TAMAR - Episode 9

I followed Adolfo’s male slave as he went from one apian way to the another; it was a shorter way to his master’s estate. We passed through different villas to get to Adolfo’s estate, since we couldn’t go on a chariot.
A villa so close to Adolfo’s estate looked so familiar and yet, I couldn’t remember ever being there. I looked around and saw different houses, one of the houses caught my attention.

I pointed at it and asked the slave:
“That particular house looks… looks so familiar! It’s as if I’ve been here before and yet, it seems strange to my eyes… Maybe, it’s all because of the numerous shortcuts we had passed…”

“This other narrow road by our left is the way to the slave market, but it’s very far from here, except for the wealthy with chariots, while that particular house you are pointing at is owned by a merchant. He deals in fine fabrics and other wares; he lives there with his troublesome wife and servants. He has no child but she comes to the estate sometimes. Since the new master’s wife moved in, we’ve been having different visitors. That merchant’s wife has the tongue of a serpent, yet, very difficult. I just hope the gods will not allow her to get acquainted with my master’s new wife.”

“What is your name and how long have you been with your master?” I enquired.
“..Please, tell me more…”

“Pami is my name, I’m his most trusted servant. I was not as old as this when he bought me, I was very young. I met his late wife before she died, and I’ve lived with Adolfo as he’s fondly called for a very long time. He taught me how to read and write, and I know how to translate most of his books. I’m older than his son, Chakan, who lives in a different house. I don’t know why he moved out, and hardly comes around unlike before. He used to live with his father until his father got married again. Adolfo is a good man and you’ll come to know that soon. He’s loved by most people because he’s generous and compassionate. He’s not harsh to his household servants but punishes those who go against his orders. He loves studying and exercising; he likes grape wine, which he takes everyday… I guess your name is Tamar, I already know that…”

I smiled and nodded in agreement as we kept walking.
I didn’t say anything again.
When we got to the house, there were servants doing one thing or the other. Adolfo’s estate was big and beautifully decorated. I saw beautiful maids walking around, while some were just relaxing. I went straight to Zity’s chamber as I was directed, and she sat up from her bed excitedly on seeing me. It was never proper for a mistress to embrace her servants, so I quickly knelt down and touched her feet as a mark of respect. I stood up immediately as she gently pulled me up.

Zity had changed tremendously. She had added weight and had these dark circles under her eyes as if she had not been sleeping well. Her belongings were not arranged as they were suppose to.

I quickly swung into action as I started arranging her things. I asked her to relax on her bed while I consciously arranged her room. She smiled and laid down while I covered her with a blanket.

After sometime, she slept off. I folded her things, and packed the bottles of wine and glass cups lying carelessly on the floor, I guessed she had being drinking. I put all her jewelries and footwears in place, and everything was in perfect order by the time she woke up. and complained of hunger. I swiftly made something for her to eat, she seemed relaxed and sober.

Soon, it was nightfall. I wanted to observe what was going on, why Zity’s things were in disarray on my first day in that estate, despite having so many beautiful servant girls around.

As time goes on, I get comfortable around the estate.
sometimes I go to sit with Adolfo in his study when Zity didn’t need me, he was happy to have a companion that he could talk to. The study was big, and was stacked with all kinds of books. It was there he spent most of his evenings whenever he was at home. He was indeed a nice man who tried to engage me most times with one of his theories or the other.

One day, he decided to talk about some deep things, mostly about his personal life.
“Your mistress insisted on getting you back, she doesn’t always feel much comfortable when I’m around her, that’s why I always retire to my study. I understand she’s still very young and that it’s really hard for her to adapt to her new life, and that’s why I don’t want to rush things with her, I want her to be happy and comfortable and get used to me and her environment. I have always told her to let me know when she needs me or anything at all, I’m just a block away from her but she has never shown interest in what I do, nor does she ever want to sit with me. She can always send any servant to get me or come herself but she never does. I also understand she’s not a book person like my late wife, Pauli. My late wife sits here with me and always listened to my new theories; she was loving and beautiful too like Zity, she also cared so much for me and I loved her too, but death took her from me after giving birth to Chakan. I miss her everyday, I have mourned her for years and felt it was time to move on. It’s been nineteen years already. I wanted to remain single after her death and wait until the gods called me to join her but I felt she wanted me to enjoy the best that life could offer. She always desired me to be happy, and have a new life. I’ve seen lots of maidens but never picked interest in any until I saw Zity one day. I was riding into my estate on my chariot when she was riding out on hers, with her charioteers… They were taking her into another street from the apian way, close to the East- side villa. I was not really moved by her beauty because it was already getting dark, so I couldn’t see her very well, but something about her struck me. I waved it off but the second time I saw her, it was already night. I didn’t know whom she usually came to see around here, or getting to know in the neighborhood, making new friends is very common among young people. Young blood is hot and hardly stays at a place. They always want to be here or there… It was as if she comes only in the evenings and leaves as soon as it was dusk. I’m mostly around the house in the morning and in the afternoon, I’m either studying or relaxing in my garden, but I usually go out most evenings to the gladiator training field to exercise my bones. I eat good food, study, exercise, lecture and relax to have a balanced life and to keep fit. I’m forty-three and people believe I’m not up to forty yet, because I do everything moderately. Chakan, my son, and Pami my right hand boy know my daily routine. Zity was speeding off on her chariot the second time I saw her and I paused and watched until she disappeared into another road. When I moved close to my estate, I saw Chakan. I didn’t know whom she came to see, so I asked my son if she happened to see any young maiden riding on a chariot and he said it was probably Lord Reese’s daughter that came around the neighborhood. He said she had a friend that lived around here, and I asked if he had ever interacted with her, he told me it was only the day Zity lost her way and he was there on time to help her out. Lord Reese is the second prime ruler of this kingdom and I was privileged to know him personally. He is a great man. I was shocked to know his daughter was all grown up. She looked more mature than her age. I didn’t intend to marry her because she was too young and may not want somebody like me, but the more I tried to wave it off, the more I think about it. Just then Pauli, my late wife appeared to me in my dream and gave me a message. I wrote the dream down in my book. She said, “Go Adolfo, go for her, she will lead you to the truth”. Well, I didn’t understand but the same message kept on coming until I decided to make inquiries and to first of all ask Lord Reese for his consent. I was surprised he agreed the second time I presented the matter to him. I had stopped having such dreams ever since I married Zity, yet I don’t see the way she’s leading me to, I just hope she’ll open her heart at least, like me even if it’s not love, I don’t want her to be unhappy…”

I listened to Adolfo almost everyday in his study, he was beginning to go deeper and deeper into books and still went out for his daily exercise.
Weeks turned into months and I also watched Zity who hardly talked. She decided to open up to me one day, maybe because her friend, the merchant’s wife was on a journey and she needed to talk to someone.

“I don’t like any of those servants Adolfo bought, they’re the Tivi girls, they look beautiful but are very lazy, I don’t trust them, neither do I allow them close to me. I couldn’t wait to have you back and when mother didn’t want to send you back to me, I was willing to come and get you myself. This place is really boring, Tamar, I have missed you. There’s nobody to sing or tell me stories, non of those slaves cares for me like you do, they are only pretending and doing eye service whenever Adolfo is around. Adolfo is also boring. Anyway, what do I expect from a man who is over forty although he doesn’t really look his age? He buries himself in his study, he sometimes takes me to those parties where they always talk about books. it’s only my few friends that come around to visit me. They help me keep boredom away, I have a close friend now, her name is Okra, she’s the wife of a merchant, she lives not too far away from here, and she always comes around to visit, but she’s on a journey and will be back tomorrow. I had a plan; I wanted to make my parents regret marrying me off to Adolfo, I had it all stored up but when I came down here the whole plan was trashed, it did not work, I couldn’t even do it…”

“I’m here to serve you my lady, I’m glad to see you in good health and you’ve added weight too. Pardon me if I ask, please take no offence. What of Chakan, I haven’t seen him ever since I came here…”

“He lives not too far from here, he moved out, he doesn’t like me again, Chakan was part of the plan I had, but he started moving away from me. I wanted him to be the one to touch me, and make love to me, but he kept saying I was his father’s wife and that he would never do such evil. He couldn’t disrespect his father like that, he wanted his father to be happy and warned that I should try not to hurt him because he would not be happy if I do such… That was what he said and when I kept on disturbing him he moved out, he packed his things and moved into another house, he said he loved me but he couldn’t touch me when I was still married to his father, even a kiss, like those ones we stole back then before his father decided to be an obstacle, he said no to me, and kept on repeating same irritating line, “Zity, you’re my father’s wife now, please let’s respect that, nothing can happen between us because you belong to my father.” I hate to hear him say that Tamar! I still love him but since he moved out he only comes once in a while to check on his father, it’s so unfair, because another woman will have him now, and I don’t want that, I told the merchant’s wife, Okra everything and she said I should drug him and lay with him…”

“Whaaat!… Hope you did not do that, my lady? That’s very bad, Chakan was right my lady, it would be a big blow to his father if he had laid with you because you’re Adolfo’s wife now and he can’t touch you. Maybe you should learn how to love Adolfo and take your mind off Chakan, Adolfo is indeed a good man…”

“Why don’t you go and marry him then, who are you to tell me what is wrong or right, you’re just a common slave, what do you even know? I’m only after my happiness, anything that makes me happy! I hate it when Adolfo touches me, I don’t allow him to do it. I want Chakan. Okra, the merchant’s wife, who seemed to understand me and supported me brought a mixed portion to me, she directed me how to use it. She said it would make Chakan to want me so badly and I secretly added it to Chakan’s drink and served him when he was relaxing with his father in the garden one day. I was watching from somewhere to see if he would take the drink. I watched him lift the drink to his mouth but he didn’t drink it, he suddenly dropped it on the tray before he stood up. Adolfo asked him to go and get something from his study and before he got back, Adolfo finished the whole drink. Chakan, brought more grape wine from the store and they both drank. They talked and laughed, before Adolfo later left him to do other things… He stayed a little longer before leaving and when Adolfo came in, I was already crying, it was a failed plan. He came into my chamber that day and forcefully made love to me… The content he drank that was meant for Chakan took strong effect on him, and he pinned me down despite my resistance. It was in the morning when his eyes cleared that he began to apologize, and even bought lots of gold jewelries for me to forgive him. He said he didn’t know what got into him, he pleaded everyday until I got tired of it. I cried all through that day because all I thought of was Chakan, and it looked like Adolfo has gotten me with a child, I think I’m pregnant but Tamar, do not tell anybody, I just hope it’s not true, because I’m not ready to have a child now, at least, not for Adolfo, but I keep on seeing changes on my body. My breasts are getting bigger, I experience morning sickness, and I easily get tired. I’m still observing myself, still not very sure. I’ve not told the merchant’s wife yet, I’ll do that once she comes back. I just keep praying to different gods that Adolfo did not impregnate me…”

“Adolfo will be so happy, and I know he’ll be a great father… My lady, your mother’s heart will be so gladdened with the news of you carrying a child, she’ll feel so delighted to have a grandchild, everyone will be happy my lady…”

“Except me! I won’t be happy! I don’t want it! Okra told me if I ever get pregnant and I didn’t want the child, then she would tell me what to do to get rid of it without pain or even before the child formed properly… She said it had been working for her without her husband’s knowledge. thie merchant keeps on praying to many gods for Okra to conceive, he’s thinking that Okra is barren, but she’s not! Okra says a child will make her ugly, she doesn’t want to have sagging breasts or go though all those stress and trouble pregnant women go through… she hates it. She told me many women are doing so in this kingdom; that she was not the first and I won’t be the last… I don’t want anything that will trouble me, I’m still very young, mother can still have all the grandchildren in the future but not now… I want to live and enjoy my life, after all I’m not their only child, Vim is also there, he’ll marry someday and will bear children too…I can’t be bothered over the issue of childbearing. Okra is teaching me many things and I thank the gods for sending her to me. Zain has also visited me, though I still see that jealousy in her even though she acts happy. I don’t want her to take Chakan from me, he belongs to me… When Okra comes tomorrow, I’ll tell her my worries, she is the only one that understands me; even you Tamar, you do not understand the way I feel…”

Saddened by Zity’s confession, I went to the garden that evening and shut my eyes like Abel would do and prayed that God would cause confusion between the merchant’s wife and Zity; the merchant’s wife was leading her astray from every indication. Zity was going deeper and deeper into sin even though it seemed right in her own eyes. I prayed that God would touch her heart to keep the baby and not hurt the innocent child, if truly she’s pregnant. I was glad to know that Chakan moved out, and Zity didn’t succeed in charming him into laying with her. God made it in a way that Adolfo gulped the content meant for Chakan. I prayed so fervently for her and also for Abel.

The following day, I saw the merchant’s wife, she went into Zity’s chamber and they locked the door behind them, discussing in low tones. I overheard Zity telling her she was pregnant, like two months gone. Okra the merchant’s wife, didn’t recognize me, but I remembered her. She was the wife of Lami, the merchant that bought me for forty shillings and sold me to Abel for fifteen shillings because I instilled fear into his wife, she wanted her husband to get rid of me. The merchant was a good man. How could Okra, his wife be so heartless, watching the man pray in vain for a child while she was the cause of it all? Now, she wanted to corrupt Zity’s mind, leading her to the same deadly road…

My worry was Adolfo, I wished I could tell him that his wife was carrying his child, but Zity would have my head on a platter if she found out that I told him.

I truly needed wisdom at this point. I thought of what Abel would do if he was faced with such situation. Abel would keep praying to God to intervene and that’s what I did.