Samos

In the middle of the courtyard, an old man, now in his forties, gave instructions to a gardener while he looked closely at the leaves of an orange tree. The group waited in the shade, apparently waiting for that man. Time passed slowly while the old man inspected the leaves of the orange trees. The two young men, standing, guarded by their companions, occasionally looked in anger. Almices saw how the other boy had cried when he was taken away from his mother which continued throughout their journey. Now they both looked nervously at the enclosure. The old man approached the small group and looked at them as he headed to the man who had bought them. They began to speak in that language, they glanced from one boy to the other. The old man then addressed them in Greek.

"Good morning, I am Abta, a Tyrian merchant and from today your new owner.” Almices was surprised that the man addressed them in Greek. “I have acquired you because I need strong, young hands for my harbour business and I also need the port people to speak Greek. You are Greeks, are you not?”

"Yes," Almices confirmed, while his partner looked down.

"You must know that I like to call my slaves by the place from which they came. I understand that one of you is from Naxos and the other from Samos. Which of you is Naxos?”

"Me," the other boy muttered glumly.

"Well, then from now on we'll call you Naxos and you, Samos," he concluded looking at Almices. “Now Aylos,” – referring to the man who had bought them, “will explain to you how the order works in my house. You must bear in mind that I am very strict with slaves. At the least trouble, I will sell you or have you executed; yet if you serve me as you should, I may at the end of your days grant you freedom to die as free men. But that depends on you. If you have any skills or if you possess any special virtues, I want to know, anything you think is important can be passed on to Aylos and he will bring it to me. If you do not behave as we hope, you will be punished. If, on the contrary, you exceed my expectations, you will live much better than you could have lived in your places of origin, you will not be short of women and if you want over the years to have a family you will also be allowed, as long as it is with the members of my property.”

The boys did not know how to answer, although their addresser did not expect a response from them either. Abta once again addressed Aylos in the foreign language and then returned to the garden contemplating again the green and lanceolate leaves of his precious orange trees.

* * *

When she was brought down from the platform, Janira did not understand what was going on. She tried to resist, grabbing at the handrails. Once inside the shop, an older woman, over thirty, had her feet shackled and placed a smaller, lighter chain around her neck. She tried to explain to the woman that they were mistaken, that her siblings were still on the platform, but they all spoke that strange language that she did not understand.

The woman nervously left the shop, dragging Janira with her. She was pleased with her new purchase. It had taken her a lot of time and cajoling to convince her husband to buy a slave to take over her chores in the business. Her friends told her that she would never have the chance to acquire a slave to help her and her two daughters in the tavern. They needed more hands without having to pay any wages for this, the most practical solution was to buy a cheap slave. She would have liked to have paid the same for some of the older ones, but her budget was small and had to settle for the little one. The girl would eventually become helpful and she could shape her to her liking. On the other hand, it would not be a problem with her husband, her biggest fear was that he could be unfaithful with anyone, including a slave.

Janira grabbed the chain with her hands to avoid jerking her neck, she knew what shackles on her ankles were capable of, and did not want to imagine what could happen to her neck. They entered the city centre and wandered through the intricate alleys. The journey was not long. Soon they arrived at a two-story building. The woman opened the door and entered the tavern. The little one had never been in one before, but she knew by Telma’s description what the tavern of the village was like, even though she had never stepped foot in it. Her sister had told her that men gathered there to drink and eat and that some even had room to spend the night. It was a large room, with half a dozen extended tables where several guests drank and ate in the midst of the yelling. The girl lowered her head, feeling embarrassed. Her mother always told her to avoid these places, because self-respecting girls should never step foot in one. The ground was full of food scraps and insects scurried in search of it. Janira felt disgusted. She turned her eyes away. On the left, a bar separated the space with the tables and the kitchen area. A large man grabbed some plates of food by dipping his fingers in to hold them better and carry them to one of the tables. Next to him, a girl about twenty years old carried some jugs in one hand to the same table, and swatted flies away with the other hand. The smell of stale food flooded the room. In the background there was a staircase that accessed the upper floor, the woman tightened the chain and led her to the bottom of it; there they went through a door next to the staircase and entered a small backyard, surrounded by high walls belonging to the adjacent houses. A small wooden shed filled with holes between the planks remained with the door open. The woman stopped and spoke in that foreign tongue while pointing to the shed.

Janira deduced that she should be there, in the shed, she did not know what to do or how to please that lady. The woman approached the young girl’s neck and released her from the chain, then left the yard leaving her alone. Janira heard a bolt latch on the other side of the door. She felt his neck and looked around. The courtyard comprised of a small enclosure about ten or fifteen steps wide, its high walls made it impassable. The shed was the only construction; next to it, a small shrub, slightly taller than her, gave the enclosure a little colour. She headed toward the shed. She stopped to see that it was already occupied by a couple of goats. She never liked goats; they had such strange eyes. Almices once told her they were evil beings, but necessary for their milk and cheese. She curled up at the door of the shed, scared of disturbing the animals. If only her mother was here, she would hug her with warm arms. What happened to her siblings? Had they been sold together? She remembered the oath made hours before in the cart, and prayed to the gods, just like her mother had taught her, asking them to be reunited, so they could find each other.

* * *

Nerisa felt her heart shatter as she climbed down the steps on the platform. When they entered the shop, she grabbed her companion in misery. They both looked at the two men who had bid for them. They left the store, removed the shackles, and tied them to the back of a cart loaded with jars and containers. The men climbed into the ox drawn cart and they set off. The girls would have to make the way on foot.

They walked for three long days to the southeast, always on foot, stopping several times a day to rest, taking advantage of the watering holes for the animals that were on the way. They passed several villages and the people they saw were usually indifferent to the girls. In the evening of the third day, the small group faced a small hill and the men smiled looking down the hillside; in front of the group, the western sun lit the sky with its orange glow and flooded a huge field of vines that almost completely surrounded a small group of houses protected by a stone wall. From their location they could see the people inside the enclosure. Animals and people went about their chores waiting for the end of the day. The group took the gentle path down to the enclosure. The two men spoke animatedly, pointing to the vines. Cleanta, as the Greek woman was called, whispered quietly to Nerisa.

“They are talking about the state of their vines, apparently our destiny are those houses there. I suppose we will soon know what the moiras have in store for us.”

“They don't look like bad people," Nerisa replied, surprised by the first words her companion had spoken since they began their journey. I think they need people to work on their land, so much vine must need a lot of attention.”

“You're amazing, Nerisa, you've lost your parents and separated you from your siblings, you've become a slave and your voice is firm and sure.” Cleanta looked at her with admiration.

“Don't think I'm so strong. My father taught us that we always had to behave according to the moment. I do not want to be a slave. I will do everything I can to get out of this situation and return to my siblings. Therefore, there is no point in fighting, I have to wait for the perfect opportunity, and you should do the same.”

"Go back, me? Where to? I am sure my father has sold me to pay off his debts and continue playing, and my mother has done nothing to prevent it. No, Nerisa, I do not have anywhere to go back to. It is all the same to me. When they took us to the cart to sell us, I realized how stupid it had been to think my father would free me. I have no family, just some distant relatives on my mother’s side who live in Rhodes, so I am alone.”

"You're with me," Nerisa said, without any doubt. “My older sister was raped and killed a couple of weeks ago. You are the same age. I want to be your little sister.” Cleanta was in awe of her companion’s determination.

"You're nine years old, but when you speak, you sound older than me. I am surprised by your fortitude.” She seemed to hesitate for a moment. “Okay, I'll be your older sister.” They held hands as the men continued to guide the cart and talk about their subjects, oblivious to the girls’.

They were already a short distance from the grounds when a couple of black dogs crossed the door toward them barking and wagging their tails from side to side. Behind them two boys ran up to the cart.

"Hi, Dad," the children exclaimed in unison, addressing the older one of the two men. Tanned and lively, Nerisa guessed that the little one would be about ten years old and the other about fifteen. Cleanta was translating the conversation in a low voice.

"Hello, children. How has everything been here?” The man smiled as he guided the cart toward the entrance.

"Very well," the older boy answered this time. “The work you ordered is finished and the preparations for the celebration are almost ready.”

"Well, run to your mother and sister while we unhook the ox.” The boys ran toward the big house; the cart was heading to a stable on the left, inside the perimeter of the farm. The grounds were spacious, almost as large as Narisa’s village. There were a dozen buildings inside. The stables must have taken up a third of the space. Two buildings of different heights towered over the complex, located in the centre of the enclosure. They certainly had to be the master’s quarters on the farm. On the right, a group of single-storey houses, more fragile in appearance, appeared to Nerisa as dwellings for the local peasants and slaves.

A peasant opened the stable doors and went inside. The men jumped down and left the ox there. They then left the stable, leaving Nerisa and Cleanta tied to the back of the cart, as if they were part of the vehicle.

“Hi, honey! I’ve missed you.” The older man embraced the woman who had just arrived. A younger woman stood next to them; the other man blushed when she saw her.

“Say hello to your future wife, don't be shy.” The older man addressed his traveling companion, ushering him to approach the young woman.

“Hi Thera, the journey has seemed forever away from here.” The young couple were blushing as they looked into each other's eyes, keeping a safe distance between themselves. A laugh distracted them from their thoughts.

“My daughter, future son-in-law, I have allowed you to bring a gift to celebrate your imminent wedding.” He winked at the other man and turned toward the cart approaching the girls.

“This is one of the perks. Two slaves so that you, my daughter, can devote all your time to your husband and my future grandchildren, and to make you all the things in the house.” Cleanta and Nerisa looked at each other, no translation was necessary. They belonged to the new couple.

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