One Hundred Years of Solitude

following day he rented a
small room with a door on the
street two blocks away from
the Buendía house. He set up
a table and a chair that he had
bought from Jacob, nailed up
on the wall the shield of the
republic that he had brought
with him, and on the door he
painted the sign: Magistrate.
His first order was for all the
houses to be painted blue in
celebration of the anniversary
of national independence.