I arrived to the Bomdo village this time end of November last year. I had several expectations and was quite excited and nervous since my field work was soon to begin. I was also excited that I would meet the village folk after six months. But I had an even more pleasant surprise in store for me. At about 1 pm when I arrived to the village and visited my man fFiday Gekut's home he wasn't there. He and his wife had gone to the field, for it was the rice harvesting season. So I waited till early evening and then I saw Gekut rushing to the Inspection Bungalow where I stay. He said he had a third kid! In a hurry to catch a glimpse, I ran to his house.
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| The Poyup or the farm house where Kayit was born, in Loging |
Gekut and his wife had gone to Loging, their currently cultivated shifting cultivation field, and minutes after they reached Nyomen, Gekut's wife announced that she was in labour and having no other woman to help him with this, he just waited aside her helplessly and helped with the delivery. I was bewildered by the fact that the same day she gave birth she also went out to the fields, an hour's walk away for some hard work. However, here in the village there are several such instances. Perhaps due to their physical endurance during agriculture and related activities, even giving birth to a kid is not as big a deal as is often in towns. The whole village apparently suggests names for new born kids till finally a name is chosen. I suggested 'Siben' which is the local name for a takin (
Budorcas taxicolor), making him a very special person, being named after the rarest animal in the region. The boy was finally named Kayit and I see him almost everyday and still call him Siben! Gekut says someday Kayit will become the Deputy Commissioner of the Yingkiong circle and I said that I will help fund his education.
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| Gekut and Junior |
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