The Rise of Tenax

The Slave Bid

Nola and Aziza looked tired and disheveled. They had suffered bruises across their faces which were now masked with unpleasant sweat. The heavy shackles weighed them down as they were obviously out of touch with serenity. Alem watching in agony the mystery her children had been subjected to, she suppressed a painful sob.

“Gentleman, gather round!” The voice of a chubby man popped out. “We have a fine selection of able-bodied slaves for bidding today. They are capable and well-suited for hard labour in fields and domestic chores.”

The chubby man’s announcement signaled to Alem that the bidding for slaves was about to begin.

“Here we have a young man from Thrace, just twenty-two-year-old. He’s perfect for plowing and can do all domestic chores if required,” continued the slave factor. “Beside him is a skilled young carpenter, previously trained in the art of fine wood and excellent sculptures. He’s from Gaul. And best believe, he’s a proven workaholic for different types of chores.” It was not long before bidding of different amounts started flying round from the gathering.

Alem’s heart raced further, remembering she had been robbed of her bidding power earlier should she decide to join the contest in a bid to save her children. Her sorrow deepened as she grew further clueless.

“And here, I present to you the so-called mistress of the Gaul,” the slave factor continued, nudging a young, ragged woman forward. He brutally held her by her hair as the gathering looked ever anxious to hear about the young woman.

“She was snatched from under her husband’s loins,” continued the slave factor as the gathering burst out laughing at the dark joke. “She is not only an artist in private chambers. She’s proven in the art of cooking excellent dishes and pleasing her master however you may want.”

The gathering burst out jeering again as the bidding struggle was sparked again, granting the highest bidder their bounties.

“And these two sisters from the Carthage of Africa,” the chubby man announced, nudging Nola and Aziza forward in their shackles.

Alem’s heart raced even more, seeing her daughters were pushed forward for auctioning. She felt a strong sense of obligation that she failed to fulfil. She felt a pang of responsibility to rise and salvage the purpose of her journey to Rome. But then, the reality of her status continued to draw her back. She’s not only robbed of asset but also prestige. She could only clutch to the remnant of her dignity now.

This was a completely strange territory where children and their mother were set apart, their fates dangling in the hands of oppressors. The excitement and shouts of the bidders got louder, each voice being a dagger to her heart. She had fought so hard and lost too much to give in now

“They are from a long line of traders and savage hunters,” continued the chubby man, clutching the hair of the duo firmly in a way typical of slaves. “These two will toil away restlessly on your field and in your farmland. I can attest to their enormous strength.”

Shattered to hear such description of her children, Alem had nothing on her to buy the freedom of her daughters, but she believed strongly that her wits, courage and commercial savvy would chart a path. Within her, she seethed with rage and resentment towards the chubby man. She would join the bidding still despite her insolvency.

“Six thousand sestertius for the younger one!” Shouted a male bidder, indicating the amount he was ready to part with to obtain Aziza.

“Seven thousand,” shouted another male bidder from the gathering.

“Ten-thousand sestertius….” shouted Alem, joining the bidding battle with a strong edge, solely because she needed to rescue her children, not because she had a single sestertius.

There was a sudden quiet in the gathering as all attention turned to her. In this moment she could feel she’s the cynosure of the crowd. However, she realized that she had just unconsciously joined the bidding battle without knowing when those words parted her lips. Meanwhile, her children caught the sound of her voice just in time.

“Ene Enate!” Shouted the two sisters together, excited at the sight of their mother. Suddenly invigorated and finding their voice, the duo attempted to forcefully break free from their shackles and lunge at their mother. But the chubby man held on firmly to their hair, drawing them back to reality that they were mere slaves whose freedom he alone would determine.

The gathering witnessed the display of connection between the strange woman who just declared her bidding and the two slave girls who were on auction. Amidst the scene, Alem remained calm, her bittersweet emotion suppressed. She went into trance for a while, ruminating on how to talk her way through the ten-thousand sestertius she had just bidden. She was obviously the highest bidder and the busar of coins must be presented to the Roman legionaries instantly to have their bounty.

“Is there anyone else?” the chubby man’s voice cut through her thought as he continued with the bidding, challenging the gathering for higher bids. For a while, there was utter silence as bids were no longer forthcoming.

“Sixty-thousand sestertius for the young girl,” a macho voice declared confidently, cutting through the silence from behind as he strutted forward, slicing through the crowd. It was one of the Lictors and bodyguards of Cornelia Cato.

“Yes, you heard me right,” said the bodyguard firmly and oppressively, smiling while presenting a bursar of coins to the slave factor, “sixty-thousand or nothing.”

Confused and unsettled, Alem thought of outbidding this new man. But she realized that the more she raised the bid value, the more she compiled her own misery as she had nothing to offer the slave merchants in actuality but wits.

“The sixty thousand have it!” The chubby man declared, accepting the bursar from the guard without ado.

Alem dropped her head in defeat as the guard dragged Aziza through the gathering to a horse chariot that was parked nearby. In the chariot was a beautiful woman of affluence and power, Cornelia Cato. She was a symbol of affluence through and through, with an elegant horse chariot. Cornelia was the wife of a Roman senator, Marcus Porcius Cato. She had sent the guard to purchase the young girl, but her bid was unmatched by anyone in the gathering.

Alem wondered who the woman might be, but as soon as she heard whispers of her name and status, she came to realize that she could be up against the powers-that-bes of Rome. Alem felt a pang of guilt and shame for failing her youngest daughter. However, she believed that she could still salvage her image with her children by rescuing Nola who was yet to be bidden for.