“Halt! Thief! Get him, he’s a thief!” shrieked a plump man in a dark woollen garment, though no one came to his aid. Realising that, he decided to take matters into his own hands, yet by that time, the thief was already too far ahead. He stomped around, cursing at everything that came into his field of vision.
Usually, Aurelius got away with pick pocketing, except that day, he had felt an urge. An urge to do something great. To steal something worth more than a sesterce. Although it was not what he had in mind, a loaf of bread should suffice.
Being the eldest child, he had always felt responsible for putting food on the table. Trying to decide between stealing or not was like holding a wolf by the ears. If he stole, it would result in punishment.
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If only he had a better reputation, he could become a slave. Why did his family have to suffer for his crimes? It was unfair, to say the least. He wished that his parents would beat him, then at least he would feel better. Yet, it was almost as if they were too disappointed in him to do so. As if he wasn’t even worth the energy to punish. That thought alone hurt more than any amount of lashing could do.
For Aurelius, this piece of bread was important. More important than his own life, in fact. And if he died retrieving it, then so be it. At least he will die with the thought that he did something helpful for his family, for once.
Too afraid to look back, he directed all his anger at the injustice of this world towards his feet and sprinted. He ran and ran and ran, not caring whether the man was chasing him or not. He raced the wind, sprinting until his muscles ached, until he gasped like a fish out of water.
Despite losing the contest, he was triumphant as ever when he arrived back at the insula. He had done it. He had stolen a loaf of bread. To him, it wasn’t a piece of food, it was a trophy. It symbolised his greatest accomplishment to date. It made the edges of his lips curl up into a smile, then a grin. It was strange sensation, as if the anger had faded and morphed into something else. This moment was his first encounter with Felicitas –