“Donna, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to spoil your evening. We can do this Saturday, really.”
“Cassia, it’s only five o’clock. I’m not over eighty; I can eat a little later. Relax and tell me what we’re doing today.”
Cassia wanted to detox her emotional system, so she opted for CST, Craniosacral Therapy, an alternative treatment requiring the therapist to act as a conduit for energy flowing through the body.
During the treatment, Donna would place her hands gently on Cassia’s body. Cassia’s body would react in various jerks and movements, as it attempted to dislodge what Donna called energy cysts. Once dislodged, the negative energy would be released, healing physical pain and sometimes emotional pain as well.
Cassia had always had great success with the controversial therapy, and today was no exception. She felt totally drained when Donna took her hands away, and if experience had taught her anything, her depression would be gone within a few days.
As Donna left her at the elevator, Cassia began to feel a little lightheaded. She quickly entered the elevator and pressed number four. The elevator opened directly into her apartment, so she made her way to the fridge for a bottle of water. Soon the dizziness passed, and Cassia looked through the fridge for something to eat.
Once her stomach was full, she sat on the couch and turned on the TV. TNT was playing a gladiator movie and a hunky Australian actor was battling a tiger in the Coliseum. As the camera panned the Coliseum, Cassia began to cry. Usually, the emotions of the body were released first, but Cassia was remembering the day her father died, and her separation from Darius.
The memories were as vivid as the day it happened. Cassia had woken up that day and smelled something strange. She looked around and saw Quintus’ feet near the side of her bed. As she looked over the side, she saw his blood-stained body and stared in disbelief. At first, she didn’t know who it was. But then, she noticed his hair, and suddenly realized that Quintus had been stabbed. She turned to wake Darius when someone suddenly grabbed her, covering her mouth and dragging her off the end of the bed.
Then Cassia noticed the guards at the door and saw Darius waking up. Nothing in the scene made any sense to her; she just knew that Darius was being taken away by the guards and she had to save him. Then Flavius was there taking her home.
Cassia stopped crying. She turned off the TV and pulled her feet up underneath her. She felt peaceful and calm. There was such clarity in her memories that she was able to understand the events in a much different way.
The day it happened, she had sobbed bitterly. Flavius avoided her, dealing with Quintus’ body and entombment. She kept to her room and didn’t eat. Finally, her emotions just shut down. She didn’t feel anything for two or three days but an overwhelming numbness. Flavius had killed her father and framed Darius for the crime. She still couldn’t process how Flavius, who had always been like an uncle to her, could do such a thing.
When Frida came to tell her Darius was being sentenced, she roused herself from her torpor and went with Frida to the Forum. As she approached the jail, she saw an older aristocratic woman leaving. As she passed her, Cassia noticed she was very angry.
Cassia remembered Darius’ face from behind the iron bars of his cell. She could still smell the foul air and sense the misery of the prisoners held there. She desperately wanted to tell him about Flavius, but the words stuck in her throat. The thought of Flavius hanging on a cross was more than she could bear.
As another memory was being released, Cassia once again experienced her feelings of utter uselessness in trying to cheer Darius, while assuring him of her love.
She could see as from another part of the room how hopeless it all was. With the iron bars between them, Darius’ suffering was beyond her understanding, and anything she said sounded childish and stupid. She wished she could tap herself on the shoulder and take her younger self out of there, but all she could do was observe.
Incarceration
Darius sat against the stone wall of the cell. Other prisoners watched him and talked quietly to each other. The smell was overwhelming and reminded him of Cletus. He’d been there for three days before he was called to see his lawyer.
Darius’ lawyer was a short, thick man by the name of Romulus. He’d been named after the founder of Rome, and his parents believed he was destined for greatness. He had the pompous air of one who’d been coddled since birth, and he was dressed in a fine linen toga of white and green, which he believed made him look very impressive. He carried a handkerchief in his left hand that he held to his nose as he spoke to Darius through the cell bars.
“Your father has pulled in a few favors, boy. He’s seen to it that your life will be spared.”
“Of course it will be spared. I didn’t do anything,” Darius argued. Romulus continued as though Darius hadn’t said a word.
“The trial will be held tomorrow, where it’ll be determined where you’ll serve your time. It’ll also be determined whether or not you’ll be banished from Rome when you’ve finished paying your debt to society.”
“Banished, what are you talking about?” Darius looked genuinely shocked. “Why hasn’t my father come to see me? When am I getting out of here? You’re my lawyer, Romulus, I didn’t do anything.”
“Banishment is not that uncommon, Darius, particularly where murder is concerned. It keeps the peace to have the murderer removed from the city. It keeps the rabble happy.”
Darius put his hand through the bars and grabbed Romulus’ toga.
“Are you stupid or deaf?” he asked the rotund lawyer.
Romulus stepped back and a guard hit Darius hands. He stared at Darius with a dumb expression and began to rub his watery eyes with his handkerchief.
“Listen to me, Darius. You should be happy your father has any interest whatsoever in you. He’s seen to it that you’ll live. Quintus was a middle-class merchant, not a slave or some insolent servant. You could have been crucified for this, but Pius intervened and you will be spared. If I were you, I would show some gratitude.”
“Romulus, I am innocent. I woke up and he was there. Why won’t anyone listen to me?”
“Because you were found in bed with his virginal little daughter, Darius, the dagger in your hand.”
“Someone put it there. I swear, I never saw that dagger before.”
“Who would do that, Darius? It’s as I thought — even you can’t think of anyone. It doesn’t matter, anyway. The tribunal has decided your guilt and will sentence you tomorrow. I’ll bring a clean toga and try to get you some water to wash with.”
“Please, Romulus, bring me some clean food and water before you leave,” Darius said
Romulus nodded, and arranged for food and water to be brought to Darius’ cell. He ate it at the cell door while the guard was present to keep the other prisoners from stealing it from him.
After Romulus had gone, Darius went back to his place by the wall. His stomach felt full for the first time in days. The food provided by the jail was rancid and covered with maggots. Even though he was growing weaker, he couldn’t touch that food.
He hadn’t been able to sleep, either. When he closed his eyes, he would think about Cassia, and wonder if she really believed he had killed her father. He tried not to think of her, but she kept coming into his mind. He wanted to ask Romulus to send her, but the thought of her in this place turned his stomach.
Darius knew where he would most likely be sent – to Pello Island. He had heard stories of the island since he was a small boy. His nurse would threaten to send him there if he misbehaved. It was a rocky little island off the coast of Sicily, mostly uninhabitable. If you survived a stay on Pello Island, you could survive almost anything.
Those who were sentenced to Pello Island were allowed to take their families with them. If Darius was indeed headed for Pello, he knew Cassia would want to go with him. Whether out of concern for her safety or mere selfishness, Darius didn’t want her there. Darius was no hero, and the thou
ght of caring for her as well as himself was overwhelming to him. If he saw her before he left, he would tell her under no circumstances was she to travel to Pello.
At the trial the next day, Darius appeared in the clean toga supplied by Romulus. He’d also been given a bowl of water to wash his face and hands, and he looked as presentable as possible.
Because of his father’s social status and the nature of the crime, it had been decided that the “trial” would be held in private. The decision to send Darius to Pello Island had already been made. Now the magistrate would determine how long he would have to be there and if he would be allowed to re-enter Rome once he finished his sentence.
Darius’ father sat near the Magistrate and the two men conferred frequently. The hearing was short, and within an hour a sentence of five years and banishment from Rome was passed. Darius later found out that banishment had been solely his father’s decision. He also found out that he could’ve been sent away for as much as 10 years. That was his father’s doing as well. Before he was returned to his cell, Darius’ father approached him.
“I don’t have to tell you what this has done to your mother, Darius. I had no choice but to banish you. You’ll be free to live anywhere but here. I’ve reinstated your allowance. It will be set aside and you’ll receive it when you return to Italy. Do you have anything to say to me?”
“Tell Anthony where I am,” he said, he then turned and told the guards to take him to his cell.
Lydia
When Darius looked up and saw Lydia standing at the iron bars, his stomach tightened into a hard knot. He had forgotten her, and now he would have to explain Cassia to her.
Lydia was well over forty, with dyed black hair and cold gray eyes. She had an enormous fortune, and she was in the habit of “nurturing” young men. She had been a widow for many years, and her guardian was a man of seventy. Lydia had run her own affairs for years, and she had run them well.
She had been dining with Senator Pius and his wife Valeria when she saw Darius walking past the dining table. His father had called him on his rudeness, and Darius came over to apologize. Lydia had asked him to take her home.
Lydia was skilled in the art of seduction, and Darius found her attractive enough, so they spent that night together. By the end of the week, Darius had a room of his own and Lydia had given him three times what his monthly allowance was for one week. She was generous, but she was possessive, and she told him in no uncertain terms that as long as she supported him, he would be hers exclusively. Darius had agreed to her terms.
All this occurred after he broke off his betrothal to Cassia. He was sure the merchant would never allow him near her again, and Lydia had so much money. Until the night he saw Flavius at the tavern, he had been able to convince himself that he would be happy with Lydia.
Now she stood at the iron bars looking at him with disdain. He had brought shame not only to his parents’ house, but to hers as well, and she was even less forgiving than Pius.
“At least get up when I’m addressing you,” she said.
“I didn’t know you were addressing me, Lydia. You hadn’t opened your mouth.”
“Your insolence is noted, Darius. Is it true that the man you killed had a daughter? And were you in her bed when you killed him?”
“First, let me say that I didn’t kill him, but yes, I was in bed with his daughter.”
“You son of a whore,” Lydia whispered. “I will hold your father to account for every dime I gave you.”
“He’ll take it out of my allowance, Lydia. I’m sure you won’t mind taking payments.”
Lydia wanted to slap his face, but the iron bars prohibited it. Instead, she spit at him, hitting his eyes. She then turned and left the building as fast as she could, almost knocking Cassia over as she approached the jail.
Cassia
Cassia hadn’t been able to enter the chamber where Darius’ hearing took place. She’d waited outside with Frida until the verdict was decided, and when she heard five years she didn’t cry out. Her depression still hadn’t lifted, so she merely stood up and left the building.
As she walked down the stairs leading to the street, Cassia decided to go to the jail. She went up to the guard at the jail door and asked to see Darius. Leaving Frida outside, Cassia followed a guard down the steps and into the belly of the jail. There were several cells filled with men who put their hands out as she passed by. Cassia kept her arms close to her sides and walked quickly to keep pace with the guard. Finally, they arrived at Darius’ cell and the guard called out his name. Darius got up off the floor and slowly walked to the cell door. Through the bars he saw Cassia and his heart sank.
“I didn’t want you to come here,” he said.
“I had to see you, Darius. I…haven’t been well and I didn’t want you to think I’d abandoned you.”
Darius’ cellmates were making rude comments and Darius began to whisper.
“You have to go home. It’s over, Cassia. They’re sending me away for five years.”
“I’m coming with you. I’m your wife and I can come with you.”
“You’re not my wife, and I don’t want you there. I’ve enough to deal with right now.” He stopped when he saw the look of pain and confusion on her face. “Please, Cassia” he said quietly, “let me go.”
Cassia’s heart ached for him. Darius looked so utterly defeated.
“Darius, I’ve worked my whole life. I’ve seen…things no one should see. How much worse can it be?” Tears were rolling down her cheeks. “I know you didn’t do this, Darius, we’ll find out who…I’ll tell your father and he’ll bring you home.”
“Gods, you’re so naïve, Cassia. He’ll never let me come back, innocent or not. He’s glad to be shed of me.”
She kept looking at his face, trying to see if he was jesting with her. When she saw how deadly serious he was, she touched his hand.
“Darius, wouldn’t the time pass more quickly with me there? I’ll have Flavius send us whatever we need to survive, and it won’t be so bad….”
“Stop this foolishness, Cassia. I don’t want you there, and that’s the end of it.” He thought for a minute before continuing. “Did you see that woman, the woman who just left? The rich woman, dressed in a silk dress? I was her lover, Cassia. She was here to collect on the money I owe her. That’s who I am, Cassia. And I won’t change, not even for you.”
Darius walked back to the wall, leaving her standing with the guard.
“You can’t go there, Cassia. It’s a horrible place, too horrible for you.” Flavius was genuinely concerned.
“I will go, Flavius, and you won’t do a thing to stop me,” she said. Her eyes were hard as she spoke to him. “You will run the shop and care for my servants. Every three months, you’ll send supplies with an armed guard to see that we get them safely. You’ll do this or I will tell the senator you killed my father.”
Flavius stood in front of her, torn between his love for her and his fear of the cross.
“We have to go to the river, Flavius. I need to book passage on a ship, and the docks aren’t safe for a woman alone.”
On the day he was to be transported to Pello Island, Darius was shackled on the docks waiting to be called onto the ship. He saw Cassia and Flavius heading toward him and became angry.
“Darius, I tried to book passage on this ship, but the ship is full and the captain told me it would be six months before I could get passage on the next one,” she said. “I booked passage, Darius. I’ll be with you in six months.”
“I told you not to come. I meant it, Cassia. I can’t be responsible for you, don’t you understand? I can’t take care of you.”
Flavius became disgusted listening to Darius and went to strike him, but a guard caught him and pushed him to the ground.
“Darius, I know who you are and I love you anyway. You called me foolish, and foolish I may be, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my whole life. But, if you don’t want me when I arrive, then
I will leave on the very next ship. Flavius will send our freedman to the island with passage for me and I’ll go.”
Darius was taken aback by her rational behavior. He would have expected her to cry and pull on his hand, but all she did was stand before him as serene as a goddess. Something had changed inside of her; something had finally touched the heart of this little girl, turning her into a woman.
“You seem so…different, Cassia. Perhaps I’ve misjudged you.”
Darius held her eyes for several seconds before looking over at Flavius. In an instant, he knew what had happened that night. Flavius saw the recognition in his eyes and turned away, leaving the docks. Darius was so shaken he’d forgotten Cassia was still standing in front of him.
“I’ll see you in six months, Darius.”
She went to touch his hand and the guard pulled her back. Darius heard his name being called and could feel himself being pulled toward the ship.
“Goodbye,” he yelled, and Cassia waved.
Darius was petrified. He’d never faced a situation like this before. He’d had a privileged life, with every need met. Now he would be in a place where no one would care who he was. He’d have no protection whatsoever, and would have to rely solely on his wits to keep himself alive. By the time the ship pulled away from the dock, Darius was shaking.
Darius stood at the rail for a long time, until he could no longer see her form. He watched the Tiber flow by and thought about the many times he’d sought its counsel. In the end, the river had sent him to Cassia and his doom.
In anger, Darius turned away and found a place to sit against a wall. He was suddenly struck by a pain in his head so strong he saw stars. It lasted for several minutes, and Darius was determined not to cry out. Instead, he held his head as tightly as he could, until the pain diminished.
After several days, the boat left the Tiber for the open sea, and the waves began to rock the boat harder. Darius pulled his legs up and put his arms around them, hugging tightly, while he thought about Cassia. Six months until she would join him. Six months alone, on Pello Island.
Pello Island: Cassia Page 14