13 February,2009-People are scared of her.
Some say she is a witch. Others that she’s unnatural.
Tall and emaciated, her hair hanging loose, kira worn rough and ready, Tshering Lhadon is generally seen chasing away children, often boxing their ears when she catches them, and throwing stones at passers-by her house. They say she haunts the village’s ‘ngep’ (local guardian) - a dark rock fast by an old chorten - at night. Tshering Lhadon has been ostracised by her village since she was 16. She is 41 years old today. The onus of looking after her is shouldered by her 66-year-old mother, Pema Yuden. Her father had died five years ago. They live in Korphu, in Trongsa dzongkhag. No matter what people say about her daughter, Pema Yuden’s love for her only child is unconditional. She breaks into tears whenever she talks about her daughter. The grief has grown into a deep concern now that Pema Yuden is very old.
Things weren’t always like this. When Pema Yuden gave birth to her daughter, the parents, who were in their 20s, derived “immense happiness watching our child grow into a young, beautiful woman”. Her daughter’s pleasing personality was enhanced by her mellifluous singing voice and dancing skills. Indeed, the girl was the toast of her village. She was her parent’s pride and joy.
When Tshering Lhadon turned 16, she suddenly became ill. She has not recovered since. Prayers and rituals did not work. “She sometimes cried then laughed at others, or did both at once,” the mother said. After the father died, Tshering Lhadon started assaulting her mother, sometimes biting her, at other times pulling her hair. “But that’s all right, Pema Yuden said, she’s sick.
To support her daughter and herself, Pema Yuden works and begs from her neighbours. She has a small plot of land, about an hour’s walk from the village, where she grows rice, which lasts about three months. The rest of the years she works in other people’s fields in return for basic essentials like oil and salt.
A resident of Korphu village, Tshewang, 58, told Kuensel that they employed Pema Yuden out of sympathy. “Because of her age her productivity is less than what we pay her, but we employ her anyway so that she and her daughter do not go hungry.”
Pema Yuden is not happy at the way the village have treated her and her daughter for so many years. Looking at a picture Kuensel took of her daughter, she said: “Does she look like a witch? You tell me.” Their house also bears the marks of stones flung at them by villagers. Some farmers even connect the death of a cow or horse in the village to the presence of Tshering Lhadon.
But Pema Yuden’s biggest worry is that,with her old age, no one will want her labour and that she and her daughter will have to go hungry one day.
“I sleep every night worrying what tomorrow has in store for me and my daughter,” said Pema Yuden. Their only close relative is her 80-year-old brother, who is too old to help. Pema Yuden has also transferred her land to her cousin’s name after he promised to take care of her and her daughter. Nobody knows for sure if the cousin is keeping his promise
. Pema Yuden would not say. Korphu gup Wangda told Kuensel that Pema Yuden could not be listed as a kidu recipient because she gave away her land to her cousin, who promised to look after her. “She should surrender her land to the government if she wants to be listed as a kidu recipient,” he said. He added that Pema Yuden should make a personal complaint for the gewog to intervene.
Pema Yuden not only worries about where their next meal will come from but also for the safety of her daughter and who will look after her once she dies.
Korphu resident Karma, 28, said Tshering Lhadon could not live without her mother. “She’ll cry and shout and look for her mother.”
By Tashi Dema t_dyel@kuensel.com.bt
