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- 02/09/2021
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Rome - 23. Chapter 23
Duccius went home upon arriving in the city, he had the deer to prepare. One of his hunting partners told him he could salt the meat and it would keep.
“I’ll see you before I leave.”
We went to the baker who bought my wheat and oats. When he saw us, his first words, “What do you have to sell. It’s too early for wheat and oats.”
Laughing, “I have olive oil that is my third press. Are you interested?”
He went and got some bread, tasted each of the tubs. “Is this all you have?”
“I have more but not this press.”
He went back to his shop, we waited. I sent Aeneas to check the vendors, “Ask them what their price is for the cheapest grade of oil they have." He was on the way back when the baker offered to buy the oil. He quoted a price, Aeneas heard him and smiled. I accepted his offer. The boys helped him to move the tubs to his shop. When they came back they had two empty jars and one empty tub,
“He said he didn’t have enough tubs to hold all of oil. He filled three of his tubs with this tub and gave us the jars.”
“Take the jars back. Tell him the next time he empties a tub, to hold it and we’ll pick it up when we are in the city.”
The baker came out as the boys retuned. I waved as we rode away. I still had olive oil to deliver. Next stop was the Temple. When I entered the Priest came and gave me a hug.
“Sir, it’s good to see you.”
“I have a gift for you. Apollo gave us his blessing and we have a jar of our olive oil for you.” Aeneas gave him the olive oil. He smiled, “Aeneas, we need to buy a pig from the vender outside.”
I gave Aeneas some money, he returned quickly. We sacrificed the pig to Apollo, I said a prayer thanking him for his blessing on our Villa.
We spoke to the Priest as we were leaving, promised to stop again the next time we were in the city. We had one more stop, Gaius’s home. He was surprised to see us. I gave him the jar of olive oil.
“This is from our first press.”
Gaius called his cook, asked for some bread and tasted the oil. His smile said everything, “The gods have truly blessed you. Thank you for this gift.”
As I expected we had to have something to eat with a glass of wine. “Are you going to see your mother?”
“Duccius visited us and went hunting. He had a deer that we brought with us. I suspect he’ll be salting the deer. According to the boy who suggested that he could preserve the meat that way, it takes time. I gave him a jar of olive oil for mother. I need to buy some jars for my second press. I just sold my third press to a baker. I told Duccius I was going to sell my third press for lamps, he said I should sell it to the baker, which I did. I think I could sell grass to that baker.”
“You are getting a reputation. The gods have smiled on you.”
Leaving Gauis, inviting him to the Villa, I wonder if I should stop and see my mother. On the way out of the city, I heard someone calling my name. It was Duccius.
“Why aren’t you salting your deer.”
“I need more salt. I used all the salt we had. Are you going to stop and see Mother?”
“Where’s Father?”
“He isn’t home. Probably at the Senate.”
“I’ll see you at home.”
“I’ll follow you.”
Greeting my mother has always been a pleasure for me. “I think your father is going to retire from the Senate. He has put Duccius’s name forward.”
“I’m, glad for Duccius, are you going to stay here or go to Grandfather’s Villa?”
“Your father hasn’t decided. He’s ill and the physicians don’t know why. He has no aches, eats okay, although he drinks a lot of wine.”
“Maybe he has angered the gods. He needs to go the Temple and make an offering to Mars.” “He has done that.”
“Then maybe he should make an offer to Apollo asking for wisdom.”
His mother smiled. “That isn’t a bad idea, but I’m not sure he’ll accept what Apollo will tell him.”
“You dedicated me too Apollo, he has been good to me and has blessed me in many ways. Father doesn’t like me, I think he’s being punished by Apollo. He needs to make his peace with Apollo.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” I watched Duccius work the salt into the flesh of the deer. “I thought the deer was larger.”
“Father insisted we have some for supper last night. I think he overate.”
“Mother tells me you’ll be taking his place on the Senate, you’ll do well there. When the deer is gone, you must come and go hunting again. We need to leave, we’ll be traveling most of the night.” Saying good bye, we left for home.
Again I thanked Apollo for providing the moon light so we could see our way home.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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