Rome - 32. Chapter 32

For the next two weeks, we worked in the gardens, groves, and vineyard. Our animals were tended with the help of Junius. His mother said he couldn’t have the lamb he wanted. I told him we would keep it for him, and he can play with it when he visits. That seemed to be acceptable. Nour said he spends all day with the animals.

“We have to tell him they need to rest for him to come to eat. He wanted to know why he couldn’t eat what they are eating.”

Laughing, I thought, he has an inquisitive mind.

Duccius suggested that we go and visit grandfather’s Villa. I thought that might not be a bad idea. I could show them how to make salt from Neptune’s sea. So after the evening meal, we decided that Grandfather Gaius and Deacon would go, Duccius would take his family, including a rabbit that Junius had adopted, Aumen and Aeneas would go with me. I suggested we go with two carts. Duccius’s man would drive one, and I asked Dante to drive the other. There still is something Dante isn’t telling me about what happened to him in the city. I noticed when he was with me, and I’d stopped at my father’s house, he was extremely nervous.

When Father visited, he wasn’t with the others. Maybe I’ll find out, and I did when I told him I wanted him to drive one of the carts to my grandfather’s Villa in the south. He knew my Farther and Mother would be there.

“Lucinius, I can’t go. Please don’t make me.”

“Dante, something happened when you were in the city. I have a feeling my father was involved.”

“I don’t want you to go against your father. That’s why I didn’t tell you and why I stayed away when your father visited. When I was in the city, I thought I’d be treated the same as I was treated here. I went to a vendor for some food, he charged me too much. When I said, he didn’t give me the right change. He told me to get out, or he’ll send his men after me. So I left; I was sitting on the steps of the Senate when your father saw me. He asked me where you were, I told him at the Villa. He told his friend, ‘he thinks he’s a freedman, but he’s a slave, and it looks like he ran away.’ I showed him my papers. He said they were forges and tore them up. Then he pushed me off the steps. Some of the guards heard what he said. They started to beat me. Your grandfather saw me and took me to his house. He had two men in a cart that were coming here. He put me in the cart. You know the rest.”

As strange as that story sounded, I knew it was the truth. I remembered my father’s words. They think they are freedmen. They are slaves.

“You can stay home. Ask Nour if he would drive the cart.”

I was angry. My father was a stubborn sad man. His sickness is his rotten attitude eating him from the inside. Mars must be disgusted with him as he isn’t helping him. After the evening meal, we packed my cart with wheat and oats that we didn’t grind to flour. I packed several bottles of my wine and olive oil. Aumen went and picked some ripe fruit, which he added as well. Felix brought some cheese and bread that he made with herbs.

We woke up before the sun. Apollo gave us a light sky, so we could see to start. We hadn’t gone far when Apollo sent his carriage, and the sun began to shine on our group. It was a fun trip, although I wasn’t sure what to expect when we arrived. I remember stopping to water the horses, and we stopped there again. While the horses and mules had a drink, we had some of the food we had packed. The animals found the grass that grew close to the water and were grazing. It wasn’t long before we were on our way again. It was a pleasant trip, not like the last time I made this trip.

At my first sight of the Villa, I pointed it out to everyone. They had to stop and look.

“You can feel the breeze from the sea here.”

“Yes, there’s a cool breeze. It has a strange smell.”

“That’s the smell of the sea.”

Once we got a glimpse of the Villa, it didn’t take long before we were riding directly toward the Villa. I’m not sure if they saw us or who told them, but it wasn’t long when I saw Niciu riding toward us. When he saw Duccius and me, he started to laugh. We had to stop to hug him.

“Your grandfather is anxious to see you.”

He looked at Junius, smiled when he saw him holding the rabbit.

Looking at Duccius, “Senator Caecus, that must be your son. He looks like you.”

“Yes, he is Niciu, I’m not sure what Lucinius son would look like, but this little one is mine.” Looking at me, he laughed.

As we approached the Villa, I could make out my grandfather, father, and mother. Father was sitting with Mother behind him. I thought this would be interesting. As we stopped in front of the Villa, men came to take our horses and mules. I let Duccius and Aleta with Junius, and his rabbit, go first. Grandfather Gaius followed, Deacon followed next, then Aumen, Nour, and I followed. I made sure that Aumen and Nour walked beside me. I watched as Grandfather welcomed Duccius and his family, then Grandfather Gaius, with Deacon standing behind him. When he came to me, he hugged me, then hugged Aumen and Nour.

I was wondering what my father thought when he saw that. When Duccius went to my father, he stood and hugged him, kissed Aleta on the cheek. His eyes were on Junius.

He picked him up, “He looks like you, Duccius, another recruit for the Roman Army.”

I saw Aleta shake her head no. I watched as he greeted Grandfather Gaius, then it was my turn. He sat down, looked at me, and then Aumen and Nour. That was it. I looked at Mother, and she knew what I was thinking.

“It’s nice to see you, Father.”

He looked away. Mother came around and hugged me, and she hugged Aumen and Nour as well. “Your father is not feeling well.”

“Mother, I understand.” She knew exactly what I meant.

“Niciu, before they take my cart away, take the wheat, oats, olive oil, wine, and cheese to the kitchen.”

“Lucinius, is that from your Villa?”

“Yes, Grandfather, we were blessed by the gods again. I brought some of the wheat, oats, olive oil, a sample of my wine, and the cheese we make. I hope you enjoy it.”

“Thank you. Let’s have your cheese and wine now. I like to hear what is happening in the Senate and if the letters we are receiving telling the truth.”

Niciu had some of the men bring couches for us to sit on. They set a table where they put the cheese, wine, and bread. One of his kitchen staff handed us plates of cheese and bread. Another gave us cups of wine. I watched as they ate the cheese. Mother thought it had an interesting flavor, and my father thought it was turning bad; it has a strange taste. Grandmother asked what the flavor was.

“One of my men added herbs to the cheese, and I think this has the herb called rosemary.”

“It gives the cheese an interesting taste.”

“Your wine is from the grapevines I sent?”

“Yes, Grandfather, we had a good crop this year.”

“This doesn’t taste like my grapes.”

“I think sometimes the grape is influenced by where it grows. I know the men were making sure the vines had water when they were growing, but we didn’t water as often when the grapes were ripe. I think that would be the only difference.”

“I thought your watering system worked all the time?”

“Yes Father, we modified it, which allows diverting the water in different directions.”

I noticed he put the piece of cheese he had back on his plate. “Let’s try your olive oil and compare it to mine.”

I already knew how this was going to turn out. There was no denying my first press was superior to any I have tasted, even Grandfather’s. I watched as Grandmother poured a little of my oil on a plate. She took a piece of bread and dipped it in the oil. I watched as she ate the bread, she smiled. “This is very good.”

I watched Grandfather, he smiled. “It is very good. I’ll trade my oil for yours.”

We laughed. My father said his oil was a little bitter.

“Father, I think your illness has affected your taste. One jar of this oil I sold for one hundred denarii, you can ask Consul Ceasar about it when you return to Rome.”

He looked at me with pure hatred. I decided then he was no longer my father. Later that evening, I told Aumen, “I think my father will never accept anything I do.”

“Do you really feel that way?”

“Yes, I’ll prove it. Tomorrow I’ll use Grandfather’s oil and pretend it’s mine, watch his reaction. He has been eating Grandfather’s oil since he moved here. So he should know what it taste’s like.”