"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 centre 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 come in
unexpectedly from his hut. He was w&VF?6??6?VB?B7v?&RF?&VBV?vVf??b6?P?F&VBF?v?fRF?R6???BVvw2v???'WB?Bv2???76?&?RF?&VgW6RW??????F???r??gFW"?W"fF?W"w2&V'V?R6?RFWfV??VB?WfV??VV?W"WF?FRf?"Vvw2??B6?P?V????VB&?fR??F?R6V7&V7???v??6?6?R??rFRF?V???W"??F?W"?v?2F????W ???F?F?V?"&VG&????B6?WBF?RF??"??W????F?B??B6???W"??F?W"??R??R??6???G&V??6?R6??VB?W"'??W ???R?V?vVf??2?W"fF?W"?B?F?W"w&?v?WV??RF?B?F?R&V?F???6??&WGvVV??F?V?v2??B???F?B?b??F?W"?B6???B?F?W&Rv26??WF???r???B??RF?P?6??????6???bWV?2?v??6?v27G&V?wF?V?VB'?7V6??GF?R6??7?&6?W22VF??p?Vvw2??F?R&VG&?????V?vVf??B7VffW&VBv??BFV????W"?fR?6?R?B&?&?RFV?6???G&V??B???P??bF?V??BF?VB????f?7??W7V??&Vf?&RF?RvR?bF?&VR?26?R'W&?VB??R6???@?gFW"??F?W"?W"6?'&?rvfRv?F?FW7?"?BF?V?F?w&??&W6?v?F????F?R&?'F??`??W"6???G&V??v??6?6??V?B&Rv???w27&?v???rv??'??&V6?Rf?"V?vVf??W&P???6?6?v???FWf??B?b&??6R?F?R???r6W&V????gFW"6WfV??&?WBvVV?0?&V6?R?V?G?&?GV???W"FVWV???rFW7?"f?V?BW?&W76?????F?R??W26?RvfP??W"6???G&V????R?bF?V?v2F?WF?27'????wV?&????$FVF???????&R??R?"'WBFVF?F???????F?6R????wV?&???F?VB????0?f?gFVV?F????F??F?R?W?B6???Bv2v?&?????V?V????