Gina Duggan
Setting
Julia skidded around the sluggish women and men who filled
the path. She habitually took the
gradual sloping path from Palatine hill over to the nearby Velia hill and
finally down to Forum Romanum. Her
brother preferred the steps on the steep side of Palatine hill which quickly dumps
you between the two markets. Julia had often
lectured him that the longer path enabled one to see the surrounding hills covered
with newly planted farms contrasting with the heavily columned concrete
buildings of the forums. A woman with a
beautifully decorated white wool stola and a delicate palla draped over her head
unexpectedly stepped in Julia’s path. As
Julia struggled to stop, she realized that at least this afternoon her brother
was right; she should have taken the quicker path.
Finally she passed into the Forum Romanum. Her eyes lingered longingly on the Basilica
Aemilia, thinking of the stalls inside filled with precious metal
trinkets. Maybe after Abelia told her
the important news she alluded to last night, Julia could go see if there were any
new items. Turning from the impressive
two-story building, she scanned the area around the Lacus Curtius. As promised, there Abelia stood peering
through the crowd of men and women of various stations. Abelia spotted her and began weaving through
the crowd. She grabbed Julia’s wrist. “It’s
finally happened! What took you so long?”
