AN ALTERNATIVE ENDING TO EL FILIBUSTERISMO
Written by
Dr. Jose Rizal
Alternative Ending
Written by: Andrea Cumahig
The Weight of a Revolution
When the winds of the sea filled Simoun’s home with salty air and the condemnation of Father Florentino, he arrived at Father Florentino’s home, which was a quiet place on the beach. Father Florentino held Simoun with a serene acceptance and sorrow, as if he anticipated his arrival long before it happened. Simoun tried to speak but was unable to find the right words due to the tremors in his voice and so he did not have the same confidence he had only a moment ago. He looked at Father Florentino and said, “Father, I tried to bring freedom to my fellow men with fire. Instead, I have brought only destruction.” After this, his voice slowly faded as he became a broken mas who was notw burdened by his actions.
Gently, Fther Florentino steadied him. “My son,” Fther Florentino said, “there can be no freedom from hatred; nor can there be any hope where vengeance walks and casts its shadow over the life and mind of man.” Simoun looked away from Father Florentino and was pained by his words. “What was I supposed to do then?”Simoun asked. “Was I supposed to beg for mercy? Accept the shackles?” Father Florentino shooked his head. “No. All you had to do was provide someone else the opportunity to be guided and not destroy everything because of your feelings.” “ Courage is found within the ability to wait, while wisdom is being able to know what you should and shouldn’t do,” Simoun thought, lowering his gaze and remembering how much revenge had removed him from the journey of true change.
Confession at the Edge of Death
The more the minutes passed on that night, the shallower Simoun’s breath became. And yet, with each moment that passed, so grew his desperation to unberden his soul, “Father Florentino,” he rasped, “I have, indeed, become everything they have told me. I have lost all that I loved Maria Clara, my own identity, my very raison d’être. Now, all I have is rage!” Tears streamed down his cheeks. “I’ am asking the question, What are the ways for an unconscious society to awaken if they are not disturbed by revolution?” His plea pierced through the darkness as if breaking into an open sore.
With a gentle hand on Simoun’s arm, Fatheer Florentino replied to him, “There is much more to a revolution than simply bulletfire. A revolution begins with the wisdom of man’s intellect; the courage of men’, and the unity of the people fighting fro their justice instead of their destruction.” With a painful laguh, Simoun replied, “You cannot allow ‘failure’ to be the defining word. It is how this country is going to use the knowledge obtained from your sorrow.” Simoun closed his eyes to absorb the truth of what he had been denying all these years.
A New Dawn in the Distance
Basilio arrived at the beach early in the morning. When he got there, he was both disturbed and determined. Whe he saw Simoun lying weak and feeble next to Father Florentino, he gasped in horror “Crisostom Ibarra… Simoun…” he muttered, torn between anger and sadness. “I have walked you way in the belief that it would deliver us, but now that road has been destroyed.” Simoun tilted his head slightly and looked at Basilio. “Basilio… you are worth far more that the fire I gave you. Please forgive me.” Sadness and rage played across the young man’s face, as anger clenched his jaw.
Basilio dropped to one knee next to him. “Forgiveness is probably not immediate, but I understand now that anger can also overtake you,” said Basilio softly. Father Florentino looked down at both of them with a serious, tranquil expression. “The young must raise themselve above the pain of their past,” he told Basailiio. “ You are an example of how hope can come to us, quietly and through healing rather than violence.” Basilio lowered his head and thought about the burden of travailing past that awful tomorrow.
Simoun was aware of his impending death, however, the calmness in his eyes expressed that he had rid himself of an overwhelming weight. The gentle wind of the ocean on the shores was soothing; it created a
peaceful atmosphere. Simoun said softly, “Father, Basilio, if this nation will arise from sleep, then let it be done by way of independent thought instead of fear.” Father Florentino confirmed Simoun’s sentiment, “You are not without merit in your repentance; your suffering can serve as motivation for a higher purpose.”
With shaking hands, the priest raised Simoun’s beloved chest of precious stone, intended for a revolution against chaos. As the priest held the chest aloft he spoke, “These stone gems hold the lifeblood of those who have been murdered and the sacrifice made by so many towards their dreams that were lost.” Basilio asked, “ So, what will you do with them, Father?” Father Florentino gazed turned seaward, “ I will return them where they belong; to the sea, the ocean shall wash away the scar they carry.” Simoun forced a weak smile, “Maybe… it would be better that way.”
IV
A Final Breath, A Final Lesson
Simoun looked to Basilio. “Keep living, Basilio… On your own, not with the remaining residue from my failures; instead use all your efforts to be a bright light that I could not be for the world,” Simoun said. The tears started to flow out of Basilio’s eyes. “What can I do?” Basilio asked. “Study,” Simoun whispered, “defend the truth.” His voice dimmed into an almost unheard whisper. “Please tell her,… tell Maria Clara… that I have never stopped loving her.” In that moment of sorrowful enlightenment, for Crisostomo Ibarra was finally at peace.
Simoun is now dead. Basilio kneels in front of Simoun, the man who has been his friend and mentor, and offers a prayer of thanks on his own behalf. Father Florentino crosses himself and bestows the blessing of God’s mercy upon him; at the same time, he say, “Although you have done wrong and have thus become one with the darkness around you, God knows what you were fighting against in your heart.” After father florentino has prayed for Simoun’s soul, he also reminds Basilio that he must keep in mind what Simoun meant to him and make a vow of loyalty to the memory of Simoun. “I will not just remember you but will act to put this world right again, not through fire but with my own two hands.”
New Paths, Unwritten Futures
BAsilio picked up his studies a few weeks later filled with both grief and a new sense of reason. Many of his classmates had noticed a change in him from the quiet and defeated young man that they had previously known; they now saw that he had become more experienced due to hardship, but at the same time developed an empathy towards others. Basilio participated in conversations concerning reforms and provided his classmates with many ideas and inspired them all to challenge themselves and others by asking questions and thinking of new ways of looking at things. “The darkness has been removed,” he said. “What we have to do now is to create the dawn.”
That afternoon, he came across Isagani sitting on the riverbank, looking at the water with a feeling of shame. Basilio walked up quietly, “Isagani, you made a decision. You made a choice that saved people’s lives.” The young man looked back at Basilio, disagreeing, “But the price I had to pay for it.” Basilio put a hand on his shoulder, “We all have something we bring with us throughout our lives; it’s how we choose to continue.” After a long pause, Isagani finally said, “Let’s move forward together.” For the first time since Simoun’s death, the two young guys walked side by side, feeling lighter in spirit.
A Country Yet to Rise
Over time, whispers of new beginnings drifted through the Philippine Islands. Students secretly gathered to share their thoughts about changes needed in their society. Authors wrote articles challenging society’s leadership. Inspired youngones to about a potential society where they had more freedom. Basilio, an honored doctor and a promoter of education, often recalled what Simoun had said before he died, “A nation is formed through its brave citizens who use knowledge wisely instead of through wars.”
A young man lost in life found solace in the peaceful nights sepnt on the peaceful waters of the ocean. The ocean was a place where he had always mention to himself as “the fire-believer.” On this particular night, with the waves sparkling like stars against the surroundings of the full moon, he thought of a man who had become his mentor and friends, whose belief in fire would help to motivate the nation to achieve freedom and independence.
Legacy of Ligh
Although Basilio had walked through every classroom, visited every town, and talked with each eager mind for years, many of the lessons he had learned during those early years still resonated within him today. However, he did not speak of vengeance, but instead shared his experiences with the courage, knowledge, and compassion. He often told his students, “Remember that freedom does not come to you through fire and through fear, but rather through truth, through learning, and through making decisions.”
While he looked at the mural, it reminded of Crisostomo Ibarra, Maria Clara, and all who sacrificed everything for their nation. He began to understand that to awaken the nation would no be an easy thing to do, nor would there be lack of conflict on this journey. Instead, through every open-minded person who is enlightened and through every compassionate act, the nation can be reconstructed into something even more fulfilling, intelligent, and liberated than it was before. With an undeniable faith in his belief that the future was no longer dictated by the past rudiments but through the determination of those who seek to build a better future, Basilio stood in assurance that he possessed the fortitude to overcome any challenges that lay ahead.