No One Writes To The Colonel

After José Montiel dies "as a result of a fit of anger" (115), the town can't believe he has "indeed died" (115). In death, he looks "so well" (115) he might as well be alive. Only after José's burial in "the showy family mausoleum" (115) does the town believe he is gone. While the townspeople are surprised José died of natural causes, his wife is not. She hoped he would die of old age "painlessly, like a modern-day saint" (115). José's wife also hoped that the whole town would come to José's funeral and their flowers would fill the house. However, only "members of his own party and of his religious brotherhood" (115) attend his funeral. José and his wife's daughters, living in Paris, and their son, serving in the German consulate, send letters of regret.

José's wife, despondent over José's death, can't "find the direction of her new life" (116) after losing her husband. José hadn't left the combination to his safe before dying, so the mayor comes to the Montiel'shouse with two police officers and begins shooting rifles at the safe's lock. Lying in bed, trying to "summon death" (116), José's wife hears "a tremendous explosion" (116) when the mayor finally uses dynamite to open the safe.

After José's death, his wife's only visitor is Mr. Carmichael, an "old and diligent friend" (117) of the Montiels, who has taken over the running of the estate. Mr. Carmichael finds José's wife sitting in a state of perpetual mourning, biting her nails. José's wife contemplates the horrible October weather, the town's hostility towards her husband, their "limitless lands" (117), and "the infinite number of obligations" (117) she inherited from her husband. José's wife feels the world is "all wrong" (117).

For his part, Mr. Carmichael tries to mitigate some of the financial damages José's death has caused. José had "monopolized local business through terror" (118) and without him, or a successor, to run things, businesses suffer. José had amassed his wealth in less time than anyone in the country by partnering with mayors from the dictatorship. José sanctioned the murder of the poor and the evacuation of the rich from their town. After the rich left, José "bought their lands and cattle from them for a price which he himself set" (119). José's wife had warned him against both collusion with the mayor and the expulsion of the poor but José had dismissed her.

A year after José's death, a messenger arrives at the Montiel's house with "bad news" (119). Bandits have made off with "fifty heifers" (119), once again. After this, only Mr. Carmichael continues to visit. He's written to José Montiel's son several times, asking him to come and "take charge of affairs" (120). After a few evasive responses, José's son replies that he won't return for fear of being shot. Mr. Carmichael tells José's wife that she's "ruined" (120). José's wife tells Mr. Carmichael that it's better this way. She tells him to take what he needs and let her "die in peace" (120).

After Mr. Carmichael's visits stop, José's wife has contact only with her daughters, who live in Paris, via letters. In her letters to her daughters, José's wife tells them the town is "blighted" (120) and advises them to stay in Paris forever and not worry about her. Her daughters' replies seem to be written in "well-lit places" (120) with "many mirrors" (120). Neither daughter wishes to return to the town. In their letters, they tell their mother that Paris is "a civilization" (120) while the town is "so savage" (120). José's wife agrees with their assessments.

One evening, José's wife goes up to her room to sleep. Before she lies down, she bandages one of her nails, "irritated by her biting" (121), and begins to pray the rosary. She can't feel the beads through the bandage. She stops praying and falls asleep with her "head bent on her breast" (121). José's wife opens her eyes to see "Big Mama" (121) sitting in the patio, combing lice out of her hair and crushing them with her thumbnails. José's wife asks Big Mama when she's going to die. Big Mama raises her head and says, "When the tiredness begins in your arm" (121).