Loves of Rizal

WHEN Filipinos recall historical love affairs on Valentine's Day, the first person that comes to mind is Jose Rizal and any one of his 13 women. But then most of the women in Rizal's life are quite obscure, with the notable exception of Leonor Rivera and, of course, Josephine Bracken.

Leonor is traditionally believed to have been the model for Maria Clara in "Noli Me Tangere," and she remains in the consciousness of students forced to read the novel. Josephine or Josefina is immortalized in the closing lines of "Ultimo Adios" when Rizal sighs, "Adios dulce extrangera, mi amiga mi alegria." Bracken is the "sweet foreigner" that remains in the minds of students forced to memorize and interpret Rizal's valedictory poem. Josefina may have been Rizal's sweetheart and delight, but we know very little about her.

It seems that Rizal was serious enough to propose marriage to three of the 13 women in his short life: Leonor Rivera, Josephine Bracken and Nellie Boustead. It was the last, in my opinion, who was the prettiest of them all.

Boustead was a Filipina of mixed "mestiza" and English blood. They met around 1889 in France. Quite well off, her family maintained homes in Paris and the resort town of Biarritz. Biographers say that Nellie required that Rizal convert and become a Protestant before she entertained his marriage proposal. This was impossible; Rizal would have risked being disowned by his mother.
Perhaps another reason for the failed relationship was Nellie's mother's disapproval of Rizal. Was it because of religion or because he would not have been able to give Nellie the life and comforts she had grown up with?

A handful of rather incoherent letters from Nellie appeared in English translation in the Philippines Herald in 1929. The originals are not extant and cannot be verified. All we have, for example, is a letter to Rizal dated May 11, 1891, that states:

"I have to give you an advice that I believe will be well for you to follow at least for the moment.
"It would have been preferable now that you have written to my parents in your second to the last letter, to stop asking for my hand for the time being, if you had not talked to them in the last one for altho my father understands what it is, my mother, if she understands it, the least... does not like to understand it anymore. She exposed to me the difficulties that might present themselves, that you are not so settled as to permit yourself to maintain a family, etc. etc. I answered her, 'Rizal can do what he desires; he has told me that his intention is never to marry me before he has what he lacks in order to maintain a home; and on the other hand I have shown him that I could not give him a categorical answer before he will have accepted the condition that I (have asked of him). Jose is free to do or not to do it, (and) consequently I for my part-am free to give or not to give my categorical answer to his sentiments towards me, that I like to believe are sincere.'

"Lastly, it is too long to relate to you what I said. But one of the things that she said to me (was) 'that I should not fall into the illusion of believing myself much beloved, as she does not doubt that I do not possess anything attractive.' I said that I hardly look at myself, but as to falling into illusions I believe it unlikely, because I have never... that I possessed nothing extraordinary and if I am beloved by someone, it is he that is responsible for his madness.

"I should like to beg you not to write me anymore and I... to renew it to you, even thus if you write to Miss Johnson do not talk of me anymore because I see that she is not better than other persons, and that she, like others, would like nothing more than her own (in)terest, she may yet compromise me!! What I can say is that it is difficult to watch over a house in which many women like to wag their tongues and to usurp the place of one who should be, next to the owner of the house, the only person that gives orders; in this there is no way of being in the confidence of the others..."

Who is the meddlesome Miss Johnson? We do not know.

Josephine, on the other hand, despite all the romantic ideas we maintain, had difficulty with Rizal's family. On Aug. 13, 1896, while Rizal was imprisoned on a Spanish military ship on Manila Bay, Josephine sent a letter explaining that she would try and get his clothes to him as well as the mangoes, cheese [kesong puti?], tyrines and lansones that he requested. After talking about pants, cuffs and collars she exclaims:

"Ah! My dear, I am suffering a great deal with them in Trozo. It is quite true they ought to be ashamed of me as they say in my face and in the presenance (sic) of Sra. Narcisa and their children because I am not married to you. So if you are surprized (sic), if you like me to send all your things on board of the man of war I can do so.

"If you go to Spain you see any one of your fancy you better marry her, but deare (sic) heare (sic) me, better marry than to live like who [what?] we have been doing. I am not ashamed to let people know my life with you but as your dear sisters are ashamed I think you had better get married to someone else..."

Love may not always be sweet and romantic, but it is the struggle to maintain it that makes it precious.

Comments are welcome at aocampo@ateneo.edu