ouched him。 “Lordy！？she said； sincerely startled； and that was all she could say。 Jos？Arcadio felt his bones filling up with foam； a languid fear； and a terrible desire to weep。 The woman made no insinuations。 But Jos？Arcadio kept looking for her all night long； for the smell of smoke that she had under her armpits and that had got caught under his skin。 He wanted to be with her all the time； he wanted her to be his mother； for them never to leave the granary； and for her to say “Lordy！？to him。 One day he could not stand it any more and。 he went looking for her at her house： He made a formal visit； sitting unprehendingly in the living room without saying a word。 At that moment he had no desire for her。 He found her different； entirely foreign to the image that her smell brought on； as if she were someone else。 He drank his coffee and left the house in depression。 That night； during the frightful time of lying awake； he desired her again with a brutal anxiety； but he did not want her that time as she had been in the granary but as she had been that afternoon。
Days later the woman suddenly called him to her house； where she was alone with her mother； and she had him e into the bedroom with the pretext of showing him a deck of cards。 Then she touched him with such freedom that he suffered a delusion after the initial shudder； and he felt more fear than pleasure。 She asked him to e and see her that night。 He agreed。 in order to get away； knowing that he was incapable of going。 But that night； in his burning bed； he understood that he had to go we her； even if he were not capable。 He got dressed by feel； listening in the dark to his brother’s calm breathing； the dry cough of his father in the next room； the asthma of the hens in the courtyard； the buzz of the mosquitoes； the beating of his heart； and the inordinate bustle of a world that he had not noticed until then； and he went out into the sleeping street。 With all his heart he wanted the door to be barred and not just closed as she had promised him。 But it was open。 He pushed it with the tips of his fingers and the hinges yielded with a mournful and articulate moan that left a frozen echo inside of him。 From the moment he entered； sideways and trying not to make a noise； he caught the smell。 He was still in the hallway； where the woman’s three brothers had their hammocks in positions that he could not see and that he could not determine in the darkness as he felt his way along the hall to push open the bedroom door and get his bearings there so as not to mistake the bed。 He found it。 He bumped against the ropes of the hammocks； which were lower than he had suspected； and a man who had been snoring until then turned in his sleep and said in a kind of delusion； “It was Wednesday。？When he pushed open the bedroom door； he could not prevent it from scraping against the uneven floor。 Suddenly； in the absolute darkness； he understood with a hopeless nostalgia that he was pletely disoriented。 Sleeping in the narrow room were the mother； another daughter with her husband and two children； and the woman； who may not have been there。 He could have guided himself by the smell if the smell had not been all over the house； so devious and at the same time so definite； as it had always been on his skin。 He did not move for a long time； wondering in fright how he had ever got to that abyss of abandonment； when a hand with all its fingers extended and feeling about in the darkness touched his face。 He was not surprised； for without knowing； he had been expecting it。 Then he gave himself over to that hand； and in a terrible state of exhaustion he let himself be led to a shapeless place where his clothes were taken off and he was heaved about like a sack of potatoes and thrown from one side to the other in a bottomless darkness in which his arms were useless； where it no longer smelled of woman but of ammonia； and where he tried to remember her face and found before him the face of ？rsula； confusedly aware that he was doing something that for a very long time he had wanted to do but that he had imagined could really never be done； not knowing what he was doing because he did not know where his feet were or where his head was； or whose feet or whose head； and feeling that he could no longer resist the glacial rumbling of his kidneys and the air of his intestines； and fear； and the bewildered anxiety to flee and at the same time stay forever in that exasperated silence and that fearful solitude。
Her name was Pilar Ternera。 She had been part of the exodus that ended with the founding of Macondo； dragged along by her family in order to separate her from the man who had raped her at fourteen and had continued to love her until she was twenty…two； but who never made up his mind to make the situation public because he was a man apart。 He promised to follow her to the ends of the earth； but only later on； when he put his affairs in order； and she had bee tired of waiting for him； always identifying him with the tall and short； blond and brunet men that her cards promised from land and sea within three days； three months； or three years。 With her waiting she had lost the strength of her thighs； the firmness of her breasts； her habit of tenderness； but she kept the madness of her heart intact。 Maddened by that prodigious plaything； Jos？Arcadio followed her path every night through the labyrinth of the room。 On a certain occasion he found the door barred； and he knocked several times； knowing that if he had the boldness to knock the first time he would have had to knock until the last； and after an interminable wait she opened the door for him。 During the day； lying down to dream； he would secretly enjoy the memories of the night before。 But when she came into the house； merry； indifferent； chatty； he did not have to make any effort to hide his tension； because that woman； whose explosive laugh frightened off the doves； had nothing to do with the invisible power that taught him how to breathe from within and control his heartbeats； and that had permitted him to understand why man are afraid of death。 He was so wrapped up in himself that he did not even understand the joy of everyone when his father and his brother aroused the household with the news that they had succeeded in penetrating the metallic debris and had separated ？rsula’s gold。
They had succeeded； as a matter of fact； after putting in plicated and persevering days at it。 ？rsula was happy； and she even gave thanks to God for the invention of alchemy； while the people of the village crushed into the laboratory； and they served them guava jelly on crackers to celebrate the wonder； and Jos？Arcadio Buendía let them see the crucible with the recovered gold； as if he had just invented it。 Showing it all around； he ended up in front of his older son； who during the past few days had barely put in an appearance in the laboratory。 He put the dry and yellowish mass in front of his eyes and asked him： “What does it look like to you？？Jos？Arcadio answered sincerely：
“Dog shit。？
His father gave him a blow with the back of his hand that brought out blood and tears。 That night Pilar Ternera put arnica presses on the swelling； feeling about for the bottle and cotton in the dark； and she did everything she wanted with him as long as it did not bother him； making an effort to love him without hurting him。 They reached such a state of intimacy that later； without realizing it； they were whispering to each other。
“I want to be alone with you；？he said。 “One of these days I’m going to tell everybody and we can stop all of this sneaking around。？
She did not try to calm him down。
“That would be fine；？she said “If we’re alone； we’ll leave the lamp lighted so that we can see each other； and I can holler as much as I want without anybody’s having to butt in； and you can whisper in my ear any crap you can think of。？
That conversation； the biting rancor that he felt against his father； and the imminent possibility of wild love inspired a serene courage in him。 In a spontaneous way； without any preparation； he told everything to his brother。
At first young Aureliano understood only the risk； the immense possibility of danger that his brother’s adventures implied； and he could not understand the fascination of the subject。 Little by little he became contaminated with the anxiety。 He wondered about the details of the dangers； he identified himself with the suffering and enjoyment of his brother； he felt frightened and happy。 He would stay awake waiting for him until dawn in the solitary bed that seemed to have a bottom of live coals； and they would keep on talking until it was time to get up； so that both of them soon suffered from the same drowsiness； felt the same lack of interest in alchemy and the wisdom of their father； and they took refuge in solitude。 “Those kids are out of their heads；？？rsula said。 “They must have worms。？She prepared a repugnant potion for them made out of mashed wormseed； which they both drank with unforeseen stoicism； and they sat down at the same time on their pots eleven times in a single day； expelling some rose…colored parasites that they showed to everybody with great jubilation； for it allowed them to deceive ？rsula as to the origin of their distractions and drowsiness。 Aureliano not only understood by then； he also lived his brother’s experiences as something of his own； for on one occasion when the latter was explaining in great detail the mechanism of love； he interrupted him to ask： “What does it feel like？？Jos？Arcadio gave an immediate reply：
“It’s like an earthquake。？
One January Thursday at two o’clock in the morning； Amaranta was born。 Before anyone came into the room； ？rsula examined her carefully。 She was light and watery； like a newt； but all of her parts were human： Aureliano did not notice the new thing except when the house became full of people。 Protected by the confusion； he went off in search of his brother； who had not been in bed since eleven o’clock； and it was such an impulsive decision that he did not even have time to ask himself how he could get him out of Pilar Ternera’s bedroom。 He circled the house for several hours； whistling private calls； until the proximity o