“He will be busy helping me with my work so, in any case, you won’t have much time to spend together. Don’t worry, there will be time to entertain yourself with our new slave,” Marcus Tiberius replied, chuckling.
“Yes, Father,” Flavius replied.
Marcus Tiberius sighed. His son was growing quickly into manhood, and yet his behavior was, from time-to-time, still childish. He hoped the following four weeks would help him to gain the maturity he should have for his age.
“You may go now. Soon it will be time for dinner.”
When he was alone in the room, Marcus Tiberius went to lie down on the couch, thinking of his son, his career and, eventually, his future bride. He thought that Saul needed to know about the changes in the plans, particularly for what concerned his daily schedule, so he called for having him in his presence.
After a while, Saul appeared in his room. “Did you call for me, Master?”
“Yes, I did. You have gone to school for about ten months already. How is it going?” Marcus Tiberius asked, trying to find a suitable way to update him about the change of plans for the following four weeks.
“It is going very well. Our teacher is a knowledgeable one. Thank you for allowing me to continue my education with him,” he replied.
“Come nearer. Why are you so far away?”
Marcus Tiberius watched him as he walked and found himself intrigued by that tiny, graceful figure. As Saul drew close, he caressed his soft hair.
The scent of horses on the slave’s skin aroused him. He shook his head, trying to focus.
“The reason I called you is that I have arranged four weeks for my son, during which he will be working with two of the most influential people in Rome. The first one is a famous lawyer, the other a well-known diplomat. I hope he will be able to decide on his career so that his education might have a final and steady direction. This means he won’t have much time to spend riding horses with you or entertaining himself with your company. Anyway, I will need you every day from tomorrow on to work with some translations. Eventually, Flavius will spend the evenings with you,” Marcus Tiberius explained, caressing the skin on Saul’s arm absentmindedly.
Saul nodded, aware of the gentle touch on his skin. He thought he was becoming fond of Marcus Tiberius and wished to stay with him for the rest of his life. Being in his presence was relaxing, giving him a feeling of safety, that nobody could harm him ever.
Marcus Tiberius sighed, continuing to caress his soft skin, then he abruptly stood and smiled. “Now, you can go. Be sure to have a bath to get rid of the horse. See you tomorrow, immediately after school,” Marcus Tiberius ordered, dismissing him.
“Yes, Master, thank you.” Saul obeyed and walked toward the bath.
There, in the light of the oil lamp, he cleaned himself carefully. He made sure to use the same aromatic oils Nana used on his skin after the bath he had the day he was bought at the market. He ran his fingertips on his skin, recalling how it felt when Marcus Tiberius touched him.
That night, Flavius could not fall asleep. He was too excited about the next two weeks and the deal his father could seal for his career.
Lucius Claudius Blasio was well known for his abilities, and he was the most in-demand lawyer in all of Rome.
Aspiring lawyers would give all their possessions to get this chance. He didn’t know how to show his father the gratitude he felt in his heart.
He turned many times on his bed, to no avail. Thoughts of his future ricocheted in his head. A few hours before it was time for the slaves to awaken him, he finally fell asleep.
In the morning, a gentle shaking welcomed Flavius to the new day, the most important one in his life, so far. “Good morning, Saul. Do you know why today is going to be the best day of my life?” Flavius asked, jumping out of his bed.
“Yes, Master, your father informed me. I’m so happy for you. This will be a fantastic chance for your future,” Saul said, as he and Rufus helped Flavius dress appropriately for the occasion.
“You can say that again, my dear Saul,” Flavius replied excitedly.
Rufus said, “Master, I will pick you up from school at midday and accompany you to your working place. I will do this every day. It shows your wealth when you are seen to have a personal slave taking care of your needs.”
“I’d rather have Saul accompany me,” Flavius pouted.
“Master Marcus Tiberius needs him for his work,” Rufus insisted.
“Yes, sure.” Flavius shrugged.
After a while, the boys were ready to walk to school. As they arrived at the place where they were supposed to divide the weight of the tablets, Saul shook his head.
“No, Flavius, not with that dress; you can’t allow yourself to get dirty or to ruin it. I will carry them every day by myself. They are heavy, but I can manage on my own,” Saul objected, continuing to walk. He tried to convince himself that these efforts would at least be beneficial to the development of his body.
As he carried the bag of tablets on his shoulders, he thought about how he was not an equal like Caius, even though his master tried to treat him like a friend.
They arrived at school with Saul already exhausted, but he knew that he had the whole day to concentrate on the lessons. He would do his duty, getting the most out of it for excellent results, to show Marcus Tiberius that the investment in educating him wasn’t a mistake.
For the whole day, Saul considered his relationship with Flavius and realized that there wasn’t any need for his master to behave like a friend.
He needed to convince Flavius to behave as his father did, as a Master was supposed to, not as a friend. He decided to talk to him as soon as the first chance arose.
The time at school passed too fast for Saul but too slow for Flavius, who anxiously waited for the beginning of his working day with Lucius Claudius Blasio.
He could not focus on anything his teacher said and didn’t much care either. He knew that Saul would follow carefully and explain the lessons to him later that evening.
In the middle of the day, Rufus appeared in the classroom to bring his Master to his first day at work.
Saul waved, “Have a good day, Master; I will be waiting for you at home to hear about your first experience and explain to you what we have done at school. I could see you weren't paying attention today.”
“I will call you as soon as I return home.”
“Thank you, Master,” Saul whispered, watching them go out of the classroom.
“Have they left you all alone, Slave?” a voice asked behind him.
He turned his face and saw Caius smiling at him. “So it seems. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go. My Master needs my services today. See you tomorrow, Caius.” He loaded the tablets’ bag on his shoulders.
Caius shook his head and watched him go. “See you tomorrow, Slave!” he yelled.
The days grew longer, and the new season announced itself with a chilly wind, although it was supposed to be spring. Saul shivered at the brisk change in temperature. He wasn’t used to colder temperatures, and, that evening, he was sure the wind blew as cold as the breath of death.
He hurried through the streets of the city, hoping to arrive soon at home where it was warmer, and he could release his shoulders from the weight of the tablets.
On that evening, the road felt longer and harder, and he missed Flavius. Not so much for the fact that he would have carried his own tablets, but mostly because he would have talked to him, making the distance feel shorter.
Relief flowed through him when he spotted Marcus Tiberius’ house.
When he arrived at his Master’s room out of breath, he said, “I’m sorry, Master, were you waiting for me?”
Marcus Tiberius looked at him and beamed. “You came just in time, Saul; you’re not late at all. Come closer.” He stood up and looked at him, puzzled. “Is anything wrong?”