VISITED BY LOVED ONES

Rizal was in Dapitan when he learned that his true love Leonor Rivera had died. What somewhat
consoled his desolate heart was the visits of his mother and some sisters.

In August 1893, Dona Teodora, along with daughter Trinidad, joined Rizal in Dapitan and resided with
him in his casa cuadrada. The son successfully operated on his mother’s cataract.

At distinct times, Jose’s sisters Maria and Narcisa also visited him. Three of Jose’s nephews likewise went
to Dapitan and had their early education under their uncle: Mauricio (Moris) (Maria’s son), Teodosio
(Osio) and Estanislao (Tan) (Lucia’s sons). Jose’s niece Angelica (Narcisa’s daughter) also experienced
living for some time with her exiled uncle in Mindanao (Dapitan).

In 1895, Dona Teodora left Dapitan for Manila to be with Don Francisco who was getting weaker. Shortly
after his mother left, Josephine Bracken came to Jose’s life. Josephine was an orphan with Irish blood
and the stepdaughter of Jose’s patient from Hong Kong. Rizal and Bracken were unable to obtain a
church wedding. He nonetheless took Josephine as his common-law wife who kept him company and
kept house for him. Before the year ended in 1895, the couple had a child who was born premature. The
son who was named after Rizal’s father (Francisco) died a few hours after birth.

GOODBYE DAPITAN

In 1895, Blumentritt informed Rizal that the revolution-ridden Cuba, another nation colonized by Spain,
was raged by a yellow-fever epidemic. Because there was a shortage of physicians to attend to war
victims and disease-stricken people, Rizal in December 1895 wrote to the then Governor-General Ramon
Blanco volunteering to provide medical services in Cuba. Receiving no reply from Blanco, Rizal lost
interest in his request.

But on July 30, 1896, Rizal received a letter from the Governor-General sanctioning his petition to serve
as volunteer physician in Cuba. Rizal made immediate preparations to leave, selling and giving as
souvenirs to friends and students his various properties.