As
Claudia got out of bed, the bruises on her skin were painful
reminders of the night before. She rubbed her arms, shrugged, and
soon left the senator's house as the sun's first light peeked over
the stone houses on Palatine Hill. She had a busy day today and
refused to allow the stupid pain she was feeling interfere with her
tasks. Claudia rushed her way down the marshy landscapes that
characterized the seven famous hills of Rome.
Walking
by the circular Temple of Vesta known for its intricate
embellishments, she strained her eyes to catch a glimpse of the fire
burning on the center of the temple. The sight of this made her feel
extremely sad; Vesta was the goddess of hearth, home, and family,
three things that Claudia didn't really have. To add to that, Vesta
was known to be a virgin; simply put, Claudia was not.
Continuing
to slowly make her way to the Basilica Aemilia, she felt her stomach
drop a little. The Basilica, which was known for its extravagant
marble floors and tall impressive columns, had burned down seven
years ago, and seeing the burnt ruins filled Claudia with
unhappiness. The Basilica, like her, had some scars that would take a
while to heal. Not wanting to waste any more time thinking so much
about the past, Claudia walked faster. The Roman Forum was in sight.
Crowds of people jostled each other in order to make their entrance
to the town square of Rome. Intermittently, there were shrieks and
whistles of people shouting.
Soon
enough, she was there. She felt a rumble in her stomach. This was not
a pain like the one she had felt at the Basilica. This was different.
This was hunger. She decided to go buy food from the vendors. Having
selected her meal, she walked towards the senate, admiring some of
the fabrics she saw on sale. Not before long, she was at the senate
entrance. She stopped, took a breath, and rubbed her arms once more.
Though she was still hurting, she could not stop working. Business
had to go on.
~Aime Ahumada
