t her。
Six months after he had buried the hen； Aureliano Segundo woke up at midnight with an attack of coughing and the feeling that he was being strangled within by the claws of a crab。 It was then that he understood that for all of the magical pessaries that he destroyed and all the conjuring hens that he soaked； the single and sad piece of truth was that he was dying。 He did not tell anyone。 Tormented by the fear of dying without having sent Amaranta ？rsula to Brussels； he worked as he had never done； and instead of one he made three weekly raffles。 From very early in the morning he could be seen going through the town； even in the most outlying and miserable sections； trying to sell tickets with an anxiety that could only be conceivable in a dying man。 “Here’s Divine Providence；？he hawked。 “Don’t let it get away； because it only es every hundred years。？He made pitiful efforts to appear gay； pleasant； talkative； but it was enough to see his sweat and paleness to know that his heart was not in it。 Sometimes he would go to vacant lots； where no one could see him； and sit down to rest from the claws that were tearing him apart inside。 Even at midnight he would be in the red…light district trying to console with predictions of good luck the lonely women who were weeping beside their phonographs。 “This number hasn’t e up in four months；？he told them； showing them the tickets。 “Don’t let it get away； life is shorter than you think。？They finally lost respect for him； made fun of him； and in his last months they no longer called him Don Aureliano； as they had always done； but they called him Mr。 Divine Providence right to his face。 His voice was being filled with wrong notes。 It was getting out of tune； and it finally diminished into the growl of a dog； but he still had the drive to see that there should be no diminishing of the hope people brought to Petra Cates’s courtyard。 As he lost his voice； however； and realized that in a short time he would be unable to bear the pain； he began to understand that it was not through raffled pigs and goats that his daughter would get to Brussels； so he conceived the idea of organizing the fabulous raffle of the lands destroyed by the deluge； which could easily be restored by a person with the money to do so。 It was such a spectacular undertaking that the mayor himself lent his aid by announcing it in a proclamation； and associations were formed to buy tickets at one hundred pesos apiece and they were sold out in less than a week。 The night of the raffle the winners held a huge celebration； parable only to those of the good days of the banana pany； and Aureliano Segundo； for the last time； played the forgotten songs of Francisco the Man on the accordion； but he could no longer sing them。
Two months later Amaranta ？rsula went to Brussels。 Aureliano Segundo gave her not only the money from the special raffle； but also what he had managed to put aside over the previous months and what little he had received from the sale of the pianola； the clavichord； and other junk that had fallen into disrepair。 According to his calculations； that sum would be enough for her studies； so that all that was lacking was the price of her fare back home。 Fernanda was against the trip until the last moment； scandalized by the idea that Brussels was so close to Paris and its perdition； but she calmed down with the letter that Father Angel gave her addressed to a boardinghouse run by nuns for Catholic young ladies where Amaranta ？rsula promised to stay until her studies were pleted。 Furthermore； the parish priest arranged for her to travel under the care of a group of Franciscan nuns who were going to Toledo； where they hoped to find dependable people to acpany her to Belgium。 While the urgent correspondence that made the coordination possible went forward； Aureliano Segundo； aided by Petra Cates； prepared Amaranta ？rsula’s baggage。 The night on which they were packing one of Fernanda’s bridal trunks； the things were so well organized that the schoolgirl knew by heart which were the suits and cloth slippers she could wear crossing the Atlantic and the blue cloth coat with copper buttons and the cordovan shoes she would wear when she landed。 She also knew how to walk so as not to fall into the water as she went up the gangplank； that at no time was she to leave the pany of the nuns or leave her cabin except to eat； and that for no reason was she to answer the questions asked by people of any sex while they were at sea。 She carried a small bottle with drops for seasickness and a notebook written by Father Angel in his own hand containing six prayers to be used against storms。 Fernanda made her a canvas belt to keep her money in； and she would not have to take it off even to sleep。 She tried to give her the chamberpot； washed out with lye and disinfected with alcohol； but Amaranta ？rsula refused it for fear that her schoolmates would make fun of her。 A few months later； at the hour of his death； Aureliano Segundo would remember her as he had seen her for the last time as she tried unsuccessfully to lower the window of the second…class coach to hear Fernanda’s last piece of advice。 She was wearing a pink silk dress with a corsage of artificial pansies pinned to her left shoulder； her cordovan shoes with buckles and low heels； and sateen stockings held up at the thighs with elastic garters。 Her body was slim； her hair loose and long； and she had the lively eyes that ？rsula had had at her age and the way in which she said good…bye； without crying but without smiling either； revealed the same strength of character。 Walking beside the coach as it picked up speed and holding Fernanda by the arm so that she would not stumble； Aureliano scarcely had time to wave at his daughter as she threw him a kiss with the tips of her fingers。 The couple stood motionless under the scorching sun； looking at the train as it merged with the black strip of the horizon； linking arms for the first time since the day of their wedding。
On the ninth of August； before they received the first letter from Brussels； Jos？Arcadio Segundo was speaking to Aureliano in Melquíades？room and； without realizing it； he said：
“Always remember that they were more than three thousand and that they were thrown into the sea。？
Then he fell back on the parchments and died with his eyes open。 At that same instant； in Fernanda’s bed； his twin brother came to the end of the prolonged and terrible martyrdom of the steel crabs that were eating his throat away。 One week previously he had returned home； without any voice； unable to breathe； and almost skin and bones； with his wandering trunks and his wastrel’s accordion； to fulfill the promise of dying beside his wife。 Petra Cotes helped him pack his clothes and bade him farewell without shedding a tear； but she forgot to give him the patent leather shoes that he wanted to wear in his coffin。 So when she heard that he had died； she dressed in black； wrapped the shoes up in a newspaper； and asked Fernanda for permission to see the body。 Fernanda would not let her through the door。
“Put yourself in my place；？Petra Cotes begged。 “Imagine how much I must have loved him to put up with this humiliation。？
“There is no humiliation that a concubine does not deserve；？Fernanda replied。 “So wait until another one of your men dies and put the shoes on him。？
In fulfillment of her promise； Santa Sofía de la Piedad cut the throat of Jos？Arcadio Segundo’s corpse with a kitchen knife to be sure that they would not bury him alive。 The bodies were placed in identical coffins； and then it could be seen that once more in death they had bee as Identical as they had been until adolescence。 Aureliano Segundo’s old carousing rades laid on his casket a wreath that had a purple ribbon with the words： Cease； cows； life is short。 Fernanda was so indignant with such irreverence that she had the wreath thrown onto the trash heap。 In the tumult of the last moment； the sad drunkards who carried them out of the house got the coffins mixed up and buried them in the wrong graves。
Chapter 18
AURELIANO DID NOT leave Melquíades？room for a long time。 He learned by heart the fantastic legends of the crumbling books； the synthesis of the studies of Hermann the Cripple； the notes on the science of demonology； the keys to the philosopher’s stone； the Centuries of Nostradamus and his research concerning the plague； so that he reached adolescence without knowing a thing about his own time but with the basic knowledge of a medieval man。 Any time that Santa Sofía de la Piedad would go into his room she would find him absorbed in his reading。 At dawn she would bring him a mug of coffee without sugar and at noon a plate of rice and slices of fried plantain； which were the only things eaten in the house since the death of Aureliano Segundo。 She saw that his hair was cut； picked off the nits； took in to his size the old clothing that she found in forgotten trunks； and when his mustache began to appear the brought him Colonel Aureliano Buendía’s razor and the small gourd he had used as a shaving mug。 None of the latter’s children had looked so much like him； not even Aureliano Jos？ particularly in respect to the prominent cheekbones and the firm and rather pitiless line of the lips。 As had happened to ？rsula with Aureliano Segundo when the latter was studying in the room； Santa Sofía de la Piedad thought that Aureliano was talking to himself。 Actually； he was talking to Melquíades。 One burning noon； a short time after the death of the twins； against the light of the window he saw the gloomy old man with his crow’s…wing hat like the materialization of a memory that had been in his head since long before he was born。 Aureliano had finished classifying the alphabet of the parchments； so that when Melquíades asked him if he had discovered the language in which they had been written he did not hesitate to answer。
“Sanskrit；？he said。
Melquíades revealed to him that his opportunities to return to the room were limited。 But he would go in peace to the meadows of the ultimate death because Aureliano would have time to learn Sanskrit during the years remaining until the parchments became one hundred years old； when they could be