ere still not in agreement on the hot Wednesday when an aged nun knocked at the door bearing a small basket on her arm。 When she opened the door Santa Sofía de la Piedad thought that it was a gift and tried to take the small basket that was covered with a lovely lace wrap。 But the nun stopped her because she had instructions to give it personally and with the strictest secrecy to Do？a Fernanda del Carpio de Buendía。 It was Meme’s son。 Fernanda’s former spiritual director explained to her in a letter that he had been born two months before and that they had taken the privilege of baptizing him Aureliano； for his grandfather； because his mother would not open her lips to tell them her wishes。 Fernanda rose up inside against that trick of fate； but she had sufficient strength to hide it in front of the nun。
“We’ll tell them that we found him floating in the basket；？she said smiling。
“No one will believe it；？the nun said。
“If they believe it in the Bible；？Fernanda replied； “I don’t see why they shouldn’t believe it from me。？
The nun lunched at the house while she waited for the train back； and in accordance with the discretion they asked of her； she did not mention the child again； but Fernanda viewed her as an undesirable witness of her shame and lamented the fact that they had abandoned the medieval custom of hanging a messenger who bore bad news。 It was then that she decided to drown the child in the cistern as soon as the nun left； but her heart was not strong enough and she preferred to wait patiently until the infinite goodness of God would free her from the annoyance。
The new Aureliano was a year old when the tension of the people broke with no forewarning。 Jos？Arcadio Segundo and other union leaders who had remained underground until then suddenly appeared one weekend and organized demonstrations in towns throughout the banana region。 The police merely maintained public order。 But on Monday night the leaders were taken from their homes and sent to jail in the capital of the province with two…pound irons on their legs。 Taken among them were Jos？Arcadio Segundo and Lorenzo Gavilán； a colonel in the Mexican revolution； exiled in Macondo； who said that he had been witness to the heroism of his rade Artemio Cruz。 They were set free； however； within three months because of the fact that the government and the banana pany could not reach an agreement as to who should feed them in jail。 The protests of the workers this time were based on the lack of sanitary facilities in their living quarters； the nonexistence of medical services； and terrible working conditions。 They stated； furthermore； that they were not being paid in real money but in scrip； which was good only to buy Virginia ham in the pany missaries。 Jos？Arcadio Segundo was put in jail because he revealed that the scrip system was a way for the pany to finance its fruit ships； which without the missary merchandise would have to return empty from New Orleans to the banana ports。 The other plaints were mon knowledge。 The pany physicians did not examine the sick but had them line up behind one another in the dispensaries and a nurse would put a pill the color of copper sulfate on their tongues； whether they had malaria； gonorrhea； or constipation。 It was a cure that was so mon that children would stand in line several times and instead of swallowing the pills would take them home to use as bingo markers。 The pany workers were crowded together in miserable barracks。 The engineers； instead of putting in toilets； had a portable latrine for every fifty people brought to the camps at Christmas time and they held public demonstrations of how to use them so that they would last longer。 The decrepit lawyers dressed in black who during other times had besieged Colonel Aureliano Buendía and who now were controlled by the banana pany dismissed those demands with decisions that seemed like acts of magic。 When the workers drew up a list of unanimous petitions； a long time passed before they were able to notify the banana pany officially。 As soon as he found out about the agreement Mr。 Brown hitched his luxurious glassed…in coach to the train and disappeared from Macondo along with the more prominent representatives of his pany。 Nonetheless some workers found one of them the following Saturday in a brothel and they made him sign a copy of the sheet with the demands while he was naked with the women who had helped to entrap him。 The mournful lawyers showed in court that that man had nothing to do with the pany and in order that no one doubt their arguments they had him jailed as an impostor。 Later on； Mr。 Brown was surprised traveling incognito； in a third…class coach and they made him sign another copy of the demands。 On the following day he appeared before the judges with his hair dyed black and speaking flawless Spanish。 The lawyers showed that the man was not Mr。 Jack Brown； the superintendent of the banana pany； born in Prattville Alabama； but a harmless vendor of medicinal plants； born in Macondo and baptized there with the name of Dagoberto Fonseca。 A while later； faced with a new attempt by the workers the lawyers publicly exhibited Mr。 Brown’s death certificate； attested to by consuls and foreign ministers which bore witness that on June ninth last he had been run over by a fire engine in Chicago。 Tired of that hermeneutical delirium； the workers turned away from the authorities in Macondo and brought their plaints up to the higher courts。 It was there that the sleight…of…hand lawyers proved that the demands lacked all validity for the simple reason that the banana pany did not have； never had had； and never would have any workers in its service because they were all hired on a temporary and occasional basis。 So that the fable of the Virginia ham was nonsense； the same as that of the miraculous pills and the Yuletide toilets； and by a decision of the court it was established and set down in solemn decrees that the workers did not exist。
The great strike broke out。 Cultivation stopped halfway； the fruit rotted on the trees and the hundred…twenty…car trains remained on the sidings。 The idle workers overflowed the towns。 The Street of the Turks echoed with a Saturday that lasted for several days and in the poolroom at the Hotel Jacob they had to arrange twenty…four…hour shifts。 That was where Jos？Arcadio Segundo was on the day it was announced that the army had been assigned to reestablish public order。 Although he was not a man given to omens； the news was like an announcement of death that he had been waiting for ever since that distant morning when Colonel Gerineldo Márquez had let him see an execution。 The bad omen did not change his solemnity； however。 He took the shot he had planned and it was good。 A short time later the drumbeats； the shrill of the bugle； the shouting and running of the people told him that not only had the game of pool e to an end； but also the silent and solitary game that he had been playing with himself ever since that dawn execution。 Then he went out into the street and saw them。 There were three regiments； whose march in time to a galley drum made the earth tremble。 Their snorting of a many…headed dragon filled the glow of noon with a pestilential vapor。 They were short； stocky； and brutelike。 They perspired with the sweat of a horse and had a smell of suntanned hide and the taciturn and impenetrable perseverance of men from the uplands。 Although it took them over an hour to pass by； one might have thought that they were only a few squads marching in a circle； because they were all identical； sons of the same bitch； and with the same stolidity they all bore the weight of their packs and canteens； the shame of their rifles with fixed bayonets； and the chancre of blind obedience and a sense of honor。 ？rsula heard them pass from her bed in the shadows and she made a crow with her fingers。 Santa Sofía de la Piedad existed for an instant； leaning over the embroidered tablecloth that she had just ironed； and she thought of her son； Jos？Arcadio Segundo； who without changing expression watched the last soldiers pass by the door of the Hotel Jacob。
Martial law enabled the army to assume the functions of arbitrator in the controversy； but no effort at conciliation was made。 As soon as they appeared in Macondo； the soldiers put aside their rifles and cut and loaded the bananas and started the trains running。 The workers； who had been content to wait until then； went into the woods with no other weapons but their working machetes and they began to sabotage the sabotage。 They burned plantations and missaries； tore up tracks to impede the passage of the trains that began to open their path with machine…gun fire； and they cut telegraph and telephone wires。 The irrigation ditches were stained with blood。 Mr。 Brown； who was alive in the electrified chicken coop； was taken out of Macondo with his family and those of his fellow countrymen and brought to a safe place under the protection of the army。 The situation was threatening to lead to a bloody and unequal civil war when the authorities called upon the workers to gather in Macondo。 The summons announced that the civil and military leader of the province would arrive on the following Friday ready to intercede in the conflict。
Jos？Arcadio Segundo was in the crowd that had gathered at the station on Friday since early in the morning。 He had taken part in a meeting of union leaders and had been missioned； along with Colonel Gavilán； to mingle in the crowd and orient it according to how things went。 He did not feel well and a salty paste was beginning to collect on his palate when he noticed that the army had set up machine…gun emplacements around the small square and that the wired city of the banana pany was protected by artillery pieces。 Around twelve o’clock； waiting for a train that was not arriving； more than three thousand people； workers； women； and children； had spilled out of the open space in front of the station and were pressing into the neighboring streets； which the army had closed off with rows of machine guns。 At that time it all seemed more like a jubilant fair than a waiting crowd。 They had brought over the fritter and drink stands from the Street of the Turks and the peo