New Meets Old

For a moment Rosa reaches out, wondering why she suddenly wasn’t at my side. Cassie, with equal subtleness but firmness that my mother showed, guides Rosa around to my opposite arm. Rosa hadn’t quite put together what was happening but she got enough of a sense of it to know my mother had tried to separate us and to take offense at it. Though she bristles she does not make a scene and clutches to my arm tightly. Despite the disapproving looks from my mother I keep her glued to my side. Collywaddle watches all of this unfold, an almost invisible mini drama played out in the span of a few seconds, then comes to take Rosa’s other flank. She looks up at me as if to say ‘I got her covered, boss’. I return a little nod of thanks.

Cassie then pats my arm and says. “I’ll got get Catalus. Won’t be long. You got this?”

“We’re good.” I say.

We follow my mother and grandpa toward the rest of my family. As I look at the awed and oh so familiar faces gawking at our approach it was so easy to imagine myself standing there among them. If not for my uncle’s unexpected inheritance I would still be the same well-raised by ignorant boy that left here those months ago. My uncle Marcellus is the first to break from the group to stride forward and offer me a hand. We grasp arms and shake. Again, in the span of just a second or two, a tiny contest plays out unseen by most as Marcellus attempts to hold a dominant control of the shake, as he always did. For the first time in my life I grip harder and push back, my eyes holding his confidently as we shake as equals. His brows lift almost imperceptibly as he acknowledges the change.

“Quintus.” He says, slapping my arm. “You are a sight for sore eyes. We missed that strong back for harvest. Your mother has been worried about you.” His eyes flit to Rosa and Colly then back to me. “We were afraid that crazy brother of ours might have lured you into a life of corruption and debauchery with that inheritance of his.”

“I’m not quite the pure white lamb who wandered away from here.” I confess. “But Uncle Paullus I am not.”

“No. I see that. Our little lamb has become ram.”

Next to greet me is my cousin Plautia, Marcellus’ daughter and the closest thing I had to a sibling, who steps straight in for a hug, which she receives gladly. Unlike all the times before where I would stiffen up and try valiantly to keep her breasts from touching me, this time I put my whole body into the hug, wrapping her up in my long arms and squeezing tight. She laughs as we part, swatting my arm. “I can’t believe this is the same boy who use to blush when the wind raised my skirt.”

“Hello, Plautia.” I smile down at her.

“The world looks good on you. You look great, Quin. Really good!”

“You too.”

“Oh stop, I look as I always did. But thank you. I want stories. Everything!”

“You’ll hear them.” I chuckle.

Stepping in she whispers. “She is BEAUTIFUL!”

I glance over at Rosa who was currently, as usual, soaking up most of the attention. “Inside and out.”

“Oh?” Plautia says with a twinkle of understanding in her brown eyes. “I see!”

“Plautia!” Mom hisses, trying not to make a scene despite the questions that threatened to burst out of her. “Drop it.”

With the ice broken the rest come forward to greet me and get introduced to Rosa and Collywaddle. Unlike back with Tiro and his clan my close kin surprise me by welcoming them not with caution but warmth and well meaning curiosity. I had brought them here and, for my family, that meant they could be trusted. I touched my heart even though it turns out to be a double-edges sword as the lack of cordial courtesy one reserved for visitors meant that their ignorance was on full display.

“Does it feel funny having green skin?” “You speak Latin!?” “Is it true demons don’t feel pain?” “Kobalos don’t REALLY eat human babies…do they?” These and other embarrassing questions are asked without shame by my plain talking family as they are welcomed to the farm. Rosa answers the questions with grace and humility, Colly plays them up for laughs, and both seemed to actually prefer this open and relatively innocent racism to the tense politeness we’d received back at Tiro’s. I do what I can to speak up for them but Rosa pats my arm, signaling that her and Collywaddle were capable of handling themselves. Before long Cassia returns with our stallion and as one of the older boys takes Catalus to our stable introductions are had all over again, these ones going much more smoothly as Cassia blends in with ease.

Through it all I can feel my mother’s eyes on me. In just the touch at my side I can sense her fear, her worry, her curiosity and her love all balled together inside of her. Not wanting to **** her any longer I hold my hands up and say. “If you don’t mind I’d like to talk to talk to Mom.” I turn my gaze to her and offer a smile to try to begin to allay her worries. “We have a lot to catch up on.” My mother’s tense grin relaxes, just a little.

“Still the same Momma’s boy.” Grandpa chortles. “Not so different after all.”

“Guess not, Nonno.” I say.

Beneath my left arm I feel a sharp tug at my tunic. I lean down to Rosa and she whispers in her Lady’s firm tone. “I’m coming.”

After a pause I nod and say. “Of course.”

I give Cassie and Colly a look to make sure they were okay then split off with my mother toward my childhood house. We hadn’t gone five steps when Mom stops and says. “Perhaps your new…friend could stay with the others, Quint.” It was said as a question but I knew it wasn’t.

I look to Rosa who stood resolute at my side, her chin held proud with the noble authority of a true Lady. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. “Mom, Rosa stays at my side. She gets nervous if…”

“Quint.” Mom says with rising maternal firmness that tightened my chest and got my heart beating quicker. “I think it would be best if you and I spoke alone right now. Your pleasure ****…or whatever she is will be just fine among family.”

“My Master wishes me at his side.” Rosa says smoothly, with none of the meekness appropriate for her social station. “And that is where I will remain.”

“I was not addressing you. I am a free woman. You speak out of turn, ****.”

“Mom, please…”

“I speak when I want.” Rosa retorts. “As my Master allows me.”

“Ahem!” I squirm between the two women as they wrestle for my obedience. “Mom…it’s best if Rosa…”

“Quint! Tell your **** girl…”

“MOM!” I bark, causing gasps of surprise to those in earshot. I take a breath and say again. “Mom. Rosa is coming. She needs to be here. You’ll understand why soon enough.”

“Quint.” She whispers, her face a blend of hurt pride and motherly fear as she grips my hand. “Who is the **** here? Her…or you?”

I let out a long sigh. Mom, knowing me better than I knew myself, had already seen right through the facade we presented to the world to the glimpse the complicated reality of my relationship with Rosa. “Mom. She’s coming.”

Mom looks to Rosa, her face twitching with emotion. “What have you done to my good boy?”

Rosa, though blind, turns her head to lock eyes with my mother. “He is MY…”

“Rosa. Please. Not now.” I say softly. “Mom. Can we please just talk in private? The three of us.”

Mom looks up at me and for just a moment it was as if she was looking at a stranger inhabiting her son’s body. It was a strange and disturbing thing to be viewed like that by my own mother. As our eyes stay locked she slowly relaxes again and I see the Mom I knew so well return. “Okay, Quint.” She says, squeezing my hand with all her strength. “Let’s talk.”