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Okonkwo planted what was left of his seed…yams when the rains finally returned。 He had one consolation。 The yams he had sown before the drought were his own； the harvest of the previous year。 He still had the eight hundred from Nwakibie and the four hundred from his father's friend。 So he would make a fresh start。
But the year had gone mad。 Rain fell as it had never fallen before。 For days and nights together it poured down in violent torrents； and washed away the yam heaps。 Trees were uprooted and deep gorges appeared everywhere。 Then the rain became less violent。 But it went from day to day without a pause。 The spell of sunshine which always came in the middle of the wet season did not appear。 The yams put on luxuriant green leaves； but every farmer knew that without sunshine the tubers would not grow。
That year the harvest was sad； like a funeral； and many farmers wept as they dug up the miserable and rotting yams。 One man tied his cloth to a tree branch and hanged himself。
Okonkwo remembered that tragic year with a cold shiver throughout the rest of his life。 It always surprised him when he thought of it later that he did not sink under the load of despair。 He knew that he was a fierce fighter； but that year…had been enough to break the heart of a lion。
〃Since I survived that year；〃 he always said； 〃I shall survive anything。〃 He put it down to his inflexible will。
His father； Unoka； who was then an ailing man； had said to him during that terrible harvest month： 〃Do not despair。 1 know you will not despair。 You have a manly and a proud heart。 A proud heart can survive a general failure because such failure does not prick its pride。 It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone。〃
Unoka was like that in his last days。 His love of talk had grown with age and sickness。 It tried Okonkwo's patience beyond words。
CHAPTER FOUR
〃Looking at a king's mouth；〃 said an old man； 〃one would think he never sucked at his mother's breast。〃 He was talking about Okonkwo； who had risen so suddenly from great poverty and misfortune to be one of the lords of the clan。 The old man bore no ill will towards Okonkwo。 Indeed he respected him for his industry and success。 But he was struck； as most people were； by Okonkwo's brusqueness in dealing with less successful men。 Only a week ago a man had contradicted him at a kindred meeting which they held to discuss the next ancestral feast。 Without looking at the man Okonkwo had said： 〃This meeting is for men。〃 The man who had contradicted him had no titles。 That was why he had called him a woman。 Okonkwo knew how to kill a man's spirit。
Everybody at the kindred meeting took sides with Osugo when Okonkwo called him a woman。 The oldest man present said sternly that those whose palm…kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble。 Okonkwo said he was sorry for what he had said； and the meeting continued。
But it was really not true that Okonkwo's palm…kernels had been cracked for him by a benevolent spirit。 He had cracked them himself。 Anyone who knew his grim struggle against poverty and misfortune could not say he had been lucky。 If ever a man deserved his success； that man was okonkwo。 At an early age he had achieved fame as the greatest wrestler in all the land。 That was not luck。 At the most one could say that his chi or personal god was good。 But the Ibo people have a proverb that when a man says yes his chi says yes also。 Okonkwo said yes very strongly； so his chi agreed。 And not only his chi but his clan too； because it judged a man by the work or his hands。 That was why Okonkwo had been Chosen by the nine villages to carry a message of war to their enemies unless they agreed to give up a young man and a virgin to atone for the murder of Udo's wife。 And such was the deep fear that their enemies had for Umuofia that they treated Okonkwo like a king and brought him a virgin who was given to Udo as wife； and the lad Ikemefuna。
The elders of the clan had decided that Ikemefuna should be in Okonkwo's care for a while。 But no one thought It would be as long as three years。 They seemed to forget all about him as soon as they had taken the decision。
At first Ikemefuna was very much afraid。 Once or twice he tried to run away； but he did not know where to begin。 He thought of his mother and his three…year…old sister and wept bitterly。 Nwoye's mother was very kind to him and treated him as one of her own children。 But all he said was： 〃When shall I go home？〃 When Okonkwo heard that he would not eat any food he came into the hut with a big stick in his hand and stood over him while he swallowed his yams； trembling。 A few moments later he went behind the hut and began to vomit painfully。 Nwoye's mother went to him and placed her hands on his chest and on his back。 He was ill for three market weeks； and when he recovered he seemed to have overe his great fear and sadness。
He was by nature a very lively boy and he gradually became popular in Okonkwo's household； especially with the children。 Okonkwo's son； Nwoye； who was two years younger； became quite inseparable from him because he seemed to know everything。 He could fashion out flutes from bamboo stems and even from the elephant grass。 He knew the names of all the birds and could set clever traps for the little bush rodents。 And he knew which trees made the strongest bows。
Even Okonkwo himself became very fond of the boy … inwardly of course。 Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly； unless it be the emotion of anger。 To show affection was a sign of weakness；… the only thing worth demonstrating was strength。 He therefore treated Ikemefuna as he treated everybody else … with a heavy hand。 But there was no doubt that he liked the boy。 Sometimes when he went to big village meetings or munal ancestral feasts he allowed Ikemefuna to acpany him； like a son； carrying his stool and his goatskin bag。 And； indeed； Ikemefuna called him father。
Ikemefuna came to Umuofia at the end of the carefree season between harvest and planting。 In fact he recovered from his illness only a few days before the Week of Peace began。 And that was also the year Okonkwo broke the peace； and was punished； as was the custom； by Ezeani； the priest of the earth goddess。
Okonkwo was provoked to justifiable anger by his youngest wife； who went to plait her hair at her friend's house and did not return early enough to cook the afternoon meal。 Okonkwo did not know at first that she was not at home。 After waiting in vain for her dish he went to her hut to see what she was doing。 There was nobody in the hut and the fireplace was cold。
〃Where is Ojiugo？〃 he asked his second wife； who came out of her hut to draw water from a gigantic pot in the shade of a small tree in the middle of the pound。
〃She has gone to plait her hair。〃
Okonkwo bit his lips as anger welled up within him。
〃Where are her children？ Did she take them？〃 he asked with unusual coolness and restraint。
〃They are here；〃 answered his first wife； Nwoye's mother。 Okonkwo bent down and looked into her hut。 Ojiugo's children were eating with the children of his first wife。
〃Did she ask you t