Prologue 5
"Othello, how odd that I am to see you here?" Desdemona spoke
to the man who was dressed in his toga had just walked into the Flavian
Amphitheater. The place could accommodate
above fifty thousand people. The seaters were placed in a tiered arrangement
that reflected the status of their places in the society. Special boxes were
provided at the north and south ends respectively for the Emperor and the privileged
providing the best views of the arena.
The Senators were accorded the flanking broad
platform where they have their own seaters. The higher tiers are the non-nobles
or person of some importance. The next higher level was reserved for ordinary
Roman citizens and again divided by the wealth status; the lower part was for
wealthy citizens, while the upper part was for poorer citizens. There are specific
sectors for other social groups: for instance, boys with their tutors, soldiers
on leave, foreign dignitaries, scribes, heralds, priests and so on.
"Am I odd to be here?" Othello
sounded surprised.
"No offence to you, Othello, but this
is the platform for the Senatorial. And you are not of one." Desdemona
mock him. She was with her friends then, and they were there to view a new play
by the artisans.
"None taken." Othello replied.
He was actually insulted by her remarks, but he choose to be diplomatic by it.
"I am here by the invitation of
Senator Milvus. He was kind to offer me his seat." Othello told the lady
he had met just
last week, when he arrived back from his
campaign. Othello proceeded to his assigned seat which was a short distance
away from the ladies. He sat there by himself, while waiting for the play to
begin. He did overhear the conversation by the ladies which was in reference to
him, and his dark mask. One of the ladies found it very 'exciting' to have a
lover wearing one.
"Its so .....Lucifer like." That
line of words got the others to giggle and then it was Desdemona who came to
his rescue.
"I doubt so. I think we cannot make
judgment on how a person looked." Desdemona said. "We are all here
dressed no different from the others, yet we are given a better place to view.
Do you think we are different in anyway?"
"Yes, we are." One of the girls
spoke out in protest. "We are the daughters of the Senators."
"Is the Senator a Roman citizen? Are
they all not Roman citizen too?" Desdemona asked but none replied. The
play had begun and their attraction was towards the play. That last question of
Desdemona stayed on Othello' mind during the play and even after that day. He
was to meet her again a few days later on the invitation by her father to the
house.
"A lovely meal, my dear
Senator." Othello praised his host who had invited him. During his
campaign, Othello had his meal whatever they could hunt at the countryside, and
rarely he had such a meal. And beautiful company seated opposite him.
"Father, may I be excused?"
Desdemona asked.
"Be gracious, my dear. Othello is our
guest." Brabatio placed her daughter in her seat. "He may be
...intrusive. He just came back from a long campaign."
"Six months.." Othello added on.
"A hot one too."
"Was it the desert that dry?"
Brabatio took on the cue to speak to Othello. They then continued on regarding
the terrain and then about the pursuit of the tribal heads across the sands.
All this while Desdemona looked at the two men and wondered how long would
their egos kept them talking. She could not take it anymore.
"Father, may I be excused?"
Desdemona smiled at her father. "I really have to go."
"Oh, yes. You are excused." Brabatio
told her. "But joined us later at the Library."
Desdemona did not know what was importance
of the Legatus, but soon she confronted her father when the time was
convenient.
"My dear, Legatus Othello have
cleared a rebellion there. With that done, I am able to expand my trade there.
With him to protect my trade. I need him on my good side...." Brabatio
told her.
"Or you on his good side. So you
displayed your daughter to his dark ....mask, so that he had more than one
reason to come back. Am I your ware like those you trade? To be shown and
examined by the other?" Desdemona did not wait for his reply. She was the
daughter he wanted her then. But she made one mistake.
Othello was genuine to meet her. He had
grown on her and with her listening to his words, he soon find himself talking
more to her. It was then to became more than friendship. She was meeting him at
the odd places; the Amphitheater, the
market and also the flower shops. He left her soon after for his new campaign
but he gave her a gift; a sash of his with his Legion's crest.
During the
campaign, Othello told Iago of his infatuation. It was how Iago got to know of
Desdemona.
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