Readers, kindly indulge me as I give you a glimpse of my family, which could mirror a part of the culture of my tribe, Maranaw.
Potri is a variant of Putri, which means princess in Indonesia. It is a common female name among Malays and the Moros of the Philippines. How my parents (may Allah grant them a place in Jannatul Firdaus or paradise) got the idea of naming the 6th of their brood of 7, Potri still amazes me.
My father, one of our province’s pioneer educators and a bookworm, must have come across the name Potri. But my sister’s full name is Lawan Potri. “Lawan” is a Maranaw superlative word roughly translated as “more or higher.” Thus, Lawan Potri means more than a princess.
My other sisters are named in rhyme — Lawanbae, Lawansan Lawanun, and a brother, Macalawan. I supposed our mother derived these names from Maranaw mythology because she spent her spare time chanting melodious “kirim” or folklore, equivalent to “comic” magazines during those days. Later, when they went on a pilgrimage to Holy Mecca, they adopted the Arabic name — this being a tradition among Muslims.
Growing up, I overlooked the love for adventure and independence of Potri; I was most of the time consumed by my studies in schools in Iligan City and later in the University of the Philippines, Quezon City. But I have noticed the strength of character of my sisters in the face of adversities. Come hell or high water, they face challenges in life unbowed. They always come out unscathed — a trait our stern disciplinarian mother left to them.
When her husband was posted in Saudi Arabia as a Revenue Attachè, we visited them. In fact, during hajj pilgrimages that we performed, she was always there catering to our needs. But the next thing we learned, she went to the “land of milk and honey,” the United States of America.
For whatever reason she had in migrating to the US, it remains a mystery. But she has her reason, and there are personal matters better left to a person to keep. We thought she went there for a tour, only to find out later that she would work there and be away from us for more than two decades. We rarely communicate, but with the invention of the Internet and advances in communication technologies, which have created apps like Viber, Messenger, etc., our communication has become frequent, bringing family members closer.
Now, she came home last week to our delight. We had elaborate preparations for her coming, including a family reunion, visiting our parents’ grave, and the areas most hit during the 2017 Marawi siege. We haven’t asked her whether she will stay or return to the USA now that she is a green card holder.
When I was in government wielding a little influence, I promised her a good job in the country commensurate with her qualifications, but she declined. I wrote this piece because it is uncommon for Maranaw women to work outside the country. She could be trailblazing in a territory not taken by Maranaw women. In the bygone days, our women mainly stayed in the confines of their homes and tended to their husbands and children.
Potri could not be after wages because she has real properties and a modest income.
Ours is a close-knit family with nary a misunderstanding. We really wanted her to stay for good now that most of us are septuagenarian. But how can I convince her when all she learned from tri- and social media are problems like inflation resulting in higher cost of living, lack of job opportunities, bickering among political leaders, social unrest, crimes, calamities, and a myriad of problems? These tons of socio-economic and political woes are, indeed, turn-offs to would-be settlers in our country.
We really wish she could stay for good.
amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com