猘 de la Piedad； she gave a new drive to her pastry business and in a few years not only recovered the fortune that her son had spent in the war； but she once more stuffed with pure gold the gourds buried in the bedroom。 “As long as God gives me life；？she would say； “there will always be money in this madhouse。？That was how things were when Aureliano Jos？deserted the federal troops in Nicaragua； signed on as a crewman on a German ship； and appeared in the kitchen of the house； sturdy as a horse； as dark and long…haired as an Indian； and with a secret determination to marry Amaranta。
When Amaranta； saw him e in； even though he said nothing she knew immediately why he had e back。 At the table they did not dare look each other in the face。 But two weeks after his return； in the presence of ？rsula； he set his eyes on hers and said to her； “I always thought a lot about you。？Amaranta avoided him。 She guarded against chance meetings。 She tried not to bee separated from Remedios the Beauty。 She was ashamed of the blush that covered her cheeks on the day her nephew asked her how long she intended wearing the black bandage on her hand； for she interpreted it as an allusion to her virginity。 When he arrived； she barred the door of her bedroom； but she heard his peaceful snoring in the next room for so many nights that she forgot about the precaution。 Early one morning； almost two months after his return； she heard him e into the bedroom。 Then； instead of fleeing； instead of shouting as she had thought she would； she let herself be saturated with a soft feeling of relaxation。 She felt him slip in under the mosquito netting as he had done when he was a child； as he had always done； and she could not repress her cold sweat and the chattering of her teeth when she realized that he was pletely naked。 “Go away；？she whispered； suffocating with curiosity。 “Go away or I’ll scream。？But Aureliano Jos？knew then what he had to do； because he was no longer a child but a barracks animal。 Starting with that night the dull； inconsequential battles began again and would go on until dawn。 “I’m your aunt；？Amaranta murmured； spent。 “It’s almost as if I were your mother； not just because of my age but because the only thing I didn’t do for you was nurse you。？Aureliano would escape at dawn and e back early in the morning on the next day； each time more excited by the proof that she had not barred the door。 He had nit stopped desiring her for a single instant。 He found her in the dark bedrooms of captured towns； especially in the most abject ones； and he would make her materialize in the smell of dry blood on the bandages of the wounded； in the instantaneous terror of the danger of death； at all times and in all places。 He had fled from her in an attempt to wipe out her memory； not only through distance but by means of a muddled fury that his panions at arms took to be boldness； but the more her image wallowed in the dunghill of the war； the more the war resembled Amaranta。 That was how he suffered in exile； looking for a way of killing her with； his own death； until he heard some old man tell the tale of the man who had married his aunt； who was also his cousin； and whose son ended up being his own grandfather。
“Can a person marry his own aunt？？he asked； startled。
“He not only can do that； a soldier answered him。 “but we’re fighting this war against the priests so that a person can marry his own mother。？
Two weeks later he deserted。 He found Amaranta more withered than in his memory； more melancholy and shy； and now really turning the last corner of maturity； but more feverish than ever in the darkness of her bedroom and more challenging than ever in the aggressiveness of her resistance。 “You’re a brute；？Amaranta would tell him as she was harried by his hounds。 “You can’t do that to a poor aunt unless you have a special dispensation from the Pope。？Aureliano； Jos？promised to go to Rome； he promised to go across Europe on his knees to kiss the sandals of the Pontiff just so that she would lower her drawbridge。
“It’s not just that；？Amaranta retorted。 “Any children will be born with the tail of a pig。？
Aureliano Jos？was deaf to all arguments。
“I don’t care if they’re born as armadillos；？he begged。
Early one morning； vanquished by the unbearable pain of repressed virility； he went to Catarino’s。 He found a woman with flaccid breasts； affectionate and cheap； who calmed his stomach for some time。 He tried to apply the treatment of disdain to Amaranta。 He would see her on the porch working at the sewing machine； which she had learned to operate with admirable skill； and he would not even speak to her。 Amaranta felt freed of a reef； and she herself did not understand why she started thinking again at that time about Colonel Gerineldo Márquez； why she remembered with such nostalgia the afternoons of Chinese checkers； and why she even desired him as the man in her bedroom。 Aureliano； Jos？did not realize how much ground he had lost on； the night he could no longer bear the farce of indifference and went back to Amaranta’s room。 She rejected him with an inflexible and unmistakable determination； and she barred the door of her bedroom forever。
A few months after the return of Aureliano Jos？an exuberant woman perfumed with jasmine appeared at the house with a boy of five。 She stated that he was the son of Colonel Aureliano Buendía and that she had brought him to ？rsula to be baptized。 No one doubted the origins of that nameless child： he looked exactly like the colonel at the time he was taken to see ice for the first time。 The woman said that he had been born with his eyes open； looking at people with the judgment of an adult； and that she was frightened by his way of staring at things without blinking。 “He’s identical；？？rsula said。 “The only thing missing is for him to make chairs rock by simply looking at them。？They christened him Aureliano and with his mother’s last name； since the law did not permit a person to bear his father’s name until he had recognized him。 General Moncada was the godfather。 Although Amaranta insisted that he be left so that she could take over his upbringing； his mother was against it。 ？rsula at that time did not know about the custom of sending virgins to the bedrooms of soldiers in the same way that hens are turned loose with fine roosters； but in the course of that year she found out： nine more sons of Colonel Aureliano Buendía were brought to the house to be baptized。 The oldest； a strange dark boy with green eyes； who was not at all like his father’s family； was over ten years old。 They brought children of all ages； all colors； but all males and all with a look of solitude that left no doubt as to the relationship。 Only two stood out in the group。 One； large for his age； made smithereens out of the flowerpots and china because his hands seemed to have the property of breaking everything they touched。 The other was a blond boy with the same light eyes as his mother； whose hair had been left to grow long and curly like that of a woman。 He entered the house with a great deal of familiarity； as if he had been raised there； and he went directly to a chest in ？rsula’s bedroom and demanded； “I want the mechanical ballerina。？？rsula was startled。 She opened the chest； searched among the ancient and dusty articles left from the days of Melquíades； and wrapped in a pair of stockings she found the mechanical ballerina that Pietro Crespi had brought to the house once and that everyone had forgotten about。 In less than twelve years they baptized with the name Aureliano and the last name of the mother all the sons that the colonel had implanted up and down his theater of war： seventeen。 At first ？rsula would fill their pockets with money and Amaranta tried to have them stay。 But they finally limited themselves to giving them presents and serving as godmothers。 “We’ve done our duty by baptizing them；？？rsula would say； jotting down in a ledger the name and address of the mother and the place and date of birth of the child。 “Aureliano needs well…kept accounts so that he can decide things when he es back。？During lunch； menting with General Moncada about that disconcerting proliferation； she e