RIZAL'S

ROMANCES
CORPUZ | ONDIVILLA | QUIJANA
 SEGUNDA
KATIGBAK:
RIZAL'S FIRST
LOVE
"She was rather short, with eyes that were
eloquent and ardent at times and languid at
others, rosy-cheeked, with an enchanting and
provocative smile that revealed very
beautiful teeth, and the air of a sylph; her
entire self diffused a mysterious charm."
 
Jose Rizal
 RIZAL'S FIRST LOVE
Jose Rizal was only a young boy of sixteen (16) when
he first fell in love, and it was with Segunda Katigbak, a
girl from Lipa, Batangas and two years his junior. 
 STOLEN GLANCES
Rizal went to Trozo, Manila one day to visit his grandmother.  His
friend, Mariano Katigbak, accompanied him.  Mariano's family were close
with Rizal's grandmother, and upon arrival at Lipa, Mariano's sister
Segunda was there at the old woman's house along with other guests.
Rizal was drawn to hear instantly.  
 STOLEN GLANCES
Some of the other guests knew that Rizal was a skilled painter
and asked him to draw a portrait of Segunda.  He obliged, and
reluctantly worked on a pencil sketch of the girl. "From time
to time, she looked at me, and I blushed."
 A BLOSSOMING
LOVE
Rizal's sister Olympia was a close friend of Segunda and a
student at La Concordia College, and Rizal went to visit her
every week, during which he came to know Segunda more
intimately.  Their affection for each other grew deeper with
every meeting, one that began with "love at first sight." 
 HOPELESS FROM
THE BEGINNING
Unfortunately, Segunda was already engaged to be married to her
townmate, Manuel Luz, and although Rizal had gotten hints of the lady's
affection for him, he timidly decided to back away and did not propose. 
Years later Segunda returned to Lipa and wed her betrothed, leaving a
frustrated Rizal to the mercy of his nostalgic memories.
 "Ended, at an early hour, my first love! My virgin heart
will always mourn the reckless step it took on the flower-
decked abyss.  My illusions will return, yes, but
indifferent, uncertain, ready for the first betrayal on the
path of love.“
Jose Rizal
LEONOR VALENZUELA:
PRIVATE LETTERS 
 When Rizal was a sophomore at the University of Santo
Tomas and was boarding in the house of Dona Concha Leyva in
Intramuros he met Leonor "Orang" Valenzuela, his next-door
neighbor and daughter of Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday
Valenzuela. She was a tall girl who carried herself with grace
and elegance.
 EXCHANGING LOVE NOTES
Rizal was always welcome at the Valenzuela home.  He
eventually courted Leonor by sending her love notes, which he
wrote in invisible ink made from a mixture of water and table
salt.  He taught Leonor how to read his letters by heating them
over a lamp or a candle to allow the words to surface.
Unfortunately, as with his first love, Jose
failed to ask for the lady's hand in
marriage.
 LEONOR RIVERA:
THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT
 THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT
Leonor Rivera was a young lady from Camiling, and a cousin
of Jose Rizal.  Leonor's father had provided room and board
in Casa Tomasina, Intramuros for Rizal when the youth was still
starting his third year at the university. The young girl was then a
student at La Concordia College where Soledad, Rizal's little
sister was also studying.
 A SECRET RELATIONSHIP
Leonor was "tender as a budding flower with kindly, wistful
eyes."  She and Rizal eventually became engaged.  In her letters,
she signed her name as "Taimis" in order to hide their intimate
relationship from the girl's parents.
 A LADY'S INFIDELITY
In the autumn of 1890, however, Rizal received a letter from
Leonor telling him of her coming marriage to a man whom her
mother chose to be her mate -- an Englishman -- and begged for
his forgiveness.  This broke Rizal's heart deeply.
CONSUELO ORTIGA
Y PEREZ:
A SACRIFICE FOR
FRIENDSHIP
 A SACRIFICE FOR
FRIENDSHIP
In 1882, when Rizal was a student at the Universidad Central
de Madrid, he frequented the home of Don Pablo Ortiga y Rey,
the former city mayor of Manila.  He lived with his son Rafael
and his daughter Consuelo.
 TAKEN BY CHARM
Rizal, though he wasn't a handsome man, possessed a
great deal of charisma and was gifted with many talents
and a deeply noble character.  For this reason, it is of no
surprise that Consuelo, the prettier of Don Pablo's
daughters, was very taken with him. 
 AN ESCAPE FROM LONELINESS
Being lonely and somewhat isolated in a foreign country, Rizal
found comfort in Consuelo's vivacious company.  He wrote her a
poem entitled A La Senorita C.O. y P. (To Miss C.O.y P.),
in which he expressed his great admiration for the lady.
 BACKING OUT
Rizal's romance with Consuelo did not turn into a serious affair; he
decided to take a step back for two reasons:  first, he was still engaged to
Leonor Rivera at that time; and second, he was aware of his friend's
(Eduardo de Lete) affection for the girl and he did not want to ruin their
friendship over her.
 O-SEI-SAN:
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
 LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
When Rizal was in Tokyo a few days after he had moved to the Azabu
district in 1888, he spotted a pretty Japanese girl walking past the legion
gate.  He was captured by the lady's regal air and charisma and
endeavored to find ways to meet her.  The girl's name was Seiko Usui. 
She lived with her parents and often took afternoon walks by the legation. 
Rizal waited by the gate one afternoon and introduced himself.
 AN EXPLORATION OF BEAUTY
Rizal and O-Sei-San, as he fondly called her, met almost daily.  They
toured the beautiful city spots, enjoyed the scenery, and visited the
picturesque shrines.  Rizal was then a lonely young physician,
disillusioned by his frustrated romance with Leonor Rivera and burdened
by soured hopes for justice in his country.  O-Sei-San provided the
beautiful escape that he deeply needed, and he saw in her the qualities of
his ideal woman.  He was her first love.
 SAYONARA
Because of his deep affection for her, Rizal was almost tempted to
settle down in Japan.  Conveniently enough, he was also offered a good
position at the Spanish Legation during that time.  Rizal, however, had set
his sights on other matters.  He decided to leave Japan and forget his
romance, which pained him gravely as attested by an entire in his
diary. His 45-day sojourn in Japan was one of the happiest interludes in
his life.
 GERTRUDE
BECKETT:
A CHISELED
BEAUTY
 A CHISELED BEAUTY
In May 1888 Rizal visited London for a short time, boarding
the house of the Beckett family: Mr. & Mrs. Beckett, their two
sons, and their four daughters.  The eldest daughter was named
Gertrude.
 THE ARTIST'S RIGHT HAND
Gertrude was a buxom young lady with blue eyes and brown
hair.  She fell in love with Rizal and gave him all of her attention
during the family picnics and gatherings.  When Rizal stayed
indoors during rainy days painting and sculpting, she helped him
mix his colors and prepare his clay.
 THE ARTIST'S RIGHT HAND
Rizal enjoyed her company.  Eventually their flirtatious
friendship drifted towards a blossoming romance.  He
affectionately called her "Gettie," and in return she called
him "Pettie."
 LEAVING FOR A HIGHER
CAUSE
Rizal withdrew before his relationship with Gettie could become more
serious, realizing that he had a greater mission to fulfill and that in order
to accomplish it he could not yield to the option of marrying her.  He
suppressed the yearnings of his heart and decided to leave so that the lady
may forget him.  Before he did, however, he finished a number of
sculptural works, one of which was a carving of the heads of the Beckett
sisters.
 SUZANNE JACOBY:
A LOVE UNREQUITED
 A LOVE UNREQUITED
On January 28, 1890, Rizal left for Brussels, Belgium.  He stayed for a
considerable time, paying for room and board.  His landladies had a pretty
niece named Petite Suzanne Jacoby.  She was taken by Rizal's charm and
gallantry, and provided him good company.  Rizal could have flirted with
the lady, considering that his beloved Leonor was far away and he was a
lonely man in a strange and foreign land, but he realized he could not
deceive her.
 A BROKEN HEART
Suzanne fell in love with Rizal, and wept when he left for Madrid in July 1890. 
She wrote to him in French: 
"Where are you now? Do you think of me once in a while? I am
reminded of our tender conversations, reading your letter, although it is
cold and indifferent.  Here in your letter I have something which makes up
for your absence.  How pleased I would be to follow you, to travel with
you who are always in my thoughts.
 You wish me all kinds of luck, but forget that in the absence of a
beloved one a tender heart cannot feel happy.
A thousand things serve to distract your mind, my friend; but in my case, I am
sad, lonely, always alone with my thoughts -- nothing, absolutely nothing relieves my
sorrow.  Are you coming back?  That's what I want and desire most ardently -- you
cannot refuse me. 
I do not despair and I limit myself to murmuring against time which runs so fast
when it carries us toward a separation, but goes so slowly when it's bringing us
together again.
I feel very unhappy thinking that perhaps I might never see you again.
Goodbye! You know with one word you can make me very happy.  Aren't you going
to write to me?" 
 NELLIE BOUSTEAD:
A FAILED PROPOSAL
 A FAILED PROPOSAL
In 1891, Rizal took a vacation in Biarritz in order to find
reprieve from his troubles in Madrid.  He was a guest of the
Boustead family in their winter residence, Villa Eliada.  Mr. and
Mrs. Boustead had two beautiful daughters, Adelina and Nellie.
 AN EMOTIONAL
REBOUNCE
After having lamented his frustrated romance with Leonor
Rivera on account of the lady's engagement to another man,
Rizal came to develop considerable affection for Nellie, the
prettier and younger daughter of Mr. Eduardo Boustead.  He
found her to be intelligent, morally upright, and full of life. 
Rizal wrote to his closest friends about his intention to marry
her.
 CONSENT FROM THE
LADY'S PAST LOVE
Rizal's friends were delighted to hear that he had found a suitable girl
whom he at last wished to settle down with.  Even Antonio Luna, who had
previously loved Nellie, encouraged Rizal to court her and ask for her
hand in marriage.    With all the encouragement from the friends he held
dear, Rizal wooed Nellie (also called Nelly) who, in turn, returned his
affections. 
 CONSENT FROM THE
LADY'S PAST LOVE
Rizal's marriage proposal failed for two reasons:  first, Nellie
demanded that he give up his Catholic faith and convert to
Protestantism, which was her religion.  Rizal did not like this
idea.  Second,  Nelly's mother did not approve of Rizal, as she
had no desire to entrust her daughter to a man who was wanting
in wealth and  persecuted in his own country.   In spite of the
circumstances, Rizal and Nellie parted as good friends.
JOSEPHINE BRACKEN:
TRUE LOVE IN EXILE
 TRUE LOVE IN EXILE
Rizal's exile in Dapitan was one of the most lonesome and
sorrowful periods of his life.  He missed the company of his
friends and family, and the death of Leonor Rivera on August 28,
1893 left a gaping void in his heart.
 TRUE LOVE IN EXILE
Josephine Bracken arrived at the shores of Dapitan
accompanying her blind adoptive father, Mr. George
Taufer.  No ophthalmologist in Hong Kong, their home
country, could cure the man's blindness and so they
sought the services of the famous Dr. Jose Rizal.
 OVERCOMING
BARRIERS
Rizal and Josephine fell in love at first sight.  Their romantic interlude went on for
about a month, after which they decided to marry.   The priest of Dapitan, however,
refused to conduct the ceremony without consent from the Bishop of Cebu.  
When Mr. Taufer heard of his daughter's plan to marry he became so enraged at the
thought of losing Josephine that he attempted to kill himself with a razor to his throat. 
Rizal prevented this tragedy by holding the man's wrists back.  Josephine left with her
father on the first available steamer to Manila in order to avoid more trouble.  Since
Mr. Taufer's blindness was venereal in nature, it was incurable.
 EXCHANGING VOWS
Mr. Taufer went back to Hong Kong alone, and Josephine
stayed in Manila with Rizal's family.  At length, she returned to
Dapitan.  Since no priest would marry them, Rizal and Josephine
held hands, exchanged vows, and married themselves before
God.  
 THE LOSS OF A
CHILD
Rizal and Josephine lived together in Dapitan as husband and wife, and
in early 1896 they were expecting a baby.  Unfortunately, Josephine had to
go into premature labor after Rizal played a prank and frightened her.  A
little boy of eight months was born, who lived for only three hours.  Rizal
named him Francisco in honor of his father, and buried the child in
Dapitan.
 RIZAL'S
ROMANCES
CORPUZ | ONDIVILLA | QUIJANA