FIRST ROMANCE OF RIZAL

After Rizal’s graduation from Ateneo, who was then sixteen years old,
experienced his first romance. The girl’s name was Segunda Katigbak, who
was a pretty fourteen-year old Batanguena from Lipa.

One Sunday, Rizal visited his maternal grandmother who lived in Trozo,
Manila. Accompanied by his friend, Mariano Katigbak, he reached his
grandmother’s house and saw other guests. One of them was an attractive
girl, who caused his heart to palpitate with ecstasy. That girl was his friend’s
sister, whose name is Segunda. He was urged by his grandmother's guests
to draw Segunda’s portrait.

Jessica (Segunda): <Jessica is sitting while Jose Rizal draws her.>

Nelson (Rizal): “Subalit siya’y maliit, mga mata niyang magaling

magpahayag ng salita at masigasig kung minsan at matamlay sa iba,
mapulang pisngi, na may nakakahalina at mapanuksong ngiti, ang buo
niyang pagkatao ay nagpakalat ng isang mahiwagang alindog.”

Nelson (Rizal): “Maya't maya, tumitingin siya sa akin, at ako’y namumula.”

It was apparent that Rizal and Segunda loved each other. Theirs was
indeed “a love at first sight.” However, it was hopeless since the very
beginning, Segunda was already promised to be married to Manuel Luz,
who was her townmate.

[Their last conversation before Rizal decided to go home in Calamba]

Jessica (Segunda): “Ako ay uuwi rin sa makalawa.”

Nelson (Rizal): “Kung ganoon, paalam. Magkita na lang tayo kapag ikaw
ay napadaan sa Calamba sa iyong byahe patungo sa Lipa.”

Nelson (Rizal): “Natapos, sa isang maagang panahon, ang aking unang

pag-ibig! Ang aking birhen na puso ay laging magluluksa sa walang ingat
na hakbang na ginawa nito sa kalaliman na nababalot ng bulaklak. Ang
aking mga ilusyon ay babalik, oo, ngunit walang malasakit, walang
katiyakan, handa para sa unang pagtataksil sa landas ng pag-ibig.”
RIZAL’S ROMANCE WITH OTHER GIRLS

After losing Segunda Katigbak, he paid court to a young woman called

“Miss L”. But after visiting her house several times, he suddenly stopped
his wooing.

Nelson (Rizal): “The sweet memory of Segunda was still fresh in my heart.
But then, my father did not like Miss L’s family.”

Several months later, during his sophomore year at the University of Santo
Tomas, he boarded in the house of Doña Concha Leyva in Intramuros.
Doña Concha had a next-door neighbors with a charming daughter named
Leonor Valenzuela. Rizal courted Leonor, who was a tall girl with a regal
bearing. He sent her love notes written in invisible ink that left no traces on
the paper. So he taught Orang the secret of reading the note written in the
invisible ink.

[Convo with Jencell (Leonor “Orang” Valenzuela)]

Nelson (Rizal): “Ang mga sulat na ito ay mababasa mo lamang kapag ito
ay iyong pinainit sa isang kandila o lampara. Sa pamamagitan noon,
lalabas ang mga nakasulat dito.”

But, as with Segunda, he stopped short of proposing marriage to Orang.

Rizal’s next romance was with another Leonor— Leonor Rivera, who was
his cousin from Camiling, Tarlac. Between Jose and Leonor sprang a
beautiful romance. They were engaged. In her letters to Rizal, Leonor
signed her name as “Taimis”, in order to camouflage their intimate
relationship from their parents and friends.

RIZAL’S ROMANCE WITH CONSUELO ORTIGA Y PEREZ

Rizal was not a handsome man. He was neither dashing nor imposing, for
he was a shy small man. Despite his physique, he still possessed an aura
of charisma due to his splendored talents and noble character. No wonder
the pretty daughter of Don Pablo, Consuelo, fell in love with him. Being a
lonely young man in a foreign country, Rizal was attracted by Consuelo’s
beauty and vivacity. He even composed a lovely poem dedicated to her, for
he found a solace and joy in her company.
However, before his romance with Consuelo could blossom into a serious
affair, he suddenly backed out.

Nelson (Rizal): “I am still engaged to Leonor. My friend and co-worker in

the Propaganda Movement, Eduardo de Lete, was madly in love with
Consuelo and I had no wish to break our friendship just because of a pretty
girl.”

RIZAL’S ROMANCE WITH O-SEI-SAN

One spring afternoon, a few days after he had moved to the Spanish
Legation in the Azabu district of Tokyo, Rizal saw a pretty Japanese girl
walking past the legation gate. Being a man with an eye for feminine
beauty, he was attracted by her regal loveliness and charm.

The following afternoon, Rizal and the Japanese gardener waited at the
legation gate and watched for the girl. As she approached, he took off his
hat and politely introduced himself, as was the custom in Germany. At that
time, Rizal’s Japanese was still very poor.

Nelson (Rizal): “Good afternoon. I am Jose Rizal, a physician from Manila

and a guest of the Spanish Legation.” (Kon’nichiwa. Watashi wa Hose
risāru, Manira shusshin no ishi de Supein kōshikan no hinkyakudesu.)

Seiko-san was mildly amused at the gallant gentleman from the Philippines
who spoke in halting Japanese. She replied in English, for she knew that
language and also French. The two then conversed in both English and
French — the language barrier was thus eliminated.

Stiffie (Seiko-san): “I am Usui Seiko.”

Rizal saw in lovely O-Sei-San the qualities of his ideal womanhood —

beauty, charm, modesty, and intelligence. No wonder, he fell deeply in love
with her. O-Sei-San reciprocated his affection, for it was the first time her
heart palpitated with joys to see a man of gallantry, dignity, courtesy, and
versatile talents.

Both found happiness in each other's company. Rizal was then a lonely
physician of 27 years old, disillusioned by his frustrated romance with
Leonor Rivera and embittered by Spanish injustices at home. O-Sei-San
was a lonely samurai's daughter of 23 years old and had never yet
experienced the ecstasy of true love. Affinity of interest in the arts paved
the way for their romance.
ROMANCE WIH GERTRUDE BECKETT

*Noreen as Gertrude Beckett

Rizal had a romantic interlude with the oldest of the three Beckett sisters —
Gertrude, Gettie, as she was affectionately called, was a buxom English girl
with brown hair, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks.

Rizal, being a man of normal emotions, found exhilarating joy in Gertrude's

company. Their friendship drifted towards romance. Rizal affectionately
called her "Gettie," in reciprocation, she fondly called him "Pettie." As their
flirtation was fast approaching the point of no return, Rizal suddenly
realized that he could not marry Gettie for he had a mission to fulfill in life.

On March 19, 1889, Rizal bade goodbye to the kind Beckett family,
particularly Gertrude, and left London.

Nelson (Rizal): “Adios, Gertrude! I am sorry, for I could not marry you.”

ROMANCE WITH PETITE JACOBY

*Noreen as Petite

Rizal was so charming and dignified a gentleman that Petite Susanne was
attracted to him. He was lonely in a strange country and Leonor Rivera was
so far away. Naturally, being a normal young man, he found certain bliss in
the company of a pretty Belgian girl. He might have flirted with Petite
Susanne, but he could not stoop low to a deceptive amorous relationship.

Like other women — Segunda Katigbak, Orang Valenzuela, Leonor Rivera,

O-Sei-San, Gettie Beckett, Consuelo Ortiga y Perez— Suzanne fell in love
with Rizal.
She cried when he left toward the end of July, 1890 for Madrid, stopping for
a few days in Paris.
ROMANCE WITH NELLIE BOUSTEAD

On an emotional rebounce, Rizal having lost his beloved Leonor, came to

entertain considerable affection for Nellie, the prettier and younger
daughter of his host. He found her to be a real Filipina, highly intelligent,
vivacious in temperament, and morally upright.

With the encouragement of his close friends, Rizal courted Nelly who, in
turn, reciprocated his affection. Unfortunately, their romance beneath the
lovely Biarritz moon did not have a happy fairy tale finale. Rizal's marriage
proposal failed. Nelly Boustead, being a good Protestant, wanted Rizal to
espouse Protestantism before their marriage. Rizal, being a man of firm
conviction, refused.

Stiffie (Nelly): “Jose, I want you to be a Protestant before our marriage

would happen.”

Nelson (Rizal): “I refused to give up my Catholic faith and be converted to

Protestantism, as you demanded. And besides, your mother did not like me
as her son-in-law.”

Although they could not get married, Rizal and Nellie parted as good
friends. When she learned that Rizal was leaving Europe, she sent him a
farewell letter.

Stiffie (Nellie): "Now that you are leaving, I wish you a happy trip and may
you triumph in your undertakings, and above all, may the Lord look down
on you with favor and guide your way giving you much blessings, and may
you learn to enjoy! My remembrance will accompany you as also my
prayers.”

RIZAL AND JOSEPHINE BRACKEN

In the silent hours of the night after the day's hard work, Rizal was often
sad. He missed his family and relatives, his good friends in foreign lands,
the exhilarating life in the cities of Europe, and his happy days in Calamba.
The death of Leonora Rivera on August 28, 1893 left a poignant void in his
heart. He needed somebody to cheer him up in his lonely exile.
In God's own time, this "somebody" came to Dapitan, like a sunbeam to
dispel his melancholy mood. She was Josephine Bracken, an Irish girl of
sweet eighteen, "slender, a chestnut blond, with blue eyes, dressed with
elegant simplicity, with an atmosphere of light gayety".

*Jencell as (Josephine Bracken)

Rizal and Josephine fell in love with each other at first sight. After a
whirlwind romance of one month, they agreed to marry. But since no priest
would marry them, Rizal and Josephine held hands together and married
themselves before the eyes of God. They lived as man and wife.

In the early part of 1896, Rizal was extremely happy because Josephine
was expecting a baby. Unfortunately, he played a prank on her, frightening
her so that she prematurely gave birth to an eight-month baby boy, who
lived only for three hours. This lost son of Rizal was named “Francisco” in
honor of Don Francisco, the hero’s father, and was buried in Dapitan.