I think Rizal knew exactly where to insert his brilliantly conceived support characters. Without the hilarious Doña Victorina and her long-suffering opportunistic spouse, these chapters would weigh heavily, with Ibarra still shunned, Maria Clara unwell and on the verge of unraveling some dark secret, and Elias embarking on the difficult mission of averting a catastrophe.
Chapter 41: Two Visits
Elias visits Ibarra the day after the commotion at the plaza. He informs him that Maria Clara is ill.
Downstairs, Lucas, the brother of the man killed at the school site awaits Ibarra and asks him for compensation for his brother’s death. Disgusted, Ibarra tells him to return later.
Chapter 42: The Espadañas
Doctor Don Tiburcio de Espadaña and Doctora Doña Victorina de los Reyes de De Espadaña[1] come to check the ailing Maria Clara. With them is Don Alfonso Linares de Espedaña, their cousin, and the godson of a relative of Padre Damaso. Later, Padre Salvi and a melancholy Padre Damaso also drop by to see Maria Clara.
While there, we are regaled with the history of the Espadañas. Doña Victorina, now 42, is an ageing shell of her former beauty. She had wasted her youth waiting in vain for a Spanish suitor. Don Tiburcio was a dismissed customs petty official with an injured leg, who, out of necessity, roamed the provinces pretending to be a doctor. The two settled on each other because neither one of them had other prospects.
Having married a Spaniard, Doña Victorina began putting on airs, wearing European clothes and frizzes. She was the richer of the two, and retained the upper hand in their relationship, forcing Don Tiburcio to attach an extra ‘de’ to their surname for added distinction, and bullying him into fully passing himself off as a doctor.
Chapter 43: Plans
In a rare show of tenderness, Padre Damaso weeps despairingly over the sick Maria Clara. He momentarily forgets his sadness when he is introduced to Linares, his brother-in-law’s godson. Linares presents a letter from his father, who requests Damaso to find employment and a wife for Linares.
Nearby, Padre Salvi is accosted by Lucas who narrates how he had been brushed off by Ibarra and given just 500 pesos. Padre Salvi drives him away in disgust.
Chapter 44: An Examination of Conscience
Maria Clara suffers a relapse after confessing, but her fever eventually abates some days later. Doña Victorina credits this to her husband’s medical skills, but Padre Salvi believes it was the confession that saved Maria’s life.
Padre Salvi tells Capitan Tiago that Maria Clara must take communion the next day to complete her recovery. He instructs Aunt Isabel to prepare Maria for another confession.
Chapter 45: The Hunted
Elias finds his way into a cave in the forest to meet Pablo, a man who had previously sheltered Elias in his time of need. Pablo is holed up with a number of armed men and vows to soon descend upon the lowlands to exact his revenge for the injustices done to his family. His daughter had been dishonored by a priest. His sons, falsely accused of crimes, had died after having been persecuted.
Elias, fearing reprisals against innocent people for Pablo’s actions, convinces him to delay his plans. He asks to be given the chance to appeal to Ibarra who he hopes will speak to the Captain-General and to others in power on behalf of the downtrodden and abused. He promises to join Pablo’s cause if he fails. Pablo consents.
Note:
1. This is not a typo. She really did add an extra ‘de’, giving her name a double ‘de’.
Recent Comments