Marquez’s story, which stands out from all of his works for its realism, tells the story of a colonel waiting for his pension and a letter from the government promising him payment. In a small Colombian town where he lives in poverty, his only hope for some income is a cock. The colonel wants to send him to fight, so he feeds and takes care of him. Through the prism of the colonel’s fate, the author explores the themes of human patience, loneliness, and the interaction of man with the state.