23.11.12

A heavy gypsy with an untamed beard and sparrow hands, who introduced himself as Melquiades, put on a bold public demonstration of what he himself called the eighth wonder of the learned alchemists of Macedonia. He went from house to house dragging two metal ingots and everybody was amazed to see pots, pans, tongs, and braziers tumble down from their places and beams creak from the desperation of nails and screws trying to emerge, and even objects that had been lost for a long time appeared from where they had been searched for most and went dragging along in a turbulent confusion behind Melquiades' magical irons. 'Things have a life of their own' the gypsy proclaimed with a harsh accent. 'It's simply a matter of waking up their souls'

Gabriel Garcia Marques, One Hundred Years of Solitute, 1972