ot touch any feeling。 On his way back to the workshop； seeing that the air was beginning to dry out； he decided that it was a good time to take a bath； but Amaranta had got there ahead of him。 So he started on the second little fish of the day。 He was putting a hook on the tail when the sun came out with such strength that the light creaked like a fishing boat。 The air； which had been washed by the three…day drizzle； was filled with flying ants。 Then he came to the realization that he felt like urinating and he had been putting it off until he had finished fixing the little fish。 He went out into the courtyard at ten minutes after four； when he heard the distant brass instruments； the beating of the bass drum and the shouting of the children； and for the first time since his youth he knowingly fell into a trap of nostalgia and relived that prodigious afternoon Of the gypsies when his father took him to see ice。 Santa Sofía de la Piedad dropped what she was doing in the kitchen and ran to the door。
“It’s the circus；？she shouted。
Instead of going to the chestnut tree； Colonel Aureliano Buendía also went to the street door and mingled with the bystanders who； were watching the parade。 He saw a woman dressed in gold sitting on the head of an elephant。 He saw a sad dromedary。 He saw a bear dressed like a Dutch girl keeping time to the music with a soup spoon and a pan。 He saw the clowns doing cartwheels at the end of the parade and once more he saw the face of his miserable solitude when everything had passed by and there was nothing but the bright expanse of the street and the air full of flying ants with a few onlookers peering into the precipice of uncertainty。 Then he went to the chestnut tree； thinking about the circus； and while he urinated he tried to keep on thinking about the circus； but he could no longer find the memory。 He pulled his head in between his shoulders like a baby chick and remained motionless with his forehead against the trunk of the chestnut tree。 The family did not find him until the following day at eleven o’clock in the morning when Santa Sofía de la Piedad went to throw out the garbage in back and her attention was attracted by the descending vultures。
Chapter 14
MEME’S LAST VACATIONS coincided with the period of mourning for Colonel Aureliano Buendía。 The shuttered house was no place for parties。 They spoke in whispers； ate in silence； recited the rosary three times a day； and even clavichord practice during the heat of siesta time had a funereal echo。 In spite of her secret hostility toward the colonel； it was Fernanda who imposed the rigor of that mourning； impressed by the solemnity with which the government exalted the memory of its dead enemy。 Aureliano Segundo； as was his custom came back to sleep in the house during his daughter’s vacation and Fernanda must have done some。 thing to regain her privileges as his legitimate wife because the following year Meme found a newborn little sister who against the wishes of her mother had been baptized with the name Amaranta ？rsula。
Meme had finished her course of study。 The diploma that certified her as a concert clavichordist was ratified by the virtuosity with which she executed popular melodies of the seventeenth century at the gathering organized to celebrate the pletion of her studies and with which the period of mourning came to in end。 More than her art； the guests admired her duality。 Her frivolous and even slightly infantile character did not seem up to any serious activity； but when she sat down at the clavichord she became a different girl； one whose unforeseen maturity gave her the air of an adult。 That was how she had always been。 She really did am have any definite vocation； but she had earned the highest grades by means of inflexible discipline simply in order not to annoy her mother。 They could have imposed on her an apprenticeship in any other field and the results would have been the same。 Since she had been very small she had been troubled by Fernanda’s strictness； her custom of deciding in favor of extremes； and she would have been capable of a much more difficult sacrifice than the clavichord lessons merely not to run up against her intransigence。 During the graduation ceremonies she had the impression that the parchment with Gothic letters and illuminated capitals was freeing her from a promise that she had accepted not so much out of obedience as out of convenience； and she thought that from then on not even the insistent Fernanda would worry any more about an instrument that even the nuns looked upon as a museum fossil。 During the first years she thought that her calculations were mistaken because after she had put half the town to sleep； not only in the parlor but also at all charitable functions； school ceremonies； and patriotic celebrations that took place in Macondo； her mother still invited to the house every newer whom she thought capable of appreciating her daughter’s virtues。 Only after the death of Amaranta； when the family shut itself up again in a period of mourning； was Meme able to lock the clavichord and forget the key in some dresser drawer without Fernanda’s being annoyed on finding out when and through whose fault it had been lost。 Meme bore up under the exhibitions with the same stoicism that she had dedicated to her apprenticeship。 It was the price of her freedom。 Fernanda was so pleased with her docility and so proud of the admiration that her art inspired that she was never against the house being fall of girl friends； her spending the afternoon in the groves； and going to the movies with Aureliano Segundo or some muted lady as long as the film was approved by Father Antonio Isabel from the pulpit。 During those moments of relaxation Meme’s real tastes were revealed。 Her happiness lay at the other extreme from discipline； in noisy parties； in gossip about lovers； in prolonged sessions with her girl friends； where they learned to smoke and talked about male business； and where they once got their hands on some cane liquor and ended up naked； measuring and paring the parts of their bodies。 Meme would never forget that night when she arrived home chewing licorice lozenges； and without noticing their consternation； sat down at the table where Fernanda and Amaranta were eating dinner without saying a word to each other。 She had spent two tremendous hours in the bedroom of a girl friend； weeping with laughter and fear； and beyond an crises she had found the rare feeling of。 bravery that she needed in order to run away from school and tell her mother in one way or another that she could use the clavichord as an enema。 Sitting at the head of the table； drinking a chicken broth that landed in her stomach like an elixir of resurrection； Meme then saw Fernanda and Amaranta wrapped in an accusatory halo of reality。 She had to make a great effort not to throw at them their prissiness； their poverty of spirit their delusions of grandeur。 From the time of her second vacation she had known that her father was living at home only in order to keep up appearances； and knowing Fernanda as she did and having arranged later to meet Petra Cotes； she thought that her father was right。 She also would have preferred being the daughter of the concubine。 In the haziness of the alcohol Meme thought with pleasure about the scandal that would have taken place if she were to express her thoughts at that moment； and the intimate satisfaction of her roguishness was so intense that Fernanda noticed it。
“What’s the matter？？she asked。
“Nothing；？Meme answered。 “I was only now discovering how much I loved you both。？
Amaranta was startled by the obvious burden of hate that the declaration carried。 But Fernanda felt so moved that she thought she would go mad when Meme awoke at midnight with her head splitting with pain and drowning in vomited gall。 She gave her a vial of castor oil； put presses on her stomach and ice cubes on her head； and she made her stay in bed for five days and follow the diet ordered by the new and outlandish French doctor； who after examining her for more than two hours reached the foggy conclusion that she had an ailment peculiar to women。 Having lost her courage； in a miserable state of demoralization； Meme had no other recourse but to bear up under it。 ？rsula； pletely blind by then but still active and lucid； was the only one who guessed the exact diagnosis。 “As far as I can see；？she thought； “that’s the same thing that happens to drunken people。？But she not only rejected the idea； she reproached herself for the frivolity of her thought。 Aureliano Segundo felt a twinge of conscience when he saw Meme’s state of prostration and he promised himself to take better care of her in the future。 That was how the relationship of jolly radeship was born between father and daughter； which freed him for a time from the bitter solitude of his revels and freed her from Fernanda’s watchful eye without necessity of provoking the domestic crisis that seemed inevitable by then。 At that time Aureliano Segundo postponed any appointments in order to be with Meme； to take her to the movies or the circus； and he spent the greater part of his idle time with her。 In recent times his annoyance with the absurd obesity that prevented him from tying his shoes and his abusive satisfaction with all manner of appetites had began to sour his character。 The discovery of his daughter restored his former joviality and the pleasure of being with her was slowly leading him away from dissipation。 Meme was entering a fruitful age。 She was not beautiful； as Amaranta had never been； but on the other hand she was pleasant； unplicated； and she had the virtue of making a good impression on people from the first moment。 She had a modem spirit that wounded the antiquated sobriety and poorly disguised miserly heart of Fernanda； and that； on the other hand； Aureliano Segundo took pleasure in developing。 It was he who resolved to take her out of the bedroom she had occupied since childhood； where the fearful eyes of the saints still fed her adolescent terrors； and he furnished for her a room with a royal bed； a large dressing table； and velvet curtains； not realizing that he was producing a second version of Petra Cotes’s room。 He was so lavi