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to award any military pensions to former batants； Liberal or Conservative； until each case was examined by a special mission and the award approved by the congress。 “That’s an outrage；？thundered Colonel Aureliano Buendía。 “They’ll die of old age waiting for the mail to e。？For the first time he left the rocker that ？rsula had bought for his convalescence； and； walking about the bedroom； he dictated a strong message to the president of the republic。 In that telegram which was never made public； he denounced the first violation of the Treaty of Neerlandia and threatened to proclaim war to the death if the assignment of pensions was not resolved within two weeks。 His attitude was so just that it allowed him to hope even for the support of former Conservative batants。 But the only reply from the government was the reinforcement of the military guard that had been placed at the door of his house with the pretext of protecting him； and the prohibition of all types of visits； Similar methods were adopted all through the country with other leaders who bore watching。 It was an operation that was so timely； drastic； and effective that two months after the armistice； when Colonel Aureliano Buendía had recovered； his most dedicated conspirators were dead or exiled or had been assimilated forever into public administration。
Colonel Aureliano Buendía left his room in December and it was sufficient for him to look at the porch in order not to think about war again。 With a vitality that seemed impossible at her age； ？rsula had rejuvenated the house again。 “Now they’re going to see who I am；？she said when she saw that her son was going to live。 “There won’t be a better； more open house in all the world than this madhouse。？She had it washed and painted； changed the furniture； restored the garden and planted new flowers； and opened doors and windows so that the dazzling light of summer would penetrate even into the bedrooms。 She decreed an end to the numerous superimposed periods of mourning and she herself exchanged her rigorous old gowns for youthful clothing。 The music of the pianola again made the house merry。 When she heard it； Amaranta thought of Pietro Crespi； his evening gardenia； and his smell of lavender； and in the depths of her withered heart a clean rancor flourished； purified by time。 One afternoon when she was trying to put the parlor in order； ？rsula asked for the help of the soldiers who were guarding the house。 The young mander of the guard gave them permission。 Little by little； ？rsula began assigning them new chores。 She invited them to eat； gave them clothing and shoes； and taught them how to read and write。 When the government withdrew the guard； one of them continued living in the house and was in her service for many years。 On New Year’s Day； driven mad by rebuffs from Remedios the Beauty； the young mander of the guard was found dead under her window。
Chapter 10
YEARS LATER on his deathbed Aureliano Segundo would remember the rainy afternoon in June when he went into the bedroom to meet his first son。 Even though the child was languid and weepy； with no mark of a Buendía； he did not have to think twice about naming him。
“We’ll call him Jos？Arcadio；？he said。
Fernanda del Carpio； the beautiful woman he had married the year before； agreed。 ？rsula； on the other hand； could not conceal a vague feeling of doubt。 Throughout the long history of the family the insistent repetition of names had made her draw some conclusions that seemed to be certain。 While the Aurelianos were withdrawn； but with lucid minds； the Jos？Arcadios were impulsive and enterprising； but they were marked with a tragic sign。 The only cases that were impossible to classify were those of Jos？Arcadio Segundo and Aureliano Segundo。 They were so much alike and so mischievous during childhood that not even Santa Sofía de la Piedad could tell them apart。 On the day of their christening Amaranta put bracelets on them with their respective names and dressed them in different colored clothing marked with each one’s initials； but when they began to go to school they decided to exchange clothing and bracelets and call each other by opposite names。 The teacher； Melchor Escalona； used to knowing Jos？Arcadio Segundo by his green shirt； went out of his mind when he discovered that the latter was wearing Aureliano Segundo’s bracelet and that the other one said； nevertheless； that his name was Aureliano Segundo in spite of the fact that he was wearing the white shirt and the bracelet with Jos？Arcadio Segundo’s name。 From then on he was never sure who was who。 Even when they grew up and life made them different。 ？rsula still wondered if they themselves might not have made a mistake in some moment of their intricate game of confusion and had bee changed forever。 Until the beginning of adolescence they were two synchronized machines。 They would wake up at the same time； have the urge to go to the bathroom at the same time； suffer the same upsets in health； and they even dreamed about the same things。 In the house； where it was thought that they coordinated their actions with a simple desire to confuse； no one realized what really was happening until one day when Santa Sofía de la Piedad gave one of them a glass of lemonade and as soon as he tasted it the other one said that it needed sugar。 Santa Sofía de la Piedad； who had indeed fotten to put sugar in the lemonade； told ？rsula about it。 “That’s what they’re all like；？she said without surprise。 “crazy from birth。？In time things became less disordered。 The one who came out of the game of confusion with the name of Aureliano Segundo grew to monumental size like his grandfathers； and the one who kept the name of Jos？Arcadio Segundo grew to be bony like the colonel； and the only thing they had in mon was the family’s solitary air。 Perhaps it was that crossing of stature； names； and character that made ？rsula suspect that they had been shuffled like a deck of cards since childhood。
The decisive difference was revealed in the midst of the war； when Jos？Arcadio Segundo asked Colonel Gerineldo Márquez to let him see an execution。 Against ？rsula’s better judgment his wishes were satisfied。 Aureliano Segundo； on the other hand； shuddered at the mere idea of witnessing an execution。 He preferred to stay home。 At the age of twelve he asked ？rsula what was in the locked room。 “Papers；？she answered。 “Melquíades？books and the strange things that he wrote in his last years。？Instead of calming him； the answer increased his curiosity。 He demanded so much； promised with such insistence that he would not mistreat the things； that ？rsula； gave him the keys。 No one had gone into the room again since they had taken Melquíades？body out and had put on the door a padlock whose parts had bee fused together with rust。 But when Aureliano Segundo opened the windows a familiar light entered that seemed accustomed to lighting the room every day and there was not the slightest trace of dust or cobwebs； with everything swept and clean； better swept and cleaner than on the day of the burial； and the ink had not dried up in the inkwell nor had oxidation diminished the shine of the metals nor had the embers gone out under the water pipe where Jos？Arcadio Buendía had vaporized mercury。 On the shelves were the books bound in a cardboardlike material； pale； like tanned human skin； and the manuscripts were intact。 In spite of the room’s having been shut up for many years； the air seemed fresher than in the rest of the house。 Everything was so recent that several weeks later； when ？rsula went into the room with a pail of water and a brush to wash the floor； there was nothing for her to do。 Aureliano Segundo was deep in the reading of a book。 Although it had no cover and the title did not appear anywhere； the boy enjoyed the story of a woman who sat at a table and ate nothing but kernels of rice； which she picked up with a pin； and the story of the fisherman who borrowed a weight for his net from a neighbor and when he gave him a fish in payment later it had a diamond in its stomach； and the one about the lamp that fulfilled wishes and about flying carpets。 Surprised； he asked ？rsula if all that was true and she answered him