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Okonkwo sprang from his bed； pushed back the bolt on his door and ran into Ekwefi's hut。
Ezinma lay shivering on a mat beside a huge fire that her mother had kept burning all night。
〃It is iba；〃 said Okonkwo as he took his machete and went into the bush to collect the leaves and grasses and barks of trees that went into making the medicine for iba。
Ekwefi knelt beside the sick child； occasionally feeling with her palm the wet； burning forehead。
Ezinma was an only child and the center of her mother's world。 Very often it was Ezinma who decided what food her mother should prepare。 Ekwefi even gave her such delicacies as eggs； which children were rarely allowed to eat because such food tempted them to steal。 One day as Ezinma was eating an egg Okonkwo had e in unexpectedly from his hut。 He was greatly shocked and swore to beat Ekwefi if she dared to give the child eggs again。 But it was impossible to refuse Ezinma anything。 After her father's rebuke she developed an even keener appetite for eggs。 And she enjoyed above all the secrecy in which she now ate them。 Her mother always took her into their bedroom and shut the door。
Ezinma did not call her mother Nne like all children。 She called her by her name； Ekwefi； as her father and other grownup people did。 The relationship between them was not only that of mother and child。 There was something in it like the panionship of equals； which was strengthened by such little conspiracies as eating eggs in the bedroom。
Ekwefi had suffered a good deal in her life。 She had borne ten children and nine of them had died in infancy； usually before the age of three。 As she buried one child after another her sorrow gave way to despair and then to grim resignation。 The birth of her children； which should be a woman's crowning glory； became for Ekwefi mere physical agony devoid of promise。 The naming ceremony after seven market weeks became an empty ritual。 Her deepening despair found expression in the names she gave her children。 One of them was a pathetic cry； Onwumbiko—〃Death； I implore you。〃 But Death took no notice；… Onwumbiko died in his fifteenth month。 The next child was a girl； Ozoemena—〃May it not happen again。〃 She died in her eleventh month； and two others after her。 Ekwefi then became defiant and called her next child Onwuma—〃Death may please himself。〃 And he did。
After the death of Ekwefi's second child； Okonkwo had gone to a medicine man； who was also a diviner of the Afa Oracle； to inquire what was amiss。 This man told him that the child was an ogbanje； one of those wicked children who； when they died； entered their mothers' wombs to be born again。
〃When your wife bees pregnant again；〃 he said； 〃let her not sleep in her hut。 Let her go and stay with her people。 In that way she will elude her wicked tormentor and break its evil cycle of birth and death。〃
Ekwefi did as she was asked。 As soon as she became pregnant she went to live with her old mother in another village。 It was there that her third child was born and circumcised on the eighth day。 She did not return to Okonkwo's pound until three days before the naming ceremony。 The child was called Onwumbiko。
Onwumbiko was not given proper burial when he died。 Okonkwo had called in another medicine man who was famous in the clan for his great knowledge about ogbanje children。 His name was Okagbue Uyanwa。 Okagbue was a very striking figure； tall； with a full beard and a bald head。 He was light in plexion and his eyes were red and fiery。 He always gnashed his teeth as he listened to those who came to consult him。 He asked Okonkwo a few questions about the dead child。 All the neighbors and relations who had e to mourn gathered round them。
〃On what market…day was it born？〃 he asked。
〃Oye；〃 replied Okonkwo。
〃And it died this morning？〃
Okonkwo said yes； and only then realized for the first time that the child had died on the same market…day as it had been born。 The neighbors and relations also saw the coincidence and said among themselves that it was very significant。
〃Where do you sleep with your wife； in your obi or in her own hut？〃 asked the medicine man。
〃In her hut。〃
〃In future call her into your obi。〃
The medicine man then ordered that there should be no mourning for the dead child。 He brought out a sharp razor from the goatskin bag slung from his left shoulder and began to mutilate the child。 Then he took it away to bury in the Evil Forest； holding it by the ankle and dragging it on the ground behind him。 After such treatment it would think twice before ing again； unless it was one of the stubborn ones who returned； carrying the stamp of their mutilation—a missing finger or perhaps a dark line where the medicine man's razor had cut them。
By the time Onwumbiko died Ekwefi had bee a very bitter woman。 Her husband's first wife had already had three sons； all strong and healthy。 When she had borne her third son in succession； Okonkwo had slaughtered a goat for her； as was the custom。 Ekwefi had nothing but good wishes for her。 But she had grown so bitter about her own chi that she could not rejoice with others over their good fortune。 And so； on the day that Nwoye's mother celebrated the birth of her three sons with feasting and music； Ekwefi was the only person in the happy pany who went about with a cloud on her brow。 Her husband's wife took this for malevolence； as husbands' wives were wont to。 How could she know that Ekwefi's bitterness did not flow outwards to others but inwards into her own soul；… that she did not blame others for their good fortune but her own evil chi who denied her any？
At last Ezinma was born； and although ailing she seemed determined to live。 At first Ekwefi accepted her； as she had accepted others—with listless resignation。 But when she lived on to her fourth； fifth and sixth years； love returned once more to her mother； and； with love； anxiety。 She determined to nurse her child to health； and she put all her being into it。 She was rewarded by occasional spells of health during which Ezinma bubbled with energy like fresh palm…wine。 At such times she seemed beyond danger。 But all of a sudden she would go down again。 Everybody knew she was an ogbanje。 These sudden bouts of sickness and health were typical of her kind。 But she had lived so long that perhaps she had decided to stay。 Some of them did bee tired of their evil rounds of birth and death； or took pity on their mothers； and stayed。 Ekwefi believed deep inside her that Ezinma had e to stay。 She believed because it was that faith alone that gave her own life any kind of meaning。 And this faith had been strengthened when a year or so ago a medicine man had dug up Ezinma's iyi…uwa。 Everyone knew then that she would live because her bond with the world of ogbanje had been broken。 Ekwefi was reassured。 But such was her anxiety for her daughter that she could not rid herself pletely of her fear。 And although she believed that the iyi…uwa which had been dug up was genuine； she could not ignore the fact that some really evil children sometimes misled people into digging up a specious one。
But Ezinma's iyi…uwa had looked real enough。 It was a smooth pebbl