Сто лет одиночества

           NooneunderstoodVisitación’salarm."Ifwedon’teversleepagain,somuchthebetter,"JoséArcadioBuendíasaidingoodhumor."Thatwaywecangetmoreoutoflife."ButtheIndianwomanexplainedthatthemostfearsomepartofthesicknessofinsomniawasnottheimpossibilityofsleeping,forthebodydidnotfeelanyfatigueatall,butitsinexorableevolutiontowardamorecriticalmanifestation:alossofmemory.Shemeantthatwhenthesickpersonbecameusedtohisstateofvigil,therecollectionofhischildhoodbegantobeerasedfromhismemory,thenthenameandnotionofthings,andfinallytheidentityofpeopleandeventheawarenessofhisownbeing,untilhesankintoakindofidiocythathadnopast.JoséArcadioBuendía,dyingwithlaughter,thoughtthatitwasjustaquestionofoneofthemanyillnessesinventedbytheIndians’superstitions.Butúrsula,justtobesafe,tooktheprecautionofisolatingRebecafromtheotherchildren.

           "Thechildrenareawaketoo,"theIndiansaidwithherfatalisticconviction."Onceitgetsintoahousenoonecanescapetheplague."

           Theyhadindeedcontractedtheillnessofinsomnia.úrsula,whohadlearnedfromhermotherthemedicinalvalueplants,preparedandmadethemalldrinkabrewofmonkshood,buttheycouldnotgettosleepandspentthewholedaydreamingontheirfeet.Inthatstatehallucinatedlucidity,notonlydidtheyseetheimagesoftheirowndreams,butsomesawtheimagesdreamedbyothers.Itwasasifthehousewerefullofvisitors.