Úrsula decides to inaugurate the new house additions with a dance. She purchases a pianola (a player piano) for the occasion. The company sends an Italian expert, Pietro Crespi, to show them how to place paper rolls inside it to play tunes. José Arcadio takes apart the pianola to see how it works and does not put it back together right, so on the night of the party, the music plays off-key and arrhythmically.

Pietro returns to Macondo to repair the pianola, and Rebeca develops a crush on him. Her crush is so intense that she begins to eat handfuls of dirt again; she looks out the window every day waiting for the mailman to bring her a letter from him.

Aureliano continues his crush on Remedios, even though she is still a child. He writes a great deal of poetry about her. One night, he gets very drunk with friends, blacks out, and wakes up in Pilar’s bed. He tells her all about his feelings for Remedios, and she comforts him. He tells his parents that he plans to marry her.

José Arcadio consents, as long as Rebeca can marry Pietro.