| caption: |
a brilliant morning, putting on ornaments |
| caption: |
Shankok's love and marital problems |
| text: |
When I was leaving the Thepong Shankok followed me into the night and spoke to me of his love problems. Now during the Oulingbu he spent several nights still with Shikna and when they thought of the past happy Oulingbus and of the fact that at the next Oulingbu they will since have been separated, both of them had tears running down their cheeks, yet Shankok still seems not to have given up the idea entirely of marrying Shikna. Only now in the spring as his rice was already largely used up he could not take upon him the expense of the divorce and settlement with Shikna's husband, therefore he wants to wait until next winter. Apparently the situation is not made more difficult by the fact that Shikna will already be living in her husband's house then. It is customary too to abduct one's new wife from her husband on the same day as one evicts one's own wife. But Shankok's suffering is not so great as that in the meantime he will not look around for a new lover. There is one girl in the Balang who rather appeals to him but he can only approach her once Shikna has moved into her husband's house. (97) The other girl would demand a separation from Shikna before starting an affair with him. This is the custom in Wakching. |
