Life in Rome is not easy for an old woman and it is even harder for an old woman who is alone. There will be even harder times ahead as winter approaches. The old woman knows that she must stock up on supplies before it gets so cold she won't be able to go outside. She puts on her wrap and gathers her things and heads to the Crypta of the Theatre of Pompey, near the Forum Magnum, where there are fountains and food stalls.
The marketplace is crowed today. Everyone is celebrating the crowning of the new king. She hopes the new king will change things for the better but she has heard rumors that he is even worse than his father. She will not pass judgement and wait and see. For now she has her wares to sell and the day has just begun and there are plenty of people about with coin in their purses. She sets up her wares by the big fountain in the center of the market. People often throw coins in the fountain. With luck one will fall in one of her blankets!
She will also need to shop for some winter supplies of her own. She makes a list of what she will need. Flour... Corn... Oil for her lamp... the list goes on and she quickly realizes she has a customer. She puts the list in her apron pocket and waits on the tall man with a woman. The old woman can tell right away that the woman with the man is his mistress and he is the slave. The mistress orders her slave to purchase a blanket from the old woman.
The slave searches his pocket for payment to the old woman. She sees something shiny on his chest. It's disk shines a bright white in the morning sun. It blinds the old woman as he moves. She MUST have it.
No comments:
Post a Comment