Buying Trouble
Sima's Letter - by Mali Wane
Greetings Myra!
I was so very glad to hear from you, my friend – it has been too long since you wrote. I wasn't certain if my last letter would even find you, as I didn't know if you were still living in the valley, but I had to try. I know how much Master Quiaius meant to you and how happy you would be to learn he is no longer alone.
I am thrilled to hear about Darius getting the promotion to Chief Stable Hand. I knew it wouldn't take long for him to find work. It sounds as if you and he are truly happy together, and for that I am deeply thankful.
Anakin and I are doing very well. Thank you for asking. We have a good life here and are very content. With each passing year, Master Macius treats us more like family and less like the slaves we are. He is a good man.
Has it really been nearly three years since you left Master Quiaius' house? I guess it has – the other day I overheard Master Quiaius tell my Master it was five years ago that Mistress Claudia passed away. I remember you were freed shortly after his wife died, and then you stayed with him almost two more years before you left to marry Darius.
Yes, Myra, it is true what I wrote about your Master having found love once again. And you must not worry about the boy running off and breaking the Master's heart. Eab is a very special young man, fiercely devoted to Master Quiaius. One only needs to spend a few minutes around them to feel the great love they have for one another.
Eab has brought the Master back to life. There is no other way for me to explain it.
I see them together nearly every day, either wandering the hills in search of various herbs or arm in arm exploring the marketplace. And every time I see them, I am once again surprised at the change in Master Quiaius. He looks younger, Myra. Years younger. His smile touches his eyes now, and he laughs out loud, all the time. He is happy, my friend. And even more than happy, he is deeply content.
A few days ago I was in the field behind the Master's house, looking for alum root, when I saw them heading towards me. They walked slowly, arms wrapped around each other, all but oblivious to everything around them. As they passed me, I called out to them, and they stopped to visit with me a moment. When I asked them where they were headed, Eab held out a book he'd been carrying and told me that "Kais" was going to read to him. I glanced at Master Quiaius, certain he would be uncomfortable with the boy's familiarity in front of me, but the Master merely smiled down at Eab, and the look that passed between them was so tender and sweet that it almost took my breath away.
When they took their leave of me, they walked a short distance and stopped at one of the large oak trees at the back of the field. Eab said something and I heard the Master laugh and then to my surprise, Master Quiaius climed the tree almost as nimbly as my own Ani would have done. About mid-way up the tree, he came to a large branch and easily swung himself up and around it, his legs straddling the thick limb, his back against the tree. He looked down just as the boy tossed him the book, and a moment later, Eab was scrambling over the Master, making himself comfortable as he stretched out his legs in front of him and leaned back against the Master's chest.
With a confidence I know he didn't feel when he first arrived in Rome – that's the other thing, Myra, Master Quiaius has been as good for Eab as Eab has been for him – Eab reached down and grabbed both of the Master's hands, pulling them around him, taking the book from him as he did so, and soon he was snuggled within the Master's arms. The boy turned his head and looked back and before I could pull my eyes away, I saw Master Quiaius lean down and gently kiss him. Turning away, I collected my things and began making my way out of the field, feeling as if my heart would burst from seeing the love they shared.
Who would have guessed that a wild Celt boy could take your broken-hearted, lonely Master – in just a few months – change him into someone who is so vibrantly alive and so blissfully happy? This is what Eab has done for Master Quiaius. The boy found a way to get inside the Master's heart, and he healed it with his love.
My dear friend, do not let your mind be troubled over the fate of Master Quiaius. He has found, twice in his lifetime, that which many of us spend our entire lives seeking: a true lifemate.
Take care of yourself, my friend, and take care of your Darius. Know that you both are often in my thoughts.
With love,
Sima
THE END
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