A RANDOM thought came into my head this morning. What if our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal had children?
I know he had a premature-born son with Josephine Bracken and he had descendants through his siblings. What if his son had survived? What if there were people alive today who were direct descendants of the hero?
Rizal was a Filipino like no other. His brains and values made him a role model, even being dubbed “The First Filipino”. I wonder how his great-great-great grandchildren would take it living under his shadow? What would they think of his sacrifice seeing the state of the country now? What would their careers be?
Maybe some would be celebrities appearing on prime time television then having numerous rumors and scandals.
Maybe some would be academics; a snarky professor who never fails to give his or her two-cents worth for every issue the country faces.
Some might have followed in his footsteps and become writers or doctors. They would always have the shadow of constant criticism hovering over them though. People would compare their work to that of Rizal saying “it’s not good enough”.
Some would enter politics either as a political dynasty or principled officials deemed as “eccentric”.
Some would engage in business using their family to propel them to the top and hold partnerships.
Some would choose to leave the country either to shy away from the limelight or hide their disgust at the mess the country has become.
Finally, among them there would be those who are quiet. Those who choose to live a simple life with “boring” jobs. Those you would never guess to be his descendants unless you dig into their family tree.
I wonder about this sometimes. Why did fate see it fit that Rizal has no children? Maybe he already has a few with his previous lovers, their identities hidden.
One thing is for sure though. Being a Rizal would really impact their lives. Whether it would make them proud, entitled or insecure./PN
