Chapter 5 Summary

Aureliano Buendia and Remedios Moscote are married; the groom drops the ring and chases it to the door as the bride stands unperturbed. Over the next several months Remedios surprises everyone by demonstrating a level of sophistication and grace far beyond her years. Rebeca Buendia's planned marriage to Pietro Crespi is delayed due to tampering by Amaranta. The town priest, Father Nicanor, is scandalized by the inbreeding and underage marriages so common in the town and determines to build an enormous church to attract the devoted; he slowly raises the required funds by drinking chocolate and levitating as proof of divine grace. Influenced by Amaranta's jealous meddling, Ursula declares that Rebeca's wedding will be the first in the new cathedral—thus her nuptials are postponed for many months. Then again, upon the eve of Rebeca's wedding, fate intervenes - Remedios, pregnant with twins...