by P J Mann
“Thank you, Master,” he muttered, hoping not to be heard as he meant it only for himself.
“Wipe your eyes, Saul,” ordered Marcus Tiberius in a gentle tone. When he complied, his Master said, “I don’t need your services anymore. Soon my son will be home, and if I know him as I think I do, he will ask for you. You know your duty. Remember your place and what you are. Don’t make me punish you,” he warned.
“No, Master.” Saul bowed and left the room.
He felt hopeless; he needed to talk to Caleb, but he was busy with other duties. What am I going to do?
A voice interrupted his thoughts. “Saul, just the person I wanted to see. Come, I need to tell you everything,” Flavius yelled.
They walked together to Flavius’ room. “How was your day?” he asked, hoping to gain some of his Master’s excitement for himself.
“For Juno, I had the most hectic and greatest day of my life. Lucius Claudius Blasio is an incredible person. He is such a talented lawyer, and I have so much to learn from him,” Flavius said in ecstasy walking around the room randomly, making it difficult for Saul to follow him.
“So what do you think? Would you like to become a lawyer?”
“It is still too soon to know. I will decide after the period with Publius Julius Fulvianus. I already know it will be a difficult choice, especially if the experience I have with him is as great as the one I had today.”
Saul smiled, but his soul was tormented. Flavius grabbed him by the shoulders. “What’s going on?”
Saul hugged him, grabbing tightly to his toga. “Flavius, I can’t do this anymore,” he wept, barely holding back the tears.
Flavius couldn’t understand what he meant, but he held him tightly. Sitting on the bed with him.
Saul avoided his eyes.
“Saul, please tell me what’s wrong,” Flavius said, caressing his cheek.
“I can’t be your friend; can’t you see? Your father bought me as a slave. I can’t act like a friend with you and as a slave with your parents. Please, I need you to understand me. If you truly are my friend as you claim, then I am begging you to be my Master and behave as a Master is supposed to,” Saul pleaded.
Flavius felt the need to do something to help him. He thought he was already helping him by behaving like a friend, or maybe he was just helping himself without considering the needs of his slave.
Disconcerted, he remained silent for a while. “I’ll make a deal with you, as I think I understand what you mean. I will behave as a Master, but I will be waiting until you are ready to be my friend. When that day comes, call my name and I will understand.”
Saul had thought it would be harder to convince Flavius to behave like his father.
“Yes, Master,” Saul replied, feeling like a weight had been lifted off him, happy his Master understood.
Flavius smirked at his confusion. “Very well, Slave, now help me change,” he ordered.
Saul sighed relieved and helped his Master change from the toga to a more comfortable tunic.
“You can go now. I don’t need you at the moment. If I do, I will call you.”
“Yes, Master.”
After Saul left the room, Flavius shook his head. “I hope you know better than me what’s best,” he murmured to himself and left to meet his father.
“Flavius, I thought you were entertaining yourself with Saul,” said Marcus Tiberius, surprised to see his son so early.
“I dismissed your slave. I had better things to do, and I wanted to tell you everything about the day I had with Lucius Claudius Blasio.”
The sudden change in attitude toward Saul made Marcus Tiberius suspicious. Only the day before, he treated him as a friend, riding horses together and spending all his time with him. Then, suddenly, he indifferently cast him aside like an obsolete item.
“What happened between you and Saul? Did he misbehave?” Marcus Tiberius asked sternly
“No, Father. He is one of the best slaves you ever purchased. Why are you asking?”
“Because of your sudden change in attitude toward him.”
“Father, if I don’t find a slave useful, I dismiss it; that’s all. But it didn’t misbehave or disappoint me
Marcus Tiberius wasn’t convinced by his answer. It made him even more suspicious, but he decided to let it go. Soon he would need to travel with Saul for one entire month, then he would clarify the situation.
Days later, Saul’s neck, like all the other slaves, was enclosed in a metal collar with the name of his Master inscribed upon it. It stated that if he declared missing by his Master, there would be a reward for whoever returned him. Once returned, he would receive punishments he didn’t even dare to imagine.
From the following day on, Saul carried all the tablets; that is the job of a slave, and a master is not supposed to help him on his duties, Saul pondered, struggling to carry the weight on his shoulder.
There was an awkward silence between them, as they walked trying to fit in each other role.
After school, Saul knew he could take the road back home at an easier pace. Marcus Tiberius would be busy and didn’t need him for the rest of the day. As he left the room, he watched Flavius and Rufus walking away.
Antonius and Julius had to remain at school overtime as a punishment for being late.
“Look at yourself. You look like a dog watching his owner going away,” said Caius.
Saul turned his face to him and smiled bitterly.
“Nice collar, Slave. Is your Master afraid that you will escape?” Caius teased him, touching the collar.
“I’m not going to flee. I have no reason to,” Saul mumbled.
“Don’t take it so bad. Are you busy this afternoon?”
“No, Master Marcus Tiberius doesn’t need me today.”
“Come with me. I’m going to the Thermae. Have you ever been there?” Caius asked.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Let’s go, Slave.”
“How come you don’t have any slave to carry your tablets?” Saul asked, surprised.
“My family can’t afford a slave just for that purpose; we aren’t as rich as Flavius’ family. Besides, my father believes it won’t be good for me to get used to being lazy.”
“Here we are, Slave. Soon we can get rid of these tablets and get more comfortable,” Caius patted on Saul’s shoulder as they entered.
“You never call me by name.”
“That doesn’t concern me. You are just a slave, and that’s how I am going to call you. Does it upset you?”
“To be honest, yes, but I guess you’re right. Indeed, I am a slave, but not yours,” Saul admitted.
“Excellent point, Slave,” Caius chuckled, putting his arm around his shoulders in a friendly manner.
Saul wasn’t actually upset with his way of addressing him. What surprised him the most was that, besides this detail, Caius was not so terrible. He was the closest thing to a friend he’d ever had since brought to Rome.
Flavius was right, and the fact that Caius asked for Saul’s company that afternoon meant he had started to trust him and was willing to get to know him better.
They spent their time playing ball with other people that were there. It felt easy even for a slave to join the game together with free people. However, those were not belonging to the wealthy population, and some of them were once slaves who had been freed by their Masters.
The Thermae consisted of a large area, not only dedicated to the baths, but to all those activities that were considered beneficial for the body and soul. The area dedicated to the physical activities was located in an inner porch; meanwhile, the pools were placed in the interior of the building.
After a few hours, Saul came back home, certain he would have the evening free unless Flavius wanted to talk to him about the day, he’d had with Lucius Claudius Blasio.
He arrived at the same time as Flavius and Rufus.
“Saul, are you coming home only now?” Flavius asked.
“Yes, Mast
er. Since Master Marcus Tiberius didn’t require me to help him with his work, I’ve spent the day with Caius.”
“Really?”
“Yes, he asked me to accompany him to the Thermae, and I agreed.”
“I wouldn’t expect that he would have done something like that. It generally takes more time for him to trust somebody. Then again, I thought he would never trust you since he always calls you a slave without ever using your name,” Flavius said with a sneer.
“It was a surprise for me, as well. How was your day?”
“Another incredible one. I am so excited. The more time I spend with Lucius Claudius, the more I wish to become exactly like him. He is such a formidable lawyer.”
“You can’t imagine how happy it makes me to hear how positive your experience has been, Master,” Saul said sincerely as they walked to the house.
“Come with me to my room, and I will tell you about it,” he ordered.
“No. I need to have a talk with Saul. Maybe after,” interrupted Marcus Tiberius from the doorway of the house peeking from the heavy door with a calm expression on his face.
Saul looked at Flavius as if to ask for help, pondering if he needed to be afraid.
“Just go, and when you’re ready, come to my room.”
Saul walked with Marcus Tiberius, trying to guess whether he was upset about the day out with Caius without asking permission, but as they arrived at his room, Marcus Tiberius beamed at him.
“I have checked your translation today, and you did an impeccable job. Your translation was up to the highest standards. I only wanted to say that it was an honor for me to show this as the work of one of my youngest slaves, the work of a child, as a matter of fact.”
Saul felt like a massive stone just fell from his heart as he looked at his Master in awe.
“Thank you, Master, I…,” he said blushing. He had no idea what he could say to make his Master understand that he would do anything for him.
Marcus Tiberius looked at him, amused; he wanted to laugh, but he forced himself to keep a stern expression.
“You know we are leaving for one month in August. We are traveling alone, as the other slaves are required for other duties and they can’t leave for such a long period. This means you will look after all my needs. It won’t be easy, but I am confident you will be able to deal with your duties.”
“I’ll do my best, Master,” Saul said with a few fast nods of his head.
“And now, we’re coming to another topic: Flavius. The reason I arranged these two working periods for him is not for the sole purpose of helping him find his career path, but also to find him a wife. Lucius Claudius Blasio and Publius Julius Fulvianus have a daughter each. Both are beautiful, well-educated, and have a refined taste in decorating. Their fathers would agree to give them as wives to Flavius, but they want to know if he is worth the contract. In theory, this will be a winning situation in both cases, but I want to make sure that Flavius will achieve the career he is aiming for, and I hope that he will have a devoted wife like his mother,” Marcus Tiberius confessed.
“Is he going to get married soon?”
“No. I intend to arrange Flavius’ wedding when he returns from military service, when he is twenty years old. However, the engagement ceremony, together with the marriage contract, should be sealed relatively soon. I will handle this as soon as I return from my trip.”
“Master, why are you telling me this?”
“Because I don’t know whether Flavius has ever thought about getting married, and the news might come as a surprise. I need to know if he ever talked to you about it.”
“Yes, Master. He believes that you are trying to find a wife for him, but I am afraid he is not ready for such a commitment.”
“It is admirable that he has given some thought to the subject. I know I should have been firmer with him, but he is my only son. He is the best gift the gods granted to us, and I’m afraid I have been too kind or too soft with him thus far.”
“Someone has to put him in front of his responsibilities, Master.”
Marcus Tiberius looked at Saul thoughtfully. “Hmm…” he mumbled. “Well, I will think about it. You are dismissed. I guess Flavius is waiting for you.”
Saul headed to Flavius’ room. He wanted to share with him the praise he just received from his Master, but he thought it might be better if he kept it to himself. Likewise, he shouldn’t say anything about the discussion with Marcus Tiberius about Flavius’ wedding arrangements. He realized that the discussion was supposed to remain confidential; not even under torture would he reveal the nature of their talk.
“Master, did you want to see me?” Saul asked, carefully peeking from the door.
“Yes, come in. What was it my father needed to talk to you about? Are you in trouble?”
“No, Master, he just wanted to remind me of the trip on which I will accompany him next August,” he replied vaguely.
“He will stay away for one month. I might need your help here.” he pouted, crossing his arms on his chest.
“I’m sorry, Master,” Saul said, lowering his gaze.
He sensed Flavius was upset about his father's decision, but after all, Saul was his slave; he’d bought him for that reason. Being Flavius' companion was a side duty whenever Marcus Tiberius didn’t need him.
“Master, one month will pass quickly, and you will have plenty to do; you won't even notice I'm gone,” Saul said, trying to make him feel better.
“No, I will surely miss your presence. We go to school together, we study together. You are the nearest thing to a friend.”
“How about Caius?”
“Caius is your friend; he never asked for my company before,” Flavius protested.
“You might invite him to be your friend. He is not as wealthy as you. He might think he is not good enough to be your friend.”
Flavius shook his head. “You are so patient with my stupid complaints. I will miss your advice.”
“That’s why I am your slave, to help you, Master.” Saul winked.
“Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about the perfect day I had with Lucius Claudius Blasio. He brought me to the Forum. I was so excited, and he introduced me to some of his colleagues and said remarkably kind words about me. If only I could have the fantastic opportunity to work with him.”
“Well, if he had kind words for you in front of his colleagues, I guess it is feasible,” he reassured him. “So, do you think you are starting to make up your mind in that direction? Are you going to further your education in Law?”
“There’s still a possibility that I will like working with Publius Julius Fulvianus better. I am still uncertain, but I have time to think about it. Well, I have to go talk to my father; I guess he wants to know how the day went. You are dismissed, Saul. See you tomorrow morning.”
Saul also felt confused, but for very different reasons. Over time, he realized that he was thinking less and less of his family and the life he had in Jerusalem. His thoughts were entirely focused on his duties, the school, his feelings for Marcus Tiberius, the strange friendship with Caius, and other daily things.
Most of all, his thoughts converged to his Master; he felt affectionate toward him, and his appreciative words had more value than those of any other person. He needed Marcus Tiberius to be proud of him, to stroke his hair, to glance at him.
Marcus Tiberius felt more like a father to him than a person who owned him as an object. He was almost sure that his feelings were requited and didn’t think that Marcus Tiberius would sell him for any reason. He felt loved.
He barely spoke a word as he consumed his meal in the kitchen with the other slaves. He wanted to finish his dinner quickly so that he could go to bed, immersed in his thoughts about the feelings he was developing for Marcus Tiberius until sleep claimed him, giving relief from his working day.
Chapter 5.
Days followed one another with impressive speed. The first two weeks of working with Lucius Claudius Blasio ended with
Flavius’ biggest regret for the ending of an enlightening period, as well as with enthusiasm for his next two weeks.
He had never met Publius Julius Fulvianus but felt intimidated by his power and fame. He was probably a more influential person. The evening before meeting the politician, sleep refused to come to comfort his restless spirit.
Hoping fresh air would help, he walked out to the inner garden and gazed up at the full moon shining in the cloudless sky. He lay on the grass, thinking he probably would have found peace of mind in Saul’s singing. It was forbidden for a slave to make noise after dark, but maybe it would help me fall asleep. After pondering the situation, he decided to wake Saul. A slave’s purpose is to serve his masters at any time of the day or night.
Flavius tiptoed to the slave’s quarters, holding his oil lamp up to help him find Saul’s bed.
“Saul,” he whispered, shaking him gently.
Master?” he asked, unsure if he was just sleeping.
“Shh, come with me; I need you.”
Saul stood and dressed, then followed Flavius to his room, hoping not to wake up anyone in the house.
“What’s wrong, Master?” Saul asked as they reached his master’s room.
“I am so excited about tomorrow that I can’t fall asleep; I need you to help me.”
“What can I do?”
“Sleep with me; I don’t want to be alone with my thoughts.”
Saul smiled with drowsy eyes and crawled into bed beside Flavius. Saul remembered how his sister used to run in to sleep with him during thunderstorms, or when she was upset. He held Flavius in his arms and caressed his hair.
“I am so worried about tomorrow.”
“Everything will be as smooth as oil. I’m sure you will return in the evening with the same enthusiasm you had after the first day with Lucius Claudius Blasio. All you need to do is believe in yourself,” Saul replied, stifling a yawn.
Flavius hugged him and, fell asleep, dreaming of how difficult it would be to choose between the two careers if Saul was right, and he loved both jobs.
In the morning, Rufus, not finding Saul in his bed, went alone to wake up Flavius. When he entered the room, he could barely keep himself from laughing at the sight of Flavius and Saul hugging each other, peacefully sleeping.