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CHAPTER 10
The next morning after a meager breakfast and chance to relieve themselves, they were off again, with Carter again in the back of the cart. But they took pity on O'Neill or thought that he was too exhausted to cause too much trouble and chained him to the back of the cart so that he could stand and walk up right. This leg of the trip was accomplished in little less than 3 hours. Fields and vineyards came into view and then a villa with attendant outbuildings and barns and a series of rather tumbled down cottages. In fact the whole farm looked decidedly dilapidated. The land was still tilled but nothing seemed well cared for not the land, not the buildings and not the pitiful troop of slaves that did the work.
O'Neill and Carter were met by the overseer, a man named Cletus, who explained how thing worked here at Villa Fecunda. Life was simple – you worked you survived, you worked exceptionally hard you were rewarded, you slacked off you went hungry, you caused trouble you suffered, you ran away your mate paid the price, as you would eventually.
Out of one of the buildings an older woman stuck her head out.
"These are the fresh blood you were supposed to buy?"
She began to berate the overseer's second who had bought and brought back Jack and
Sam.
"These are supposed to be the young hard workers we need? Did you drink up all the
money we sent you with or use it on whores?"
"Shut your mouth old woman or you'll feel my…"
She saw Jack bridle at the man's threats.
The overseer interjected. "We will make do."
"Well send them over here I could use some help. You" pointing to Sam "you come here and you" pointing at Jack "you're filthy; go round back." And to Crassus she said "Do you expect him to work like that. Free him."
Crassus unlocked the manacles and bent low to warn the still proud man "You'll never be free."
Sam walked into the kitchen of the villa, the first time in days that she felt truly warm. The first thing the old woman did was remove Sam's bonds. The woman told her to put more wood on the fire and heat some water. Then putting her head out the back door she put Jack to work splitting wood and bring a few basketsful to the door. She also had him haul water from the well to a large tub in the courtyard.
"You, use that water."
"Ma'am?"
"Wash yourself, if it is not against you beliefs. You'll not get in my kitchen looking or smelling like that."
She tossed him a sliver of lye soap. He took off the thin rags spattered with mud, blood and manure and scrubbed himself down. He'd occasionally taken cold showers but this was down right frigid.
Meanwhile the woman dug around in a cupboard and produced another set of homespun
clothing but these were a little more suited the temperature. These, plus a towel of sorts,
were set before Sam.
Pointing to the water heating over the fire she said.
"Pour the water in a bucket and rinse that man of yours off before he freezes off what
essential and give him these things."
Sam walked out the door bucket in one hand clothing in the other.
"Si…ah…Jack, I have these…"
His back was to her and he turn at the waist.
"Leave it there; I'll get it."
She starred at his naked body. What was it, twice in almost as many days. He had been beaten, tortured and humiliated and there he stood, not cowed or ashamed. To her he was as physically attractive as the day she met him if not more so, and not just physically. It was the man himself. You wanted to strangle him, you wanted to knock some sense and tact into the man but you'd follow him to hell and back and you wanted to protect him because, at time, he seemed to care too little for his own life. Why hadn't she told him? Why hadn't she given him what he need and what she wanted?
The woman had watched the encounter.
"What happened to him?" noting the bruises and still healing scars all over his torso.
"They beat him."
"Firesticks?"
Sam nodded her head, unable to speak as the pain washed over her. The woman told her to sit at the table near the hearth.
"The tears of women are what sustain the gods – why else would there be so much sorrow in the world?" She patted Sam on the shoulder with a gnarled hand.
Jack rapped lightly on the door and came in. The old dog that was sleeping soundly by the fire lifted it head.
"Sit by your woman."
And as Jack sat at the large trestle table a large hot mug of tea was placed between them. Jack gave it to Sam. The old dog shuffled over and lay down over Jack's feet, Jack's stomach growled so loudly the dog lifted its head and once more settle against Jack. As she turned away from them, the old woman smiled. Again now a plate with bread and cheese was placed between them and again he offered it first to Sam.
Speaking to Sam the old woman said "You will come here in the mornings before Apollo has brightened the sky and you may call me Leda." Then looking at Jack she smiled. "You may accompany her and you may call me ma'am."
For the rest of the afternoon Sam remained in the kitchen cleaning up and preparing for the evening meal while Jack worked with many of the other slaves repairing the barn. The raw material used for the repairs were taken from the second slave barracks that was fallen in on itself. There were also a row of small abandoned cottages with equally as small yards and gardens. One cottage was in worst shape than the other; most lacked roofs. A few looked as though a strong breeze would reduce them to kindling. The Villa once prosperous had fallen on hard times. Most of the buildings had firm stone foundations but shutters, wooden structures and roof tiles were in ill repair. The central fountain was dry and filled with debris.
After the evening meal and any remaining chores all of the slaves returned to a barracks like building and were locked in. In one corner was a bucket of drinking water, in another corner a bucket to relieve themselves in during the night. The room stank of urine, unwashed bodies, old musty bedding and general decay. As the couples claimed their placed only one bed remained. All of the beds were barely wide enough for two but it was so cold that sleeping close was not the main problem. The only bed available was way too close to the bucket deemed the outhouse. Jack let Sam in first and he climbed in after with his back to the stench. He gently squeezed her shoulder asking her silently in she were okay. She turned her head and gave him a flicker of a smile. And she asked him the same wordless question, touching his arm. His mouth looked grim in a straight line but he nodded his head. She needed no interpretation, this was the determined O'Neill – we will get out of here, we will get home.