百年孤独(英文版)-第45章
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se the illusion of being a queen when two peremptory raps of the knocker sounded at the door and she opened it to a well…groomed military officer with ceremonious manners who had a scar on his cheek and a gold medal on his chest。 He closeted himself with her father in the study。 Two hours later her father came to get her in the sewing room。 “Get your things together；？he told her。 “You have to take a long trip。？That was how they took her to Macondo。 In one single day； with a brutal slap； life threw on top of her the whole weight of a reality that her parents had kept hidden from her for many years。 When she returned home she shut herself up in her room to weep； indifferent to Don Fernando’s pleas and explanations as he tried to erase the scars of that strange joke。 She had sworn to herself never to leave her bedroom until she died when Aureliano Segundo came to get her。 It was an act of impossible fate； because in the confusion of her indignation； in the fury of her shame； she had lied to him so that he would never know her real identity。 The only real clues that Aureliano Segundo had when he left to look for her were her unmistakable highland accent and her trade as a weaver of funeral wreaths。 He searched for her without cease。 With the fierce temerity with which Jos？Arcadio Buendía had crossed the mountains to found Macondo； with the blind pride with which Colonel Aureliano Buendía had undertaken his fruitless wars； with the mad tenacity with which ？rsula watched over the survival of the line； Aureliano Segundo looked for Fernanda； without a single moment of respite。 When he asked where they sold funeral wreaths they took him from house to house so that he could choose the best ones。 When he asked for the most beautiful woman who had ever been seen on this earth； all the women brought him their daughters。 He became lost in misty byways； in times reserved for oblivion； in labyrinths of disappointment。 He crossed a yellow plain where the echo repeated one’s thoughts and where anxiety brought on premonitory mirages。 After sterile weeks he came to an unknown city where all the bells were tolling a dirge。 Although he had never seen them and no one had ever described them to him he immediately recognized the walls eaten away by bone salt； the broken…down wooden balconies gutted by fungus； and nailed to the outside door； almost erased by rain； the saddest cardboard sign in the world： Funeral Wreaths for Sale。 From that moment until the icy morning when Fernanda left her house under the care of the Mother Superior there was barely enough time for the nuns to sew her trousseau and in six trunks put the candelabra； the silver service； and the gold chamberpot along with the countless and useless remains of a family catastrophe that had been two centuries late in its fulfillment。 Don Fernando declined the invitation to go along。 He promised to go later when he had cleared up his affairs； and from the moment when he gave his daughter his blessing he shut himself up in his study again to write out the announcements with mournful sketches and the family coat of arms； which would be the first human contact that Fernanda and her father would have had in all their lives。 That was the real date of her birth for her。 For Aureliano Segundo it was almost simultaneously the beginning and the end of happiness。
Fernanda carried a delicate calendar with small golden keys on which her spiritual adviser had marked in purple ink the dates of venereal abstinence。 Not counting Holy week； Sundays； holy days of obligation； first Fridays； retreats； sacrifices； and cyclical impediments； her effective year was reduced to forty…two days that were spread out through a web of purple crosses。 Aureliano Segundo； convinced that time would break up that hostile network； prolonged the wedding celebration beyond the expected time。 Tired of throwing out so many empty brandy and champagne bottles so that they would not clutter up the house and at the same time intrigued by the fact that the newlyweds slept at different times and in separate rooms while the fireworks and music and the slaughtering of cattle went on； ？rsula remembered her own experience and wondered whether Fernanda might have a chastity belt too which would sooner or later provoke jokes in the town and give rise to a tragedy。 But Fernanda confessed to her that she was just letting two weeks go by before allowing the first contact with her husband。 Indeed； when the period was over； she opened her bedroom with a resignation worthy of an expiatory victim and Aureliano Segundo saw the most beautiful woman on earth； with her glorious eyes of a frightened animal and her long； copper…colored hair spread out across the pillow。 He was so fascinated with that vision that it took him a moment to realize that Fernanda was wearing a white nightgown that reached down to her ankles； with long sleeves and with a large； round buttonhole； delicately trimmed； at the level of her lower stomach。 Aureliano Segundo could not suppress an explosion of laughter。
“That’s the most obscene thing I’ve ever seen in my life；？he shouted with a laugh that rang through the house。 “I married a Sister of Charity。？
A month later； unsuccessful in getting his wife to take off her nightgown； he had the picture taken of Petra Cotes dressed as a queen。 Later on； when he succeeded in getting Fernanda to e back home； she gave in to his urges in the fever of reconciliation； but she could not give him the repose he had dreamed about when he went to fetch her in the city with the thirty…two belfries。 Aureliano Segundo found only a deep feeling of desolation in her。 One night； a short time before their first child was born； Fernanda realized that her husband had returned in secret to the bed of Petra Cotes。
“That’s what happened；？he admitted。 And he explained in a tone of prostrated resignation： “I had to do it so that the animals would keep on breeding。？
He needed a little time to convince her about such a strange expedient； but when he finally did so by means of proofs that seemed irrefutable； the only promise that Fernanda demanded from him was that he should not be surprised by death in his concubine’s bed。 In that way the three of them continued living without bothering each other。 Aureliano Segundo； punctual and loving with both of them。 Petra Cotes； strutting because of the reconciliation； and Fernanda； pretending that she did not know the truth。
The pact did not succeed； however； in incorporating Fernanda into the family。 ？rsula insisted in vain that she take off the woolen ruff which she would have on when she got up from making love and which made the neighbors whisper。 She could not convince her to use the bathroom or the night lavatory and sell the gold chamberpot to Colonel Aureliano Buendía so that he could convert it into little fishes。 Amaranta felt so unfortable with her defective diction and her habit of using euphemisms to designate everything that she would always speak gibberish in front of her。
“Thifisif。？she would say； “ifisif onefos ofosif thofosif whosufu cantantant statantand thefesef smufumellu ofosif therisir owfisown shifisifit。？
One day； irritated by the mockery； Fernanda wanted to know what Amaranta was saying； and she did not use euphemisms in answering her。
“I was saying；？she told her； “that you’re one of those people who mix up their ass and their ashes。？
From that time on they did not speak to each other again。 When circumstances demanded it they would send notes。 In spite of the visible hostility of the family； Fernanda did not give up her drive to impose the customs of her ancestors。 She put an end to the custom of eating in the kitchen and whenever anyone was hungry； and she imposed the obligation of doing it at regular hours at the large table in the dining room； covered with a linen cloth and with silver candlesticks and table service。 The solemnity of an act which ？rsula had considered the most simple one of daily life created a tense atmosphere against which the silent Jos？Arcadio Segundo rebelled before anyone else。 But the custom was imposed； the same as that of reciting the rosary before dinner； and it drew the attention of the neighbors； who soon spread the rumor that the Buendías did not sit down to the table like other mortals but had changed the act of eating into a kind of high mass。 Even ？rsula’s superstitions； with origins that came more from an inspiration of the moment than from tradition； came into conflict with those of Fernanda； who had inherited them from her parents and kept them defined and catalogued for every occasion。 As long as ？rsula had full use of her faculties some of the old customs survived and the life of the family kept some quality of her impulsiveness； but when she lost her sight and the weight of her years relegated her to a corner； the circle of rigidity begun by Fernanda from the moment she arrived finally closed pletely and no one but she determined the destiny of the family。 The business in pastries and small candy animals that Santa Sofía de la Piedad had kept up because of ？rsula’s wishes was considered an unworthy activity by Fernanda and she lost no time in putting a stop to it。 The doors of the house； wide open from daw
