t Florentino Ariza sarium of tion as a o une in order to deserve    even stop to t tacle of    time    depended on    Dr. Juvenal Urbino o die.    knoable event t o    for    impatience or violence, even till time.

        ted    of tors and General Manager of to yield to ion of telegrapor in Villa de Leyva, but o be s    born ond for all on to t t life obliges to give birto till smarting from rancor but    any o    nephew.

        It ypical of Don Leo XII Loayza. I    fort as to flood a solemn funeral    breakiion of “Ia tomba Oscura.” o be tian myt occupied ration of    vessels, still afloat out of sra on t of fate, or ion, o t of oire. ter to sing at funerals. rained but capable of impressive registers.

        Someone old    Enrico Caruso could ster a vase    years trying to imitate     delicate vases travels ties so t    at last a of ill, in tender broke ts of eners as if tal vases of t Caruso, and it    made    funerals. Except at one,    a good idea to sing “i-ful and moving funeral song from Louisiana, and old to be quiet by t, and t Protestant intru-sion in his church.

        And so, beticores and Neapolitan serenades, ive talent and repreneurial spirit made ion during time of its greatest splendor.    as far as te tigma of being illegitimate cimate    ter aristocracy,” , even y because it    to ere manner and in suc ed reputation for miserliness. and for earterrace ter than he did when someone accused him of being rich.

        “No, not ric thing.”

        raure, ant ino Ariza. From to o ask for y-six useless years beested y of a barracks train-ing t could    man. But    intimidate    Uncle Leo XII never suspected     e from to survive or from a brute indif-ferened from    from a driving need for love,    would ever break.

        t years ed clerk to tors, o order for ario t, Uncle Leo XII’s old music teaco give ing job be-cause erature, alt to t. Uncle Leo XII disregarded e in reading, for Lotario t udent, and still ombstones cry. In any case, t in regard to    least, ino Ariza e everyt even official dots seemed to be about love. ter ried to avoid it, and routine busi-ness letters    t diminisy. o    of correspon-de    dared put o, and    co save his soul.

        “If you ot e a business letter you rashe dock,” he said.

        Florentino Ariza accepted t to learn ty of mertile prose, imitating models from notarial files s. t ime in ttered lovers to e ted love notes, in order to unburden    of all t    use in s reports. But at tter ed,     ed defeat, but ain iness.

        “Love is t is me,” he said.

        “trouble,” o     river navi-gation there is no love.”

        to ras    e ep by step, up til    ter ing it ter    ial fearlessness , eitermina-tion, capable of anyt lay be as Uncle Leo XII o     be ignorant of a in tino Ariza moved t during ty years of dedication and tenacity in trial.

        ies udying every t mysterious    o do ry, but    desired, e one, just one, acceptable business letter. it intending to,    even kno, rated     il    toer more obstinate, no manager more lucid or dangerous, t. t, at least, is o    s of seal leisure and created an image t resembled a dreamer more t did a businessman.

        old    Pius V Loayza used tters more pleasant t o leave t o meet or dispatc.    is more, alled in tio, eam    someone ion signals in t o ions, Uncle Leo XII ain t Florentino Ariza    Sunday afternoon,    never sailed. By time srut oo late to accuse royed by tterness of not ernal damnation of ard son.

        turbed Florentino Ariza.    man ion,    goo tor of tion. timate sons of trade, s’ days, except for Uncle Leo XII, named after tino ernal grandfat to tránsito Ariza after skipping over aire geion of pontiffs.

        Florentino al tebook in ránsito Ariza, its pages decorated s. ter of ing, identical to     of te     t ten in tebook long before    I    for love.

        ures of aken in Santa Fe, ime, and in it    t made uffed inside a bear, and    a pedestal t supported tated gaiters of a statue. ttle boy beside ain’s . In tograp rifle, and ac ed out of ture.    like    ed o go to tino Ariza did not see t people observed, but acc to s. In any case,    resemble ures, or in ransfigured by love t ed, or in ted by . ino Ariza discovered ter, as    of tand t a man knows wo look like her.

        reet of indo oime    tránsito Ariza, but t    visit er tino. For many years tismal certificate ification, and Florentino Ariza’s, recorded in t. tiburtius, said only t ural son of an unural daugránsito Ariza. t appear on it, altook care of    until tion closed to Florentino Ariza, but ary service during t period of our wars because he only son of an unmarried woman.

        Every Friday after sc across from t pictures of animals in a book t    because    it so often. o t looking at s t tránsito Ariza later o alter for ical to t of St. Jo on tars. , many er, ain t no one sa only because    to, but because errified of er ed muche s and said:

        “take t e back again.”

        It    time    in time o learn t Uncle Leo XII, i moo tránsito Ariza, and ook care of er Pius V died of an ued colic    leaving anyt-ing and    time to make any provisions for reets.

        tino Ariza e    t er, s,    over i    knoo do , and    to uered lovers free of g t is er    gestures and    over t on t dirty    sleeves, ton    so ter, and sometimes until very late at nigters of mad adoration.

        From time to time eran    of ed to file a plaint , but no matter ried,    satisfy t e ter.    even ask s any questions, because all o do    tes of to knoe page after page of un-trolled love, folloing as    about Fermina Daza and not Fermina Daza. After t moablisem of appois made in advance so t    be sed by yearning lovers.

        pleasant memory of t time imid young girl, almost a crembled as so e an anso an irresistible letter t s received, and t Florentino Ariza reized as oen on ternoon.    in a different style, o une ions and t also seemed to be o create a ing for every occasion, acc to ter of eace, imagining to    Fermina Daza er, of course, o e tyle, and kind of love t tributed to    letter, and so it    o ely to t ter and accepted ion in to marry.

        Only ion, t tters ten by t time t togeto to ask o be tino Ariza ured by tical evidence of    ime    o e a Lovers’ panion t id extey tavos and t y kions in e as many models and alternatives as ters in te as tionary, but no printer in ty ake ttic along , for tránsito Ariza flatly refused to dig out time on a mad publisure. Years later,    for o accept ty t love letters    of fashion.

        As arting out in tiers free of o Ariza’s youtain t t. urned from ill sa to to be raffled off among to do everyt er, o accept o t tion pany, s plete    by its initials: te. As indifferent and irregular as il t ere il t, a slice of poace rice for lunco bed.    any ances, as many as ty little cups a day: a bre e s to tio be tal en-ter h love.

        trut ain of ac sooner or later t ránsito Ariza to tinue oration of t it o receive ook place. In trast to ion to tion of trán-sito Ariza    muc t ond uook a plete renovation. tion room ory    in aensive garden ino Ariza ended during ime at dawn.

        t intact, as a kind of testimony of gratitude to t, ions sino Ariza    t as it ing table covered idy piles of books, but o t and airiest in t erior terrace    to sit at nig of t it    best reflected Florentino Ariza’s trappist severity. te, a nigable tle, an old s basin and bowl.

        took almost t cided o tion and trade, tors t aiy’s greatness during ial times and for more turies eo America. But t ránsito Ariza maed t symptoms of s o tions s reize ter dealing ime, or ster in a business like o protect ed as suffit guara first it seemed s it soon became evident t rig aing and furnisill left over    valuable old jey, hem.

        During tino Ariza o attend to too many responsibilities at time, but s never flagged as    to expand ive er. After ic experience , reet love, io    ttle birds of t for several years, still o find a cure for t by tell if    of fornig    al y or a simple vice of ts to tra el became less frequent, not only because erests lay elseo see a    from te domes-ticity of t.

        uations y of an era before ime: o tel togetlemen out on to on t ive male panion did not go to t to a room, and tarnisation of Florentino Ariza re-ceived t last opped going t for times    to catc    for just te reason: to find a refuge we from his excesses.

        And it    as ernoon to    like a c first ent    t provided. , sopicated young ladies from terior on ts from ies    after nigook times even    infrequently o o a dark entryway and do w , bee.

        torm, tled, because it o be    nig t somet time flas to turn of t. So t io go to any ot, o receive     guarantee of discretion for tened little birds. t t of too t tense because it seemed like a s Floren-tino Ariza preferred t toself, late at nigire city and trail of ligs at sea, and even in tant ss.

        It    ic tionsude for love. rusted type, t an alligator raeo be t passive iype    te: ttle tadpoles t no oo turn around and look at i,    t impact, a    y ready for trases of ture observations, intending to e a practical supplement to t t met te as ter Ausencia Santander sent umbling ood ossed tered all uous taugo learn about love: t nobody teag.

        Ausencia Santander ional marriage for ty years,    sed of being t bed in ty. It ime, but    to live ress, and t free, in t t door, to receive Rosendo de la Rosa, a riverboat captain    at t giving tter a sed t,    Florentino Ariza to meet her.

        a demijoe and ingredients of t quality for an epicoeat ender bones, rubbisables from to, Florentino Ariza    as entic about t ty of tself.    and cool,    a plete viey. ity and t gave t time rigorous appearance, ed objects t Captain Rosendo de la Rosa brougrip until t for anoterrace, sitting on e ring, oo from Malaya, e plumage and a peranquillity t gave one muco t: it    beautiful animal t Florentino Ariza had ever seen.

        Captain Rosendo de la Rosa ic about ’s entold ail tory of eac. As e    pause. o be made of reinforced crete:    on acer’s brusan, esy. But not even    t doo table o tray of glasses and bottles ion. Ausencia Santander o ask Florentino Ariza to    body of to bed and undress . tion t ttributed to a jun of tars, t room    agreeing to,    even suggesting it or proposing it to eaued undressing rip. t of advising t of    da wo s, melancress.

        Ausencia Santander    fifty years old and looked it, but sinct for love t no ific terfere . Florentino Ariza kneineraries o, at any , and never ong for il sark naked,    let ake an-otep until s it o ant discord ain Rosendo de la Rosa, because itious belief t smoking naked broug times o put off love rat out able    cigar.

        On tino Ariza aken y, and s as soon as s even giving ime to greet o take off    or ting ootening tom to top, first ttons of er eac buckle, and at t    and s, until     open from o tail. t ook off s, pulled on rouser cuffs so t sake off s    sers around ook off ino Ariza stopped kissing ting     precise ceremony: ook c of tton- and took off    ts so    tet took t precaution, al fail, whenever he undressed in someone else’s house.

        As soon as , stacked    giving ime for anyt un-dressed ed ook trol of all of uation in e inner darkness, ad-vang reating tirying anote dro flo only s and t s for il s ing for anybody, so    explosion of total victory t made tremble.

        Florentino Ariza    exed, inplete, floating in a puddle of tion, but rument of pleasure. reat me as if I    anybody.” Ser of a free female and say: “Not at all: as if you    sook aed greed, and ermined o return. But t, and tander o    it fall of     time, but from o escape.

        One Sunday, ter t, t to take off ead of undressing    ser ease, and tino Ariza lear so love e t t from t day    very fortable in t    en tation.    t, only for il t unforeseeable time. But on took off o kiss    because of t and in part because ter gentle love-making, t ternoon naked in tain’s enormous bed.

        ino Ariza still remembered too,    calls belied y. But t, and tline of ty ernoon sun at its back, its golden domes, its sea in flames all to Jamaica. Ausencia Santaret adventurous , but Florentino Ariza moved it arange, as if someone coo again er. S even Jona story.”    sted it ime in silence    making love again. At five o’clock, ill    of bed, naked as al to find someto drink in tc s taken a siep out of the bedroom when she screamed in horror.

        S believe it. ts left in ttaco t, ture, tatues and tapestries, tless tris made of precious stones aals, everyt    pleasant a decorated y, everytoo, everyt    terrace    disturbing t    y rooms ed on t you get for fug around. Captain Rosendo de la Rosa could never uand    report try to get in tou goods, or permit uo be mentioned again.

        Florentino Ariza tio visit ed o tools t t is of t    visit en as before, not because of tion in to    because of ty of a mule-drarolley at turn of tury,    of free-flying little birds.    four times a day, to go to to return imes ime ense, ake t steps, at least, toure tryst. Later,    tle gray mules rappings, just like t beloo President Rafael Nú?ez, imes on trolley as t fruitful of all ures in falry.

        : t love ting at t,    al it     so t    leave    is algia trolley s emaciated mules covered o knoender memories,    elude ion of a tle bird iig t o ruin t rowdiness of ival for    of his life.

        Stracted tention on trolley for traveled tous public celebration. S y years old, and s seem to s of ival, unless s, long, and straigunic of plain, unadorned linen. Sely removed from treets, t trolley, arcs during taking ad-vantage of tino Ariza invited o    t    surprise. So accept, but I    I am crazy.”    ticism, and took o see ts from t on a rented cape, and toms, for    to te extreme in t: sive and daring in ating charm.

        “You don’t knorouble you’ve gotten into ed, laughe insane asylum.”

        For Florentino Ariza, t nigurn to t unruliness of adolesce,    been     suc last very long. And so before t began to degee, as it aler prizes ributed for t es, ed to t to to ced    sed to    until after t the prizes.

        Florentino Ariza ain t t, ted to    t afternoon--tire police force. Sated a guard and seriously e t sced to go dang at ival. It    occurred to a s be dang is; t serns.

        It    easy to take    so put rait jacket omled    ture ino Ariza    es for and and look at tes, ies and pliments at es in case luck    soo, mig at    er, as ting off trolley, a little girl e from tino Ariza’s pardon. But o t tion erness, and    on the back.

        “t o hell,” he said.

        As a kind of pensation from fate, it rolley t Florentino Ariza met Leona Cassiani, rolley at five o’clock; it angible look t touc rolley, but standing out    clarity from t look arary: sio look at        : black, young, pretty, but a emptible t.

        Florentino Ariza got off at ting    six, and urned around so t ain of    ure of a dancer reets, a lo top t left e turban. ra el. It often    at six in ternoon till eating breakfast, and to use sex as if it ’s knife and put it to t of t ma: your prick or your life. As a final test, Florentino Ariza    and    doed Oil Lamp Alley, and so opped, turned around, blocked ood fag him.

        “You made a mistake, good-looking,”    do t.”

        “Of course you do,” s in your face.”

        Florentino Ariza remembered a p tor, ipation: “to t and t.” On tor ed aire ter, rology. But    ino Ariza stated it anoto t.” rusted t: raig    t love as if t ied it. t often, on t alo so good t tombs, because t tion. ts, to t ion of being impotent, id, or above all timid fairies, as in tino Ariza. But took pleasure ied t society,    surprised by t    she knew.

        It    mistake of o remind il t sed from    love, least of all love t    a job, any kind of job, at any salary, in tino Ariza felt so as t ook o t-level job in tion, ion for three years.

        Ever sis founding, ts offices across from t    for o liners on te side of t pier on Las ánimas Bay. tin roof, a single long baly    t, and e vies at tings    it, ted tin roof red and t    tself bore some resemblao a riverboat. Later it ed all blue, and at time t Florentino Ariza began to    y se color, and on ting roof t plates over the inal ones.

        Beio surrounded by cood tru, and at ty and foul-smelling, ion lay rotting: toric boats, from tack, ed by Simón Bolívar, to some so ret t tris in t of tled for materials to be used in building ots, but many    it seemed possible to give t of paint and launc frigurbing t made talgic.

        trative Se    fortable and ed offices similar to ts, for t not by civil arcects but by naval engineers. At tco all tion being t every m -smelling floing room t icer for selling tickets and handling baggage.

        Last of all ion, its name alone suggesting ts funs, o die an ignominious deat Leona Cassiani, lost beudent’s desk surrounded by    stacked for s Uncle Leo XII    to see o make tion good for someter tions, tical assumptions, and crete evidence, uro ormented by tainty t instead of a solution to so many prob-lems,    te: ne problems ion.

        t day, o    t udy it and t to    it appropriate. S said a ion ternoon. S in full aion as a cy employee, but i s because of neglige out of respect for tion. It y. Uncle Leo XII ion, but Leona Cassiani did not agree, for t iy tion did : it    minor problems t tioo get rid of. As a se-queion o elimiion aurn to tions o be solved there.

        Uncle Leo XII did    idea ing on ternoon, but o learn about people. tion, in fact, . But Uncle Leo XII    ied in t: erested in    most attracted tention    ion after elementary sc ed meteac taking evening classes in typing, a neure, as to say about telegrap team engine.

        ting, Uncle Leo XII o call    o eliminate roke of a pen troublesome se and distribute t ted tion, and ed a neion for itle or specific duties but in effect . t afternoon, after tion, Uncle Leo XII asked Florentino Ariza h.

        “ell, to trolley and bring me every girl like    you find,” hree more, we’ll sal-vage yalleon.”

        Florentino Ariza took typical jokes, but t day    t o    aken bao io look for alent on trolleys. Leona Cas-siani, for , soon overcame ial scruples, and s s uteness during    taken trol of everyt four sood on tarys so cross it because it ep beloino Ariza. Until taken orders from ed to tio do so, alt of tter    Florentino    realize t ook orders from ors tioraps set by    enemies.

        Leona Cassiani alent for s, and so be    t time. S, ness. But o a cer of solid iron.    for ive o clear t any cost,    Florentino Ariza could move up to tion    calculati, of course, because sable o po trut s sciously, out of simple gratitude. ermination    t Florentino Ariza    unate occasioed to block    srying to do to    him in his place.

        “Make no mistake,” so    t over carefully.”

        Florentino Ariza,    it, t about it trut in t of t sordid internee battle in a -pany iual crisis, in t of ers as a tireless faler and tain dream of Fermina Daza, tino Ariza     of inner peace as ed ting spectacle of t fierce black    and love in ttle. Many times ted i t s been in fauggets of shining gold.

        For Leona Cassiani ill t after-noon on trolley, uous rus. ttle, and t little became urity, ing, and    Afri body . Florentino Ariza ions to en years, a    t.

        One nige, someten after ino Ariza    to leave     gave ino Ariza realized    ted, ty asleep, t eternal over t    dock for anotino Ariza leaned bot as    to rembling in his knees.

        “tell me someto stop this?”

        Sook off    surprise, e self-trol, and dazzled     time sh him.

        “Ay, Florentino Ariza,” sting en years ing for you to ask me t.”

        It oo late: tunity rolley, it ting, but no rut after all ty tricks ser so mucy-year advantage in age: soo old for    instead of deceiving o tinue loving o let al manner.

        “No,” so o bed he son I never had.”

        Florentino Ariza     t    o be urged before making     risk making take test, and even ain grace, ed    bitterness, and Florentino Ariza uood at last t it is possible to be a    go to bed h her.

        Leona Cassiani o empted to reveal t of Fermina Daza. tet for reasons over , io table Escolástica Daza, t    love letter    still be alive after so many years. Lorenzo Daza (no one kneo Sister Franca de la Luz o stop Fermina Daza’s expul-sion, but it    it    left telegrapors in elegrams e names a addresses, and    of indomitable cousins.

        Florentino Ariza did not kno Dr. Juvenal Urbino s.    to s in t s sue moment t it did not go in one of Dr. Urbino’s ears and out t; it did not go in at all. ioned Florentino Ariza as one of t poets ic Festival. Dr. Urbino could not remember o, but t of mali it--t    before sold    it    and ep in fact it ouc looking at    kno fello.” And tomed o t of fetfulness.

        Florentino Ariza observed t, ion of    beloo Fermina Daza’s    en o s until trust. Leona Cassiani unity and t    summer afternoon airs of tep in order to survive t, appeared in Florentino Ariza’s office, panting and soaked ion doo rousers, and gasped    breatino Ariza imes, asking for Uncle Leo XII, but never until noo    ted guest o do h his life.

        time t Dr. Juvenal Urbino falls of o door, almost like a beggar    in ributions to istiterprises. Uncle Leo XII    faitributors, but just at t moment en-minute siesta, sitting in t ino Ariza asked Dr. Juvenal Urbino to please    in    to Uncle Leo XII’s and, in a certain sense, served as ing room.

        t to face as tino Ariza experieen minutes ernity, during imes in t ire to drink even a single cup. io c about o even care if anyone ening to ino Ariza could not bear ural distin, ty and precision of    st of camp manner in ences seem essential only because    or c.

        “Do you like music?”

        aken by surprise. Iy, Florentino Ariza attended every cert and opera performed in ty, but    feel capable of engaging in a critical or al zes, o t, or to    verses, could not be denied. o s o could s of    t    be a serious anso a serious question put to .

        “I like Gardel,” he said.

        Dr. Urbino uood. “I see,” o a reting of s    official bag. o tention tening inferiority of t could be ury. t rue:    a year selling subscriptions t tot-Casals-trio to tic ter, and t    for t pany t performed detective dramas, for tta and Zarzuela pany of Don Manolo de la Presa, for tanelas, ineffable mimics, illusionists, and artistes, aine, adver-tised as a former dancer ook on a fighting bull all by himself.

        to plain, ting to live in peace after nine civil old,    most attracted Florentino Ariza’s attention in t intriguing speecy of reviving tic Festival, t renoing of ter-prises t Dr. Juvenal Urbino . o bite oo keep from telling    it in tition t ually ied famous poets, not only in t of try but in otions of the Caribbean as well.

        No sooner ion begun t, steamy air suddenly cooled and a storm of crosss, s foundations like a sailing s adrift. Dr. Juvenal Urbino did not seem to notice. o tic cyes of June and t of to speak of    only    entic collaborator, but t ino Ariza listeo     motion of    daring to say anytray him.

        tences more, o uand t Dr. Juvenal Urbino, in t of so many abs itments, still ime to adore    as muc trutunned     respond as    played one of tricks t only s    play: it revealed to    ims of te and so-get time in termiy-seven years t ing, Florentino Ariza could not e t to die in order for o be happy.

        t last, but in fifteen mis gusting nort ed ty. Dr. Juvenal Urbino, grati-fied once again by ty of Uncle Leo XII, did not    for to clear, and    ted t Florentino Ariza lent o     mind. On trary:    ill troubled by ttling interviey to stop beating about to reveal , as if     leave     too many per I believe t no one kno last so put ao a matter t did not    her.

        “t may be t    o think.”

        Florentino Ariza tried to keep h him.

        “ s me is t o die,” he said.

        “Everybody o die,” she said.

        “Yes,”    han anyone else.”

        Sood none of it: s speaking a. tino Ariza kne some nigime in ture, in a joyous bed o tell     revealed t of    even to t to kno. No: , not even to Leona Cassiani, not because     to open t    so carefully    because     the key.

        t,    t staggeri of ternoon. ill algic memory of ion of tic Festival, illes every April 15. agonists, but al everyt protagonist. icipated several times siion, and ion. But t did not matter to e not out of ambition for t because test ional attra for    session Fermina Daza    ablis sio do so in t followed.

        ra seat, a fresttino Ariza saage of tional ter on t of t Festival.    o     ternoons of embroidery urees in ttle park, t of faded gardenias in ters, te altz of t    did not    souger prize among tion’s poets, o a C. t uns on tition. But t, and ty of ts justification in t.

        No one believed t t t tury, fleeing t devastated Panama during tru of t no one could tell one from t first ten, some of t in a fereets in t ed Co try    leaving a tra toms records.

        Some of turned into venerable patriarce t no one could explaio groo ts along terfront,    like a king as to die a suddeable, sitting before a plate of rat meat    to be nots for raffic. turned one’s ss er tly ironed union ed seventy-tic Festival hese good ese.

        tood it, not only because it    because no one kneain     necessary to t it very mucorious Cer    celestial smile Cory t    on a yelloe to tes of spring, in order to accept teen-carat Golden Orc    of the incredulous.

        react. ed in tage, as imperturbable as tle of a Divine Providence less dramatic t    ood     again, in ive voice, and amazement reigned after t li    so in t Parnassian tradition, and t ted a breation t revealed t of a master ion    one of t poets o ridicule tic Festi-val, and t ty to it and ermio keep t until traditional o save our civic e and ratiquity and cultural influence of t to participate iic Festivals.

        t doubt t ter of t    le itself: “All Cs.” tigators of t, if tted in t. For , t fession at an Oriental age and    also terness of never ed in ion as a poet. On ten i of tic Festival and repri    vige of flesry took advan-tage of tunity to clarify matters: t seemed so bad to tion t no one could doubt any lo it , been posed by the dead ese.

        Florentino Ariza aled t sdalous event    straten ful suspense of anticipation. Stracted tention because of eness, , ificial mag-nolia. Sting black velvet dress, as black as    at till. S earrings, a matcical rings, sy mark    c Florentino Ariza h sincere grief.

        “Believe me, my    goes out to you,” so him.

        Florentino Ariza    because of t deserved, but because of on-is t anyone kne magnolia in    to him.

        “t is wook off mine,” she said.

        Sears because of , but Florentino Ariza raised s incts of a noal er.

        “Let us go someplace her,” he said.

        o    t    mid, o iograpaining over ten years of public events, rick even t time it    ional ter. t in. t tino Ariza observed in t to t t and a h brass foliage.

        t disturbed    , for sed o sit doonne sofa able. Florentino Ariza began to leaf t    step t o ’s tent, and to feel no ser relief t ed t s. o igened in t o u open from sernal pressure, and ronomical bosom o breathe freely.

        Florentino Ariza, imidity of a novice even in fortable circumstances, risked a superficial caress on ips of    st. t, just as softly, and    kiss ime because suro on top of te virgins and found ea albums, fully dressed, soaked , and more ed    trous love t beginning t, tcill bleeding, tio make love for several years.

        o love ieteen minutes of fame in ition ion of poems about love among t    and civi ted flat in tley Ss’ Merict. S ions of matrimony, because it    for a man of ime and plaarry a o bed. Nor did s dream again after    formal fiancé, ed passion of een, broke t o for t o he limbo of abandoned brides.

        Or of used goods, as to say in t t first experience, alt--lived, did not leave ter; ration t    marriage, od, or t    a man in    Florentino Ariza liked best about    in order to reacs of glory, so su an infant’s pacifier ring of t, and Sara Na    looking in s of extreme urgency.

        Alt o making tions Florentino Ariza sidered it a destine adventure.    ale at nigiptoe just before daended. But alt y, t    exaggerate: on only one occasion did race or ten evidence, and t    ruternal    a tenacious one, o free ude    causing rayal.

        Suess could not flouris misappreránsito Ariza died in tion t to any kind of love because of    youtune. But many less benevolent people raions, s    to love but only to ino Ariza kne and never did anyto dis-prove it. It did not less ot loving ed    hrough.

        ually s    any    peaceful time. Sever ster    e ire body t to make    ed tion of liturgical formalisms. Florentino Ariza did not uand    a past could be so    porpoise body -ness and tenderness as if ser. S love, no matter    migural talent. Sino Ariza rogressive jealousy, t per tended, but o sold old t s    like, n o    iear t whey made love.

        as mucil ted, so devote termato t of poetry. Sonisimental verses of ime,    in pamp form for tavos as soon as tten, and s, so t sten versions of tment and civics texts in s, like t s obtain official approval for tory passion    times sio s ation as tino Ariza o force a pacifier into o make t.

        In tude of tionsino Ariza urbulent bed or ternoons, and Sara Na calmed    t love ual love from t up and p do tion    divided love, ogetted to tic Festival, vi no partit ed suc s again.

        Sino Ariza apanied o    explain, s Fermina Daza ted against        prize. Florentino Ariza paid no attention to    seen Fermina Daza in a long time, and t nig s time one could tell just by looking at    so    ernal age    to    did t nig and t sness of breat of prizewinners.

        In an attempt to dot ic Festivals . ograpcards of t sold in arcades for souvenirs, and it il t time aiion t it    oms and styles: everyt    t nig time in a scious ig t t nigedium, Sara Na made one of tions t freeze the blood.

        “She’s a whore,” she said.

        S as s    of Fermina Daza disguised as a black pant a masquerade ball, and s o mention anyone by name for Florentino Ariza to kno. Fearing a revelation t ious defense. ed t a tings, t ion about e life, but ain s of noop by virtue of s.

        “By virtue of marrying a man s love for money,” in-terrupted Sara Na. “t’s t kind of ino Ariza t y, o sole unes. So te respoo Sara Na’s tempted to c. But Sara Na    allo to il s to ion t s    Fermina Daza o c o t knoo ts. Sara Na said in a categorical manner: “e uit t ehe discussion.

        From t moment on, Florentino Ariza began to see    eyes. too.    sex-uality    glory, o darken terness. Serday’s flo, s t of     : ed ut rice, sried to establisributed to to determine als of to eac t time tine petitions, but ook advantage of tunity to speak tangled in a mean-spirited argument t stirred up in bot five years of divided love.

        At ten minutes before t it on try-ing to tell    saying so t it ime to leave. tino Ariza felt an urgeo put a definitive end to t loveless relationsunity to be to take tiative: as    Sara Na    o    ell    everyto sit o    so keep an tor’s easy o Ariza extended     s, as so do in t during to love. She refused.

        “Not now,” sing someone.”

        Ever since ion by Fermina Daza, Florentino Ariza o alter circumstances ed in    of Sara Na, certain of ending t once a o bed io go to bed o move o passion eacime.    vi, iest dealings in love, so t    o grant to any unity to make t t nig so ed t o display anger, a    saying goodbye. ther again.

        tionsino Ariza’s lo and most stable affairs, alt         t sbreak of s as a solitary er, and ters so t ion out ime and strengtime. At least noead of interrupting iments, on t unlikely streets, in unreal places    reason,    t gave    until ant. t grief, and once again    as ernoons of endless read-ing in ttle park, but time it ed by    need for Dr. Juvenal Urbino to die.

        ime t io make a    ino Ariza o realize t t t of to be buried alive in t o face ture     as to ty of tion ality.

        tes of gloom in ty es of ts, lovers of to do after so many years of sterile captivity. ted t    t ime for before, setons on ts iff collar and cuffs so t t dition. tio put    at table, in case urned from t o do in life. But in tary Masses to be a once again tresses of te, after    only t tity in excy t her of a bride’s many illusions.

        tiresome o distra, inue nurturing until    breatrag ricks to ease error at going out eaco face reality. Aco quer t error t urn. t    existed, e: another life.

        In torative idleness of solitude, on t to live    ting only    o feign sleep in order to escape t last of t to aire bed to t t, , until tis-fied ive ing, Florentino Ariza    of five o’ass, siny on tted    of dareet to ant steps, teps of a little bird, for just     a dis-solate    carry he seed of happiness.

        So many    il to to a possibility t    be a o accept    as    fantasies of guilt because of o dis-cover    beloo    all tagion.

        Per ic if ed ions, at a time o perceive t adversity. In tages, and many disadvantages as     as t probable o live forever.

        Fermina Daza ed Florentino Ariza in a ligurity y, but sed t . At time s explain    many years later, on t kno Florentino Ariza. Everyone ko ts greatest period; times, and    no one could remem-ber    Fermina Daza experieion of tives t     is as if    a person but only a shadow.”

        t is    te, s ormented by tom of guilt: tion s bear.    it ing on, a kind of panic overtook rol only if so soottle girl,    in dismay to t adult and make ion: “It .” Alty s ed isfied at ablis.

        ter orious t Dr. Urbino realized    teected it eo tell     .” Forical deci-sions, and    ted in a feeling of guilt. tion of Florentino Ariza,    been resolved ing io open up tary pom ced little park; sree t    obscure benc to read as    about o close the window again, sighing: “Poor man.”

        oo late to make up for t, s of kno    as tenacious as sime to time sill feel a belated longing for a letter t never arrived. But    ser sed Florentino Ariza    valid reasons. In fact, stle as s kneers did not ermination. trut Juvenal Urbino’s suit aken in t o say t, t a militant Caty, uous , ooget resemble love, almost be love. But t love, and ts increased    vi love o live.

        In any case, tor operating against Dr. Juvenal Urbino o t Lorenzo Daza ed for er. It    to see ure of a paternal plot, even if iy , but Fermina Daza became vi ime so ed medical call. In tions h Cousin hildebranda only -fused her.

        Because of Cousin uation as a victim, seo identify ino Ariza, fetting t per so t s it cost Fermina Daza not to apany    to meet Florentino Ariza in telegrapo see o present s, to speak o learn to kno    precipitate o anotulation in     t is    in aor, or ues; ratunned by tunity slipping ay-first birte time limit for surrendering to fate. t one moment    il deat.

        ts vanis remorse ed as t det to do: ears, sino Ariza, sely, and in t o bloom. All t sted    han usual: “Poor man!”

        t fearful doubts began, urned from runks, unpacked ture, aied ts s in order to take possession as lady and mistress of tal vertigo t s. It took o leave, t years of terness of Do?a Blanca, al leters-in-lao rot in a vent cell only because them-selves.

        Dr. Urbino paying o urned a deaf ear to    t te capacity to adapt uation. erioration of    oime, sparked to live i skeptical. It rue: t beautiful, intelligent y not at all on in    forty years. ido ion for    because o say, o prevent its final error in t    ed too late t bey and worldly c of his family names.

        Se in    ion of relief at freeing    did not belong to     s feel test affe for t calf from    in o kno love one’s c because t because of to despise anyt une. Sude, tery garden, time in the enormous, windowless rooms.

        During ts s    door. Som of setting t table every day able-clot five poms could dine on café    lecested t dusk, ted table etiquette, tant criticism of tical strides like a reets, tic ed    c    illa.    invitations to five o’clock tea, tle imperial cakes and died flo Englised t remedies for sing out a fever in ead of ce    even dreams escaped i ranger fuls of as her off:

        “A det     kind of dream.”

        Along er misfortunes. One    daily diet of eggplant in all its forms,    of respect for o eat. Ss ever sile girl, even before sasted t alo    to admit t in tter in    t table, and o eat tire casserole intended for six people. S so die, first because sed pulverized eggplant and tor oil so take as a cure for t. Botive, as mucaste as for error of t to look a to repay tor oil.

        tune    s, Do?a Blanca    believe i     eveo dispute, for t years of    in t eful for t imagine er, subjected to t at ty-five. But t t it rument of to substitute t    t a magnifit    seemed to be gold and sounded as if it     valued y until it and all it taied to ten an attempt to avoid catastropo study eaceac for t pur-pose from ty of Mompox, and er, and sinued for several years    musi at torted her arpeggios.

        S    admit it in    ts, or in t arguments sed to love, s up more quickly tangle of ventions and prejudices of    first sual p affirmed : “to    later, jealous of    and s, srated o endure even ion in t God    last take pity on Do?a Blanca, wired of begging o send h.

        Dr. Urbino justified s, not even asking     admit t ties    blamed ture of matrimony: an absurd iion t could exist only by te grace of God. It    all stific reason for t all bet cers, different upbringings, and even different genders, to suddenly find tted to living togeto sleeping in to si pered to go in opposite dires.    it ends every niger making love, and it must be rebuilt every m before breakfast.” And    of all    of ty t still dreamed of turn of t-ing it, fate    ty.

        t ion of t beaking a bate ts and t, ae ed sisters and till o ask o soap o do it    still remained from Europe, and boto be betrayed by memories, softening    ing to, desiring eac saying so, and at last ttered    suds, as talking about t ’s because t fuck.” From time to time, algia croucs pa used to be and for five mied lovers of their honeymoon.

        But except for tired t ime to go to bed. Stes in perfumed paper, smoking alone, relapsing into ory love as sress of    oo , alo be asleep, or s Dr. Urbino o say in class, only for t fession, t after ten years of marriage imes a week.

        Misfortune piled on misfortune, and in t of to fae sooner or later: truterious dealings. tment    o date on te t ignored.” Some of    serious s tige, and it o believe t    t tation to protect ill stand-ing, Dr. Juvenal Urbino intervened    of ige, and h his word of honor.

        So t Lorenzo Daza left try on t boat, o return.    back to ive try as if it tle trips oakes from time to time to algia, and at ttom of t appeararutime ry just to drink a glass of er from terns filled     ed, protesting ill trying to vince    im of a political spiracy.    g for o turn er into an exquisite lady.    old and sick, but still ims mig repress a sigo avoid questions s    for sev-eral mont e fury    kno was because she was g for him.

        t absurd element in tuation    time of test victories over terranean ility of a milieu t resisted accepting t and modern, and for t reasressainst traditional order. t,    for Fermina Daza. Life in tainty before s, em of atavisti-tracts, banal ceremonies, preordaiained ea order not to it murder. t sign in t paradise of provincial frivolity he unknown.

        S in a simpler o overe terror; to overe boredom.” Sy of a revelation    salon of t of so many flozes, tumult of perspiring men and tremulous    o tside ury-one and tle more to go to sc ood t    -vulsed red but paralyzed by fear. Instead o o know her.

        t from o be, just as ier or o    only as s. Despite tual rain, ts, and ty of its carriage drivers, s beautiful city in t because of     iy, but because it o t years. Dr. Urbino, for , anded respect        t elligend ed solemnity. Not tions, tic Festival, artistic events, cy raffles, patriotic ceremo journey in a balloon. t als iion and at t. During tunate years no one could heirs.

        t by ion of t to t ing classes: an i substitute for iy. S tranquil    remained of s o and placed time    still    to life. Sino Ariza saime,    ongue so t ry to read , and sur into a sanctuary of t.

        One er afternoon s to close torm ening, and sino Ariza on rees in ttle park,    altered to fit    time s see    on various occasions, but at t ri. So tell    per ored for    ted o realize treme of un strengto talk to    evasion, to front ue o cry    til t rooster cro filtered in tains of talk, exed    fortified ig, fastened everyt remaio old o look for t in Europe: starting tomor-roer.

        It or, for te liquidation of t family fortune, s, and long-term, sacred bonds, and    large enoug o t it.    t ed into stamped gold, to be ied little by little in s until ry, not even a plot of ground to die on.

        A Florentino Ariza actually existed, trary to    public ceremonies: perfect. t one could already see ino Ariza : “e’re off to quer Flanders.” Fermina Daza nodded, and Florentino Ariza took off    and made a slig    test passion for ture ravages of baldness. t as s.

        t t times for Florentino Ariza eition to ense, and tedium of ive ing, and tránsito Ariza,     memories, almost a blank, to t o    times, see    in, and ask rut serrupt    delay:

        “And tell me something, my boy,” she would ask. “ho am I?”

        S t s move, and s tions so sell, primping and dressing in finery from time s roosters until t very little. S garlands of flo s sed ttle Roaez.” tity, stolen from a cer in a cory,    satisfied io rod to fan il s on e on ion to ino Ariza er and te draions sled in one    door sealed, and t as ínez’s bedroom, and she never asked again who she was.

        At tion of Uncle Leo XII, o take care of    t times s soo, fot ino Ariza ay ime    til o put o sleep.    time    visit tio see, for some-t after ing a.

        It aken Uncle Leo XII ober storms t    looked like a bridal go to tc out to sea.    out of o take o ed age t faced tio, visible from treet, was full of pigeon coops.

        On told    so a man s in t, ons of all kinds of salable merci-tude of pigeons in a    mots for carrying infants. Olimpia Zuleta seemed to belong to t only because of tocks and meager bosom, but because of everyt ed eyes t    t selligent and amusing tino Ariza t sty ttractive, and        her members of his family.

        A feer    t, loading mercead of unloading it, and y, t afternoon, after taking Uncle Leo XII a’s , and o    for sale.”    must I do to get one?” Still feeding to t in a storm.” So t Florentino Ariza arrived    nig from Olimpia Zuleta: a carrier pigeon al ring around its leg.

        t afternoon, just at diime, tiful pigeon fancier sa carrier pigeon in te and t it    o exami, s tion of love. It    time t Florentino Ariza    a ten trace, and it    be t, alt enoug to sign o ernoon, a ednesday,    boy    to tell you to please keep t it    time s back. o interpret t te en route, or to play i, or sur    back to    rue, ural to return th a reply.

        On Saturday m, after muc, Florentino Ariza sent back tter. time    o    until t day. In ternoon t it ba anot said s fle ter-day sur out of courtesy and time surns it out of pity, but t no is really true t s return it again if it flies aime. tránsito Ariza played il very late, sook it out of t io lull it to sleep ino Ariza realized t in ts leg tle piece of paper ten on it: I do not accept anonymous letters. Florentino Ariza read it,    ion of    adventure, and    sleep a    nigossed and turned ience. Very early t day, before    for t te t bore ure, and    in t, reddest, and most fragrant rose from his garden.

        It    t easy. After t, tiful pigeon fancier ill sending t one of t so accept es t Florentino Ariza arranged so t to be casual enters.    person: t avid for love as    niggardly , ted every-t alloo leave a trace of , ter lying in ambus out o in t of ecstatic signed letters, gallant gifts, im-prudent vigils at trip or at t. It ime, since    days, w he lance of love.

        Six mo meeting, t last in a    on a riverboat t ed at t ernoon. Olimpia Zuleta artled pigeon fancier, and so remain naked for several    led, ed, and take turpentine aernoon. In a sudden inspiration, Florentino Ariza opened a    of red paint t    ed tiful pigeon fancier ing sout same niga undressed in front of ten    say a o tting on gown, and in a single slas .

        Florentino did not find out until many days later, old tted it. For many years    error about tters,    track of term of t -pany, but it    so muc    or a public sdal as tune of Fermina Daza’s learning about y. One day during ing, took care of tránsito Ariza o stay at t loed because of an unseasonable doo tting in ted and bedecked as aled and a smile so misc aker did not realize sil ted to tune in gold and je valuable o recover. Florentino Ariza buried ill knoery, and ed a rosebush on her grave.

        After    fes to tery, Florentino Ariza dis-covered t Olimpia Zuleta    a tombsto e scra of t, and    in    t, and later ed a cutting taken from    Florentino Ariza    sools to keep trol. But task ery of Roses, until some mayor    t and rae: Universal Cemetery.

        t Florentino Ariza ned once again to s: tings in strict rotation resses, t ts to tery. It    of routine, ed ombs ed tly in-stalled electrit De-cember afternoon er saying yes, she would love him always.

        Until time    pass for    only for ot to meet o one of tters ten, and    reize t al exclamation: “I’ll be damned, inued in ter    ution of tránsito Ariza used to say: “t in a saken, because or    six but t reappeared after eac battle. s, and six cases of impetigo in t it    o o the spoils of war.

        turned forty, o tor because of vague pains in various parts of er mas, tor ’s age.” urned    even    o do    of referen     ed o do    on ternoon falls o avoid in order to rea of auty, ts     o ter determination t Fermina Daza     left o drop tools and lean against tery    t blo knock him down.

        “Damn it,”    all y years ago!”

        And it y years t     pleasant and exing years of ed to trase mistress of iny, o all to uing tradi-tion in ter so muc at times surbed by ted. Suro Europe times after turip from o return so t s o live iual turmoil.

        God must eo someone’s prayers: after to find    telegram a Do?a Blanca de Urbino    on its urned    delay. Fermina Daza unic    s again, and to a popular song, more misc of t d’you ty from our earto give birte ty of ter it at Social Club dao prove .

        tend coat of arms ed, o treasury for a det price, and tuover o prove t toped ters of Dr. Urbino,    taking vo to live in seclusion in t of tayed in il ted. Sep, so and, ure brougary furnis for after tion trip, and from t day so fill it iimals t s to buy on tilles.

        Sy, ter urn and ood t it o possess ely as    of love ed    over. ts culminatio, at a gala di    identify. Sion, but s so muc sook anoting t t urbaiquette did not permit o o a t s eaten, ed pleasure, t. Sed defeat    time on, eggplant in all its forms    t as muc t    ed to er so t -loved    Urbino.

        Fermina Daza kne private life, unlike public life, able. It    easy for o establis in t analysis s o maturity, free at last of illusio of never    sead, s even to . In society so be t loved, most catered to, and by token most feared, but in not of    as if    to e monarc empire of    by     only for his own sake: she was in his holy service.

        If anyt ual ly o be served on time: to be perfect, and to be just o eat,    o be asked. If sic ritual,    even look up from telling trut imagine a less despotic    ime to eat, it could not be anyt just s: t s taste of meat, and t taste of fis taste of mange, and t taste of feathers.

        Even    t o be found regard-less of cost, so t ake pleasure in t urine. S blame    agonist in t life. At t of a doubt, e and say: “t love.” In t sps of fantastispiration. Oed some cea a it back, saying only: “tuff tastes of s    ea in an effort to uand, tood: it did taste of window.

        urned out a ligton missing from o love and oo seons.” Every day, at    s    spoonful of soup, o a rending    no longer frig is because I greired of alizing and unusual as o because aken a laxative, and    treac of    in to take a purgative unless sook one h him.

        tired of anding, s: t for one day ake care of tic ced in amusement, and iook c da    t fried eggs did not agree    s drink café    lec guests and gave instrus for tidying tried so o mater t before noon o capitulate    a trabar-rassment. From t mome idea     everyto find eacem, for too.

        At ten o’cloo decisions    finis, t straig scrubbed;    to replace toilet paper, cs, as’ duties: old to make t to cooking. At eleven o’clock,    to arrive, t Fermina Daza resumed and, laug loud, not riump attitude s sead ic ter as     go as badly for me as tried to cure t it    for    pat    possible to live toget than love.

        In tino Ariza on various public occasions, ion, but so see ural- more tra, s to greet    en, because in tious but inexorable advan tant topic of versation. Simidity ain enigmatic distance, a slig suited o e baldness y. ted in defying time and fastire, ic frock coats, , t’s string ties from ions ser umbrella. Fermina Daza greomed to seeing    ect o t     o alleviate .

        ely erased from    expected om of algia. It    glimmering of old age,    somet ary, stony, punctual t er-noon in October at t    by.

        events blurred in just a feerday, and ty of nostalgia. Sains, its oraigreet, its birds of good omen, ted o find goears of Petra Morales, e of te its sound opaz afternoons in San Juan del César ed cousins and ceet     leap out of elegraph office.

        So sell    bear te little park from t nigening face of an old lady on ter-noon ino Ariza. But sy to kno t memories of love or repentance, but t left a trail of tears on    realizing it, srap of pity t ino Ariza’s defenseless victims.

        So     at time en years aumbled alos of old age, er disadvantage of being a man and    by time ty years t unfortable at ts    intending to, or t of one of ticipating in public o say. togetan-taneous red, tiness and fabulous flas ime     scious of and grateful for tories over adversity. Life ill present tal trials, of course, but t no longer mattered: ther shore.
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