Kalamba
Calamba, 26 September 1887
Dear Friend,
I am sending you a little box, the same one you sent me to Vienna; it then contained my pin. Now it contains 6 cigarettes, sampaguitas and cinnamon and kamuning flowers as well as a Tagalog lighter.[1] Its mechanism is based on the principle of compressed air.
The tinder is placed at the extreme of the stick “a”. This tinder is held in “d”. Afterwards the stick is inserted in the hole “c”; it is pushed in vigorously and withdrawn immediately, and now you have the fire. In order that it may slip in more smoothly the stick is greased (e). The lighter is called sulpakan, from the root sulpak, meaning to insert a stick through a hole.
I received your letter with the picture of the good Dr. Czepelack. It gave me much joy. Please give him some cigarettes. I cannot send you many because the Austrian customs is very strict. Thanks for the photograph.
I cannot write you much because we have just suffered a great misfortune. One of my sisters, perhaps the best and the most unaffected, mother of two boys, has just died.[2] She had a difficult childbirth and she lost so much blood that she died in less than thirteen hours. For this reason, I cannot leave my family this year. The poor little orphans do not realize their misfortune and they are always waiting to see their mother again. They say: “Tomorrow Mamma is coming back; God will cure her.” Yesterday we visited the grave. The boys called their mother telling her: “Let’s go home now; come as soon as you are well!” I believe that if there exists a soul that hears and thinks, the mother ought to have heard also the innocent voice of her sons. I console myself saying that it was the will of God and what He does must be the best.
Now we have pasiam.[3] My sister Olimpia died last Thursday.
The older and the more used the lighter is the better it will kindle and the stick “a” will slide better.
Please greet on my behalf my good friends Czepelack and Klutschack. I will try to write them by the next mail.
Greetings to the family.
I embrace you.
Faithfully yours,
Rizal
02-0269 [Blumentritt V.1]
[1] There is an accompanying sketch in the original letter.
[2] Olimpia Rizal, wife of Silvestre Ubaldo.
[3] Nine days of prayer for the soul of a deceased person. Relatives and friends join the family in these prayer. Afterwards, a refreshment is served them.