Rut of KfarGanot

Friday 28 December 2012

Two boys take a dip in the Tiber

15 Tevet
After all the fuss yesterday, I forgot to mention that Sextus arrived in KfarGanot very late. I had just about finished writing and I had to sort him out a place to sleep.
He laughed when I told him about our day as we shared breakfast and he commiserated with Shmuli about his obvious discomfort. He remembered a time when he was a lad. He had spent the day playing truant with his older brother. They knew they were in for a beating so they thought they'd make the most of it. They had "borrowed" a rowing boat and gone for a trip on the Tiber. They found it exciting seeing the ships loading and unloading and coming in and out of the port. Like small boys everywhere, they had no concept of danger. They were admiring a very beautiful ship that they thought must belong to the emperor and did not notice an approaching cargo vessel. They became caught in the wake and capsized. If it had not been for the vigilance of one of the Emperor's guards they would have drowned. They were not strong swimmers and the shipping lanes are no place for taking a dip.
The guard threw them a rope and hauled them aboard. It was fortunate he recognised them because of their father or they would have been taken in front of the magistrate. He let them go with a warning and made them promise not to tell anyone. He still remembers the walloping he received from his schoolmaster for truanting, which was followed by another for not telling where he had been. He told Shmuli to bear his discipline like a man and it would make him wise.

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