01-060 [Family]
1882.12.30 Madrid
From: José Rizal
To: María Rizal
Enjoins his sister María to save his letters to his parents and brothers — And look up their former servants and help them — Hopes to treat the eyes of his mother upon his return — Rizal saw the comet seen by his father — Clarifies his location for his nephew.
* * *
Madrid, 30 December 1882
MISS MARÍA RIZAL
MY DEAR SISTER,
I received your short but meaty letter, full of pleasant and funny news. I don’t expect Father and Mother to write me anymore, especially Mother whose eye-sight is poor. I’m thinking of treating her eyes when I get home. I’m only sorry that I’ve not kept a letter of Father that I can read now and then. I should like you to keep all my letters in Spanish beginning, Mis queridos padres y hermanos, because in them I relate all that have happened to me. When I get home, I shall collect them and clarify them.
Find out the situation of … (illegible) and the requests of the pitiful ones who took care of us. With your kind heart I’m hoping they will not be abandoned.
Tell Father I saw the comet with the long tail one night where Sanciangco, Paterno, and I were returning from the house of Don Pablo. The tail was long and it was visible from one to six o’clock in the morning.
It is good that Andeng is staying with us; after all she is an old acquaintance. It seems to me that Tibusi was there when I left. Sidra…
I thought you were already very tired of angling and bating in the river, fishing day and night. If I were there, then we would still go fishing. Has our river become deeper than it was formerly? When I get home, I’ll indulge in bathing to satiety. You wouldn’t believe it that since the middle of August I haven’t taken a bath and I haven’t perspired either. That is so here. It is very cold and a bath is expensive. One pays thirty-five cent for one.
Give my many, many regards to Milo, if he is no longer cross-eyed. Also to Icang, Delfina, and Tofio. I’m neither in Culambo[1] nor Pañanor Barcelona; I’m at Madrid. My companion in the house is Vicente Gonzalez; we are only two. Every day he loses a tooth and he always has a toothache. Our house is like this:
(sketch)
We have four big mirrors. Give my regards to Sra. Ipia, and Baldo. Also to Loleng, Sulá, Marcosa, and Victoria. Tell them not to forget me.
Your brother,
RIZAL
[1] Corruption of Colombo and España.