Summary

The story of young love and the early relationship between Fermina and Florentino is described in the second chapter of the book. As a young man, Florentino works in a telegraph office and he first sees Fermina when he delivers a telegram to her father. She is sitting in a room of the house reading to her aunt. Florentino is so taken by thirteen-year-old Fermina that he finds a bench in the park where he can read a book and watch her walking to school each day. He begins to write her a letter, professing his love, which he is not sure how to give to her. The letter ends up being over seventy pages long and he asks his mother, Transito Ariza, what he should do about his love for Fermina. His mother is supportive of his love but warns him against giving her the...