no one the patience of an ox like you to wait 15 years for a letter

colonel waiting 15 years for pension

She located the advertisement of a law firm which promised quick action on war
pensions.

'We could have spent the money in the time I've wasted trying to convince you to
change lawyers,' the woman said, handing her husband the newspaper clipping. 'We're
not getting anything out of their putting us away on a shelf as they do with the
Indians.'
colonel asks about pension lawyer ad

She located the advertisement of a law firm which promised quick action on war
pensions.

'We could have spent the money in the time I've wasted trying to convince you to
change lawyers,' the woman said, handing her husband the newspaper clipping. 'We're
not getting anything out of their putting us away on a shelf as they do with the
Indians.'
colonel visits his lawyer

She located the advertisement of a law firm which promised quick action on war
pensions.

'We could have spent the money in the time I've wasted trying to convince you to
change lawyers,' the woman said, handing her husband the newspaper clipping. 'We're
not getting anything out of their putting us away on a shelf as they do with the
Indians.'
She located the advertisement of a law firm which promised quick action on war
pensions.

cuando el gobierno prometió auxilios

de viaje e indemnizaciones a doscientos oficiales de la revolución.
Casi sesenta años después todavía el coronel esperaba.

—Cambio de abogado.
colonel decides to change lawyers

Pero esos documentos han pasado por

miles y miles de manos en miles y miles de oficinas hasta llegar a quién sabe
qué departamentos del ministerio de guerra.
weary papertrail

—Pero en los últimos quince años han cambiado muchas veces los
funcionarios —precisó el abogado—. Piense usted que ha habido siete
presidentes y que cada presidente cambió por lo menos diez veces su gabinete
y que cada ministro cambió sus empleados por lo menos cien veces.
volatile and unstable leadership under martial law

Wife suffers severe relapse.

Colonel has to take care of household.

Colonel is concerned about rooster's wellbeing.

—Sales inmediatamente de ese gallo.

wife tells colonel to get rid of rooster

wife instructs colonel to sell clock because of poverty

colonel places clandestine info in his pocket
«Prohibido hablar de política».
Form of oppression and censorship
Agustin wrote- code for clandestine info

—Te regalo el gallo

Colonel gives ownership of the rooster to Agustin

—Nada —preguntó. —Nada —respondió el coronel—. Pero ahora no

importa. Los muchachos se encargarán de alimentar al gallo.
Agustin and his friends are now responsible for the rooster

Chapter 5 opens with the colonel in don sabas' office

Don sabas is diabetic

—Siga mi consejo, compadre —dijo don Sabas—. Venda ese gallo antes
que sea demasiado tarde.
Don sabas tells the colonel to sell the rooster

—Novecientos pesos.
Don sabas convinces colonel rooster can be sold for 900 pesos

—La ilusión no se come —dijo ella.

—No se come, pero alimenta —replicó el coronel—.

—Qué. —La cuestión del gallo —dijo el coronel—. Mañana mismo se lo

vendo a mi compadre Sabas por novecientos pesos.
Colonel decides to sell rooster to don sabas for 900 pesos