zinc sheets to Macondo； much earlier than their popularization by the banana pany； simply to roof Petra Cotes’s bedroom with them and to take pleasure in the feeling of deep intimacy that the sprinkling of the rain produced at that time。 But even those wild memories of his mad youth left him unmoved； just as during his last debauch he had exhausted his quota of salaciousness and all he had left was the marvelous gift of being able to remember it without bitterness or repentance。 It might have been thought that the deluge had given him the opportunity to sit and reflect and that the business of the pliers and the oilcan had awakened in him the tardy yearning of so many useful trades that he might have followed in his life and did not； but neither case was true； because the temptation of a sedentary domesticity that was besieging him was not the result of any rediscovery or moral lesion。 it came from much farther off； unearthed by the rain’s pitchfork from the days when in Melquíades？room he would read the prodigious fables about flying carpets and whales that fed on entire ships and their crews。 It was during those days that in a moment of carelessness little Aureliano appeared on the porch and his grandfather recognized the secret of his identity。 He cut his hair； dressed him taught him not to be afraid of people； and very soon it was evident that he was a legitimate Aureliano Buendía； with his high cheekbones； his startled look； and his solitary air。 It was a relief for Fernanda。 For some time she had measured the extent of her pridefulness； but she could not find any way to remedy it because the more she thought of solutions the less rational they seemed to her。 If she had known that Aureliano Segundo was going to take things the way he did； with the fine pleasure of a grandfather； she would not have taken so many turns or got so mixed up； but would have freed herself from mortification the year before Amaranta ？rsula； who already had her second teeth； thought of her nephew as a scurrying toy who was a consolation for the tedium of the rain。 Aureliano Segundo remembered then the English encyclopedia that no one had since touched in Meme’s old room。 He began to show the children the pictures； especially those of animals； and later on the maps and photographs of remote countries and famous people。 Since he did not know any English and could identify only the most famous cities and people； he would invent names and legends to satisfy the children’s insatiable curiosity。
Fernanda really believed that her husband was waiting for it to clear to return to his concubine。 During the first months of the rain she was afraid that he would try to slip into her bedroom and that she would have to undergo the shame of revealing to him that she was incapable of reconciliation since the birth of Amaranta ？rsula。 That was the reason for her anxious correspondence with the invisible doctors； interrupted by frequent disasters of the mail。 During the first months when it was learned that the trains were jumping their tracks in the rain； a letter from the invisible doctors told her that hers were not arriving。 Later on； when contact with the unknown correspondents was broken； she had seriously thought of putting on the tiger mask that her husband had worn in the bloody carnival and having herself examined under a fictitious name by the banana pany doctors。 But one of the many people who regularly brought unpleasant news of the deluge had told her that the pany was dismantling its dispensaries to move them to where it was not raining。 Then she gave up hope。 She resigned herself to waiting until the rain stopped and the mail service was back to normal； and in the meantime she sought relief from her secret ailments with recourse to her imagination； because she would rather have died than put herself in the hands of the only doctor left in Macondo； the extravagant Frenchman who ate grass like a donkey。 She drew close to ？rsula； trusting that she would know of some palliative for her attacks。 But her twisted habit of not calling things by their names made her put first things last and use “expelled？for “gave birth？and “burning？for “flow？so that it would all be less shameful； with the result that ？rsula reached the reasonable conclusion that her trouble was intestinal rather than uterine； and she advised her to take a dose of calomel on an empty stomach。 If it had not been for that suffering； which would have had nothing shameful about it for someone who did not suffer as well from shamefulness； and if it had not been for the loss of the letters； the rain would not have bothered Fernanda； because； after all； her whole life had been spent as if it had been raining。 She did not change her schedule or modify her ritual。 When the table was still raised up on bricks and the chairs put on planks so that those at the table would not get their feet wet； she still served with linen tablecloths and fine chinaware and with lighted candles； because she felt that the calamities should not be used as a pretext for any relaxation in customs。 No one went out into the street any more。 If it had depended on Fernanda； they would never have done so； not only since it started raining but since long before that； because she felt that doors had been invented to stay closed and that curiosity for what was going on in the street was a matter for harlots。 Yet she was the first one to look out when they were told that the funeral procession for Colonel Gerineldo Márquez was passing by and even though she only watched it through the half…opened window it left her in such a state of affliction that for a long time she repented in her weakness。
She could not have conceived of a more desolate cortege。 They had put the coffin in an oxcart over which they built a canopy of banana leaves； but the pressure of the rain was so intense and the streets so muddy that with every step the wheels got stuck and the covering was on the verge of falling apart。 The streams of sad water that fell on the coffin were soaking the flag that had been placed on top which was actually the flag stained with blood and gunpowder that had been rejected by more honorable veterans。 On the coffin they had also placed the saber with tassels of silver and copper； the same one that Colonel Gerineldo Márquez used to hang on the coat rack in order to go into Amaranta’s sewing room unarmed。 Behind the cart； some barefoot and all of them with their pants rolled up； splashing in the mud were the last survivors of the surrender at Neerlandia carrying a drover’s staff in one hand and in the other a wreath of paper flowers that had bee discolored in the rain。 They appeared like an unreal vision along the street which still bore the name of Colonel Aureliano Buendía and they all looked at the house as they passed and turned the corner at the square； where they had to ask for help to move the cart； which was stuck。 ？rsula had herself carried to the door by Santa Sofía de la Piedad。 She followed the difficulties of the procession with such attention that no one doubted that she was seeing it； especially because her raised hand of an archangelic messenger was moving with the swaying of the cart。
“Good…bye； Gerineldo； my son；？she shouted。 “Say hello to my people and tell them I’ll see them when it stops raining。？
Aureliano Segundo helped her back to bed and with the same informality with which he always treated her； he asked her the meaning of her farewell。
“It’s true；？she said。 “I’m only waiting for the rain to stop in order to die。？
The condition of the streets alarmed Aureliano Segundo。 He finally became worried about the state of his animals and he threw an oilcloth over his head and sent to Petra Cotes’s house。 He found her in the courtyard； in the water up to her waist； trying to float the corpse of a horse。 Aureliano Segundo helped her with a lever； and the enormous swollen body gave a turn like a bell and was dragged away by the torrent of liquid mud。 Since the rain began； all that Petra Cotes had done was to clear her courtyard of dead animals。 During the first weeks she sent messages to Aureliano Segundo for him to take urgent measures and he had answered that there was no rush； that the situation was not alarming； that there would be plenty of time to think about something when it cleared。 She sent him word that the horse pastures were being flooded； that the cattle were fleeing to high ground； where there was nothing to eat and where they were at the mercy of jaguars and sickness。 “There’s nothing to be done；？Aureliano Segundo answered her。 “Others will be born when it clears。？Petra Cates had seen them die in dusters and the was able to butcher only those stuck in the mud。 She saw with quiet impotence how the deluge was pitilessly exterminating a fortune that at one time was considered the largest and most solid in Macondo； and of which nothing remained but pestilence。 When Aureliano Segundo decided to go see what was going on； he found only the corpse of the horse and a squalid mule in the ruins of the stable。 Petra Cotes watched him arrive without surprise； joy； or resentment； and she only allowed herself an ironic smile。
“It’s about time！？she said。
She had aged； all