No One Writes to the Colonel by Gabriel García Márquez, J.S. Bernstein (Translator)

No One Writes To The Colonel (International Writers) tells the poignant tale of a retired war veteran now spending his days in poverty. This colonel survived the Thousand Days' War and eagerly awaits his pension, so he can spend his retirement comfortably. This pension was promised to him a long fifteen years prior, but there is still no sign of it.

The old colonel and his wife reside in a tiny village which is under martial law. To make matters worse, his wife suffers from asthma. They struggle to make ends meet as they barely have enough for food and medication. They use up all their savings for their daily needs, in the hope that their much-awaited pension will turn up some day.

Each Friday brings renewed hope for the colonel and his wife because it’s the day the postman arrives on his weekly rounds. But with each passing Friday, there is still no news of his pension. All these years, he has eagerly watched the ship carrying letter and other mail dock at the harbour and he still desperately clings to the hope that one day, this ship will bring him good news and his army pension.