No One Writes To The Colonel

In a small town in Colombia, in the late 1950s, an unnamed former military colonel and his wife live in poverty. The novella begins in the morning, when the colonel makes the last "little spoonful" (3) of coffee for his wife, who is recovering from an asthma attack. The colonel brings the coffee to his wife as a bell rings outside, announcing a funeral. His wife thinks "about the dead man" (3) and remarks that the dead man was born "exactly a month" (3) after her and the colonel's son, whom has also recently died.

It's October and the weather is perpetually damp. The colonel feels "the sinister month again in his intestines" (4). He unhitches his pet rooster from the bed and brings it with him into the living room, which is much larger than the "narrow" (4) bedroom. The colonel hitches the rooster to the kitchen stove's leg then begins to wind his clock. Some neighborhood children come into the kitchen through a "hole in the fence" (5) and sit watching the rooster. The colonel tells them not to, but they don't listen to him.

The colonel goes into the bedroom to get dressed for the funeral. His wife's asthma prevented her from ironing his traditional white suit, so he has to wear "the old black suit" (5) he wore for their wedding years ago. As the colonel dresses, his wife comments that the dead man must have met their own dead son, Agustín, already. She says that maybe the dead man won't tell Agustín about "the situation" (5) of poverty they've been in since he died. The colonel replies that they're "probably talking roosters" (5). He then pulls out a ragged umbrella his wife won at a raffle years ago but doesn't bring it with him. The colonel shaves without a mirror and puts on his ill-fitting, faded suit.

The colonel leaves his "palm-thatched roof" (7) house and heads down toward the plaza. As he enters the town's center, he sees it is "carpeted with flowers" (7). The colonel makes his way to the dead man's home to "give his condolences to the mother of the dead man" (7). Inside the house, the colonel gets jostled into the crowded bedroom where the dead man's body lies. The colonel finds the dead man's mother and says he's "so sorry" (8). The woman lets out a howl and people begin to move the dead man's coffin out of the room.

Outside the house, the colonel finds his friend, Sabas, "the godfather of his dead son" (8). Sabas offers the colonel his umbrella and the two men walk together. The colonel comments on the funeral procession's lack of a trumpet, which the dead man had played when he was alive. Sabas askes the colonel what's "new with the rooster" (9). The colonel says the rooster is "still there" (9). The two men notice a disturbance in the funeral procession. The mayor has told them that the procession can't "pass in front of the police barracks" (9). Sabas replies that he always forgets that they live "under martial law" (9).

The colonel becomes ill by the time the procession reaches the cemetery. Sabas asks him what's wrong and the colonel replies that it's October. Sabas tells the colonel to have a doctor examine him but the colonel says he's not sick, it's just that October makes him feel as if he has "animals in my gut" (10). The colonel returns home, buying a can of coffee and some corn for the rooster on his way. Though the colonel wants to get back in his hammock and sleep all day, he attends to the rooster. By the following Friday, the colonel feels a bit better, as does his asthmatic wife.

Agustín's friends, "workers from the tailor shop" (10), come by the colonel's house to check on the rooster.The colonel inherited the rooster from Agustín when he was gunned down at a cockfight for "distributing clandestine literature" (11). Agustín's friends are all saving their money to place bets on the rooster. The colonel's wife says she can't see what's so special about "such an ugly rooster" (10). Agustín's friends say the rooster is "the best in the district" (10) and could be worth "about fifty pesos" (10). The colonel's wife calls the rooster an "expensive illusion" (11) that will want to eat their livers once its corn is gone. The colonel, looking for pants in the closet, says that in a few months they can sell the rooster for a decent amount of money.

On Friday, the colonel wants to go out to check the mail. His wife irons his pants and tells him to put on his patent-leather shoes. The colonel says they make him feel like "a fugitive from an asylum" (11) but he does it anyway. The colonel walks down to the harbor to wait for the "mail launch" (11). He walks to the post office to wait for his mail and finds the doctor there, waiting for the newspaper. The colonel waits with "nervous tension" (12) as the mail person sorts the letters. The mail person announces that there's "nothing for the colonel" (13).

The colonel and the doctor walk back to town together. The colonel asks the doctor "what's in the news" (13) and the doctor replies that it's hard to tell with all the government censorship. The doctor loans the colonel his newspapers, saying he'll pick them up tomorrow. The colonel reads the papers in his hammock and his wife asks if there's any news "about the veterans" (14). The colonel replies that they usually publish a list "of the new pensioners" (14) but it's been over five years since any news like that has been published.

The colonel and his wife fall asleep, but the colonel awakens in the middle of the night with fever-induced delirium. He goes back to sleep and in the morning denies that he had a fever. The colonel's wife has regained her "nervous energy" (15) after recovering from her asthma attack. She spends the morning reorganizing their small house.

At noon, the doctor comes to examine the colonel's wife. He gives her a prescription and says that "this patient is healthier" (16) than he is. The doctor gives the colonel an envelope with "a summary of the events in the country, mimeographed for clandestine circulation" (16). The doctor tells the colonel to "pass it on" (16). As the doctor leaves, the colonel asks him how much they owe him. The doctor says nothing, for now; pay him "when the cock wins" (17). The colonel heads to the tailor shop Agustín worked at to give his son's friends the "clandestine letter" (17) from the doctor.

That afternoon, the colonel's wife fashions a new shirt for him from scraps of old clothes. That evening, the colonel asks his wife for money to buy corn for the rooster. She tells him there's only fifty cents left from the money they made selling Agustín's sewing machine. The rooster's corn costs forty-two cents. The colonel's wife thinks for a moment then tells him to buy the corn.

The colonel's wife uses her sewing skills to sustain the couple for the week. On Friday, the colonel goes back to the harbor to wait for his mail. Once again, newspapers arrive for the doctor and nothing arrives for the colonel. Dejected, the colonel returns to his house, feeling "cheated" (22). The next Friday, again, the colonel receives no mail. At home, his wife says they've waited long enough. The colonel reflects on how the process to claim his pension started nineteen years before. He hasn't received an official letter about it in six years. The colonel asks his wife for the clipping of the newspaper advertisement for a law firm promising "quick action on war pensions" (22). The colonel tells her he's going to change lawyers.

The next day, the colonel goes to see his current lawyer. The lawyer practices law in his home, using a dusty player piano for a desk. The lawyer tells the colonel he warned him it would "take more than a few days" (23) but the colonel expresses his frustration. The lawyer explains that not everyone served as long as the colonel did, and that the government has had to "make adjustments in the budget" (24) to accommodate the pensions. The colonel says the pensions aren't charity and tells his lawyer he's decided to change lawyers. The lawyer gives the colonel his power of attorney. The colonel asks for his "proof of claim" (26) documents but the lawyer says he doesn't have them, and that it would be impossible to get them.

With great care, the colonel handwrites a letter seeking a new lawyer. It's begun to rain, and the colonel's roof has a leak. He uses the rooster's feed can to catch the dripping water. The colonel and his wife go to sleep. The colonel talks in his sleep about the Civil War.

The rain continues into November. The colonel's wife brings flowers to Agustín's grave then suffers an asthma attack. The doctor prescribes a special diet. The colonel also suffers a relapse, feeling "the flora in his vitals" (29) being torn apart. He hopes things will change when it stops raining or his pension letter arrives. During his wife's asthma attack, the colonel barely eats. When his wife recovers, she tells him to get rid of the rooster. The colonel says it will be worth it to wait two months and sell it "at a better price" (30). The colonel's wife blames cockfighting for Agustín's death, as he was shot at a cockfight. She tells the colonel that "it's a sin" (31) to feed the rooster instead of themselves.

Later that day, the colonel's wife tells him to sell the clock, their last remaining sellable possession, to Alvaro, the man who owns the tailor shop. The colonel's wife wraps the clock in newspaper and hands it to the colonel. He takes it to the tailor but, when he arrives there, pretends he's only taking the clock to get repaired. One of the workers, Hernán, offers to fix the clock himself. The colonel asks Hernán what he owes him for the clock and Hernán says that the rooster "will pay for it" (34) come January. The colonel seizes this opportunity and offers to give the rooster to the tailors. They refuse, saying it's right for the colonel to put "Agustín's rooster into the ring" (34). Hernán then realizes that the colonel is trying to tell them he can't afford to keep the rooster. The two men strike a deal.

A month passes, and the colonel gets caught in the rain on his way to the harbor to check the mail. He stops at Sabas' office to wait out the rain. Sabas is in poor health, and taking pills daily.Sabas' wife gives him an injection for his diabetes while the colonel watches. Sabas' wife begins to muse about death then notices the colonel's defeated expression. The colonel says he's worried because it's almost five o'clock and the rooster "hasn't had his injection" (37). Sabas' wife calls that sacrilege and Sabas tells her to leave them alone. After she leaves, the colonel tells Sabas that the rooster's training starts next week. Sabas says it's "madness" (37) but tells the colonel he's "absolutely sure" (38) the rooster will sell for nine hundred pesos. The colonel goes to the harbor and tells the postmaster he's expecting an "urgent letter" (38), but no letters have come.

That evening, the colonel's wife makes them corn mush from the rooster's excess feed. She jokes that the rooster "decided to share it" (38) with them. The colonel is in a pensive mood. His wife tries to cheer him, but all the colonel says is that the rooster is worth its weight in gold and will feed them for three years. The colonel's wife replies that you can't "eat hope" (39). The next day, after eating more corn mush, the colonel's wife says it's been two months since the dead man's funeral and she hasn't been to see his family.

The colonel and his wife walk into town so she can visit the dead man's family. While his wife visits, the colonel wanders the town square. When he returns to the house, his wife isn't there. She isn't at their house either. Just before he leaves to look for her again, she returns. The colonel asks where she was, and his wife says, "Roundabout" (40). The colonel presses her for a clearer answer. The colonel's wife admits that she was talking to Father Angel about selling him their wedding rings, though the priest refused her. She also admits that two days ago, she tried to sell their clock and painting.

This embarrasses and offends the colonel, who worries that now everyone will know they're starving. His wife says she's tired of "resignation and dignity" (42)and waiting for a pension that will never come. She complains about Sabas' wealth and the colonel reminds her that Sabas is "dying of diabetes" (42). The colonel's wife counters that they're "dying of hunger" (42). A thunderclap interrupts her and she reaches for her rosary. The colonel smiles and says God is on his side. Inside, though, the colonel feels "embittered" (42). He thinks back to the signing of his party's surrender at Neerlandia and how "he hadn't had a moment's peace" (43) since then. He opens his eyes and tells his wife that she doesn't need to worry anymore: he's selling the rooster to Sabas for nine hundred pesos.

The colonel goes to Sabas' house but finds Sabas busy talking to some workers. When Sabas has a free moment, the colonel tells him he's come to talk about the rooster. Sabas tells him he'll be right back. The colonel goes for a walk then has lunch at home. His wife has prepared "a complete lunch" (45) on credit with the vendors. She scolds the colonel for presenting himself as if he was "begging alms" (45) instead of holding his head high and doing Sabas "the favor" (47) of selling him the rooster. She tries to get the colonel to bring the rooster with him back to Sabas' but he refuses.

The colonel finds Sabas in his bedroom with the doctor. The three men joke about diabetes killing the wealthy too slowly. Sabas asks the colonel what's going on with the rooster. The colonel says he's come to sell him and Sabas says it's "the most sensible thing" (48) the colonel could have done. Sabas says he might have a customer who would buy the rooster for 400 pesos next week. The doctor says he heard the rooster was worth more than that and the colonel agrees. Sabas explains that no one wants to "pit" (49) a good rooster for fear it'll "come out of the pit shot to death" (49). Sabas gives the colonel a sixty-peso advance on the selling price.

Leaving Sabas' house, the colonel and the doctor walk together through the market. The colonel remarks that the rooster feeds "on human flesh" (50) and the doctor counters that the only animal who "feeds on human flesh is Sabas" (50). The doctor criticizes Sabas' deal with the mayor that led him to his wealth. The colonel tries to defend his friend, but the doctor tells him not to "be so naïve" (50).

Later that evening, the colonel and his wife return to the market to shop. She tells the colonel to find Agustín's friends and tell them the rooster's been sold. The colonel finds Alvaro playing roulette in a pool hall. He whispers into Alvaro's ear to bet on eleven because it's coming up the most. Alvaro hands the colonel an envelope of clandestine news "from Agustín" (51)and puts a big bet on eleven. He doesn't win. Just as the colonel apologizes for his advice, the music in the pool hall stops and the colonel feels "the dry snap, articulate and cold, of a rifle being cocked behind his back" (51). The colonel worries that he's been caught by the police with "the clandestine paper" (51) in his pocket. He turns toward the rifle and sees, for the first time, the man who shot Agustín. The colonel pushes the rifle barrel "away with the tips of his fingers" (51), saying “excuse me.” The man says the colonel can leave.

In December, the colonel begins to feel more optimistic, as does his wife. They've used Sabas' loan of sixty pesos to buy a few things: food, a mirror, and new shoes for the colonel, which he refuses to wear. On Friday, the colonel has a "presentiment that the letter" (53) from the pension office will arrive. He goes down to the harbor to wait for the postmaster. He waits at the stall of Moses the Syrian and the two men discuss the circus, which has come to town for the first time in ten years. The colonel follows the postmaster from the waterfront into the plaza and, hearing a loud clamor, realizes that today is the day of his rooster's trial in the cockfighting pit.

In the pit, the colonel sees his rooster "alone, defenseless" (54), waiting to face its opponent, "a sad ashen rooster" (54). The colonel feels nothing as he watches his rooster calmly face down and defeat each opponent. Hernán, from the tailor's shop, picks up the rooster and shows him to the cheering crowd. The colonel makes his way into the pit and takes the rooster from Hernán. Hernán, confused by the colonel's brusqueness, explains that the colonel wasn't home when they went to get the rooster. The colonel makes his way home. The whole town comes out to watch him. The colonel feels that "the way home had never been so long" (56).

Back at home, the colonel finds his wife "sobbing" (56). The colonel says nothing as he ties the rooster to the stove's leg. His wife says that boys told her the rooster belongs to the town, not to them. The colonel tells his wife that the boys "did the right thing" (57) and adds that the rooster is "not for sale" (57). The colonel takes the remaining twenty-nine pesos from Sabas and says he'll give Sabas the rest when his pension arrives. His wife asks what if the pension never arrives, but the colonel says it will. If it doesn't, the colonel says, Sabas won't get paid.

Next, the colonel cleans up his new shoes and puts them back in their box. He says he's going to return them to the Turks and get back thirteen of Sabas' pesos. His wife says they won't take them back, but the colonel says they will. The colonel and his wife go to bed without eating, though neither of them can sleep. In the night, the colonel's wife says to go to Sabas tomorrow, but the colonel says Sabas won't be back until Monday. The colonel's wife begs him to consider how much "four hundred pesos in one lump sum is" (58). The colonel says it won't be long until his pension comes.

In the morning, the colonel and his wife drink their coffee and eat their breakfast in silence. The colonel goes to the tailor shop then returns at lunchtime. His wife says there is no lunch; a bit later, she makes lunch. While they eat, she holds back tears. The colonel recalls how even Agustín's death "had not wrung a single tear out of her" (59). His wife calls him "stubborn, and inconsiderate" (59) and accuses him of caring more for the rooster than for her. She says she's dying slowly. The colonel says if selling the rooster would cure her asthma, he'd do it "immediately" (60). After lunch, the colonel takes the rooster back to the cockfighting pit.

That night, he finds his wife during an asthma attack. She goes to bed without speaking to him. The colonel wishes he could sleep until January 20th, the date of the rooster's first fight. His wife worries about how much they'll make from the rooster's fight. The colonel falls asleep, but his wife stays awake all night, talking to herself. In the morning, the colonel tells his wife that they can sell the clock or the painting, then goes back to sleep.

His wife shakes him awake, asking what they'll do if they can't sell anything. The colonel says by then it will be January 20th and they'll have "twenty percent" (62) of the rooster's earnings. His wife asks what happens if the rooster loses. The colonel says he "can't lose" (62) but his wife insists that he might. She takes the colonel by the collar "of his flannel night shirt" (62) and asks what they'll eat in the meantime. The colonel, feeling "pure, explicit, invincible at the moment" (62) replies, "Shit" (62).