couldn't even take care of the little baby she left behind that she should just please forgive him. He cried till he slept off, he dreamt seeing his dead wife telling him that he had actually tried his best as a father, she told him in his dream to not be hard on himself. He should forget the past and move on. He was at peace when he woke up the next day.