百年孤独(英文版)-第22部分
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ed with fright waiting for that hour； because if she had not been able to conceive the ultimate obstacle to Rebeca’s wedding； she was sure that at the last moment； when all the resources of her imagination had failed； she would have the courage to poison her。 That afternoon； while Rebeca was suffocating with heat inside the armor of thread that Amparo Moscote was putting about her body with thousands of pins and infinite patience； Amaranta made several mistakes in her crocheting and pricked her finger with the needle； but she decided with frightful coldness that the date would be the last Friday before the wedding and the method would be a dose of laudanum in her coffee。
A greater obstacle； as impassable as it was unforeseen； obliged a new and indefinite postponement。 One week before the date set for the wedding； little Remedios woke up in the middle of the night soaked in a hot broth which had exploded in her insides with a kind of tearing belch； and she died three days later； poisoned by her own blood； with a pair of twins crossed in her stomach。 Amarante suffered a crisis of conscience。 She had begged God with such fervor for something fearful to happen so that she would not have to poison Rebeca that she felt guilty of Remedios？death。 That was not the obstacle that she had begged for so much。 Remedios had brought a breath of merriment to the house。 She had settled down with her husband in a room near the workshop； which she decorated with the dolls and toys of her recent childhood； and her merry vitality overflowed the four walls of the bedroom and went like a whirlwind of good health along the porch with the begonias： She would start singing at dawn。 She was the only person who dared intervene in the arguments between Rebeca and Amaranta。 She plunged into the fatiguing chore of taking care of Jos？Arcadio Buendía。 She would bring him his food； she would help him with his daily necessities； wash him with soap and a scrubbing brush； keep his hair and beard free of lice and nits； keep the palm shelter in good condition and reinforce it with waterproof canvas in stormy weather。 In her last months she had succeeded in municating with him in phrases of rudimentary Latin。 When the son of Aureliano and Pilar Ternera was born and brought to the house and baptized in an intimate ceremony with the name Aureliano Jos？ Remedios decided that he would be considered their oldest child。 Her maternal instinct surprised ？rsula。 Aureliano； for his part； found in her the justification that he needed to live。 He worked all day in his workshop and Remedios would bring him a cup of black coffee in the middle of the morning。 They would both visit the Moscotes every night。 Aureliano would play endless games of dominoes with his father…in…law while Remedios chatted with her sisters or talked to her mother about more important things。 The link with the Buendías consolidated Don Apolinar Moscote’s authority in the town。 On frequent trips to the capital of the province he succeeded in getting the government to build a school so that Arcadio； who had inherited the educational enthusiasm of his grandfather； could take charge of it。 Through persuasion he managed to get the majority of houses painted blue in time for the date of national independence。 At the urging of Father Nicanor； he arranged for the transfer of Catarino’s store to a back street and he closed down several scandalous establishments that prospered in the center of town。 Once he returned with six policemen armed with rifles to whom he entrusted the maintenance of order； and no one remembered the original agreement not to have armed men in the town。 Aureliano enjoyed his father…in…law’s efficiency。 “You’re going to get as fat as he is；？his friends would say to him。 But his sedentary life； which accentuated his cheekbones and concentrated the sparkle of his eyes； did not increase his weight or alter the parsimony of his character； but； on the contrary； it hardened on his lips the straight line of solitary meditation and implacable decision。 So deep was the affection that he and his wife had succeeded in arousing in both their families that when Remedios announced that she was going to have a child。 even Rebeca and Amaranta declared a truce in order to knit items in blue wool if it was to be a boy and in pink wool in case it was a girl。 She was the last person Arcadio thought about a few years later when he faced the firing squad。
？rsula ordered a mourning period of closed doors and windows； with no one entering or leaving except on matters of utmost necessity。 She prohibited any talking aloud for a year and she put Remedios？daguerreotype in the place where her body had been laid out； with a black ribbon around it and an oil lamp that was always kept lighted。 Future generations； who never let the lamp go out； would be puzzled at that girl in a pleated skirt； white boots； and with an organdy band around her head； and they were never able to connect her with the standard image of a great…grandmother。 Amaranta took charge of Aureliano Jos？ She adopted him as a son who would share her solitude and relieve her from the involutary laudanum that her mad beseeching had thrown into Remedios？coffee。 Pietro Crespi would tiptoe in at dusk； with a black ribbon on his hat； and he would pay a silent visit to Rebeca； who seemed to be bleeding to death inside the black dress with sleeves down to her wrists。 Just the idea of thinking about a new date for the wedding would have been so irreverent that the engagement turned into an eternal relationship； a fatigued love that no one worried about again； as if the lovers； who in other days had sabotaged the lamps in order to kiss； had been abandoned to the free will of death。 Having lost her bearings； pletely demoralized； Rebeca began eating earth again。
Suddenly—when the mourning had gone on so long that the needlepoint sessions began again—someone pushed open the street door at two in the afternoon in the mortal silence of the heat and the braces in the foundation shook with such force that Amaranta and her friends sewing on the porch； Rebeca sucking her finger in her bedroom； ？rsula in the kitchen； Aureliano in the workshop； and even Jos？Arcadio Buendía under the solitary chestnut tree had the impression that an earthquake was breaking up the house。 A huge man had arrived。 His square shoulders barely fitted through the doorways。 He was wearing a medal of Our Lady of Help around his bison neck； his arms and chest were pletely covered with cryptic tattooing； and on his right wrist was the tight copper bracelet of the ni？os…en…cruz amulet。 His skin was tanned by the salt of the open air； his hair was short and straight like the mane of a mule； his jaws were of iron； and he wore a sad smile。 He had a belt on that was twice as thick as the cinch of a horse； boots with leggings and spurs and iron on the heels； and his presence gave the quaking impression of a seismic tremor。 He went through the parlor and the living room； carrying some half…worn saddlebags in his hand； and he appeared like a thunderclap on the porch with the begonias where Amaranta and her friends were paralyzed； their needles in the air。 “Hello；？he said to them in a tired voice； threw the saddlebags on a worktable； and went by on his way to the back of the house。 “Hello；？he said to the startled Rebecca； who saw him pass by the door of her bedroom。 “Hello；？he said to Aureliano； who was at his silversmith’s bench with all five senses alert。 He did not linger with anyone。 He went directly to the kitchen and there he stopped for the first time at the end of a trip that had begun of the other side of the world。 “Hello；？he said。 ？rsula stood for a fraction of a second with her mouth open； looked into his eyes； gave a cry； and flung her arms around his neck； shouting and weeping with joy。 It was Jos？Arcadio。 He was returning as poor as when he had left； to such an extreme that ？rsula had to give him two pesos to pay for the rental of his horse。 He spoke a Spanish that was larded with sailor slang。 They asked where he had been and he answered： “Out there。？He hung his hammock in the room they assigned him and slept for three days。 When he woke up； after eating sixteen raw eggs； he went di
