The Joys of Motherhood

As World War II continues, money and employment remain scarce in Lagos. Nnu Ego and Adaku both become pregnant; Nnu Ego gives birth to twin girls, Taiwo and Kehinde. A few weeks later, Adaku gives birth to a son who dies, leaving Adaku severely depressed.

One day, when Adaku asks Oshia to fetch some water, he refuses, calling the task “a woman’s job” (128). Nnu Ego scolds him but is shaken when Oshia tells her about a dream he had, in which Adaku pushed him into a ditch. She takes him to see a medicine man, who prepares a charm to protect Oshia from Adaku.

One night, Adaku complains about Nnaife’s habit of staying out late drinking and playing music; she suggests that playing music at night can “attract bad spirits” (130). Nnu Ego confronts Nnaife, who admits that he stays out to forget his troubles at home. The next night, after attending a celebration for the naming of Nwakusor’s child, everyone except Nnaife returns home; Nnu Ego is pleased to see that Nnaife left his guitar at home. In the middle of the night, she and Adaku are awakened by the sound of the guitar, even though no one is playing it. When Nnaife returns home, they tell him what happened, and he destroys the instrument immediately. Soon, the story of the haunted guitar spreads, and Nnaife consults a medicine man, who offers a sacrifice to appease the ghosts who played it. Nnu Ego comes to suspect that Adaku orchestrated the event.

However, only Oshia knows what really happened. After catching some mice, he hid them inside the guitar and then forgot about them. At night, when the mice became active, they made the sounds. Seeing the fame that comes to Nnaife as a result of the supernatural explanation, Oshia decides not to tell his parents about the mice.

To get more housekeeping money, Adaku suggests that she and Nnu Ego stop ooking meals for Nnaife. Nnu Ego agrees. The next day, when Nnaife comes home to find that there is nothing to eat, Nnu Ego and Adaku tell him that they need more money. Nnaife becomes angry and insists that he cannot spare any more money.

That night, while Nnu Ego and Adaku are sleeping, Oshia rips the money set aside for food into little pieces, thinking that he is making more money by doing so. Desperate for funds, Nnu Ego begs Nnaife for more money, and he agrees to return with more money that evening, if possible. Determined to please him, Nnu Ego spends the rest of her personal funds on a relatively lavish meal. Meanwhile, Adaku prepares to confront Nnaife over what she sees as his favoritism toward Nnu Ego.

However, Nnaife does not return home. Nnu Ego and Adaku contact their friends and neighbors, but no one knows where he is.

Nnaife’s work as a grass cutter along the railway is not lucrative, but it is dependable, and he hopes one day to earn a promotion to a desk job. On the day after his wives refused to cook for him, Nnaife laughs about the incident with his peers during lunch.

That afternoon, Nnaife notices army trucks in the area, including those belonging to the Korofos, or military police. At the end of his shift, the Korofos capture Nnaife and several others. They are taken to a field where a doctor examines them. Nnaife soon learns that he is to be enlisted into the army. He warms up to the idea after learning that his family will be sent a substantial sum of money each year and he will be promoted after his service. He sends a letter to Nnu Ego explaining the situation and leaves for a post in India.

The next day, Ubani breaks the news to Nnu Ego and Adaku, who are shocked and disappointed. Ubani encourages them to “forget these superstitions about soldiers” (148). That night, several friends and neighbors visit Nnu Ego and encourage her to return to Ibuza for a while. She agrees to do so, especially since Agbadi is unwell. Before leaving, she opens a savings account with the payment she received from the army.