Malam Usman stepped out of his room, having heard all the words his wife had said about their daughter since earlier in the day.

He said, "Asabe, why do you behave like this? After all, Zuwaira is your daughter. You should be the one defending her dignity wherever you see someone trying to humiliate her."

"Of course, you would say that," Asabe retorted, "I've already realized that you are implying I didn't give birth to Zuwaira."

"I'm not implying that, Asabe," Malam Usman responded. "I'm just suggesting that you should watch your words about Zuwaira. Stop throwing harsh words at her. How many offenses has she committed to deserve such treatment?"

Inna Asabe stood up, filled with anger. "Malam, you are completely wrong. I am getting tired of your disrespect..."

Quickly, Zuwaira grabbed her tray of bean cakes and went outside. She couldn't bear to see her father being disrespected.

Zuwaira continued her rounds selling bean cakes, despite the scorching sun. She couldn't rest because she wanted to sell all the bean cakes due to the warning her stepmother had given her not to return with any leftovers.

Around the time of the afternoon prayer, she had sold all the bean cakes. She found a spot to sit and started counting her earnings. She finished counting: it was one thousand eight hundred and sixty naira, forty naira short. She paused, thinking about where the missing money could be, as she knew she hadn't bought anything or eaten any of the bean cakes, despite her hunger.

Feeling dizzy, as she hadn't eaten all day except for some leftover porridge that Kabiru had drunk from and left in the courtyard, she was startled by a touch. She sighed in relief when she saw it was her friend Safare.

"Safare, you really scared me. I've been waiting for you to collect your money, and you took your time. You know I have a lot of dishes to wash."

"Be patient, Zuwaira. You know that rascal Shabbal, when he takes something from you, he insists on not paying. He's taken noodles from me three times without paying, so today I cornered him."

"Did he give you the money?"

"Yes, he gave me my ninety naira. Here, Lawandi said I should give you your twenty naira for the bean cake."

"Thank you so much, I feel relieved. I had forgotten he owed me for the bean cake. Now, only twenty naira is left."

"I also forgot that I owe you ten naira."

"Yes, you do, and Lami owes me ten naira as well."

"Yes, but she's already gone home, and her house is far."

"Well, I'll wait until tomorrow since we see each other every day. I'm sure she forgot too."

"Safare, you don't understand. Inna said if I lose any money, she will break my bones. I'm really scared of being beaten."

Safare took out ten naira from her pocket and handed it to Zuwaira. "Take this, and tomorrow, when Lami pays you, you can give it back to me."

"Zuwaira accepted it gratefully. 'Thank you, Safare. May God keep us together.'"

"Amin, Zuwaira. Let's go home before my mother starts scolding me. My father will be back from the farm soon."

The young girls headed home.

Safare said, "You should have come with me to my house. We could have eaten, as my mother made porridge today. I'm sure it's ready by now."

"It's not that I don't want to come, Safare, but I'm afraid of Inna's temper. She might scold me for staying too long and not doing the dishes and sweeping. I'll come by tomorrow before I go to sell the morning porridge to greet your mother, okay?"

"Okay then, Zuwaira. May God spare our lives until tomorrow."

"Amin."

Each of them went to their respective homes.