Benjamin did not seem surprised to hear that opinion. “They say that, too.” He motioned to the group behind him, indicating the oldest first. “That is Samuel, and my little brother, Jason. He is named after my father.”
Menelaus looked to the youngest boy with a serious gaze. He was probably around six and kept shifting from foot to foot as if impatient with the holdup in his race. Little Jason, Titus in miniature, nodded without much interest, and Menelaus found his smile returning. He looked to the fourth boy, around the same age as Jason.
“That is Mark. He is Andrew and Miriam’s son.” Benjamin looked to Titus. “Did someone tell Mother he is here?”
Titus nodded. “And since I am certain he will stay at least one night, since the hour grows late, you can all run along now and visit with him more later.”
The group of boys all smiled and took off again, leaving Menelaus to watch after them. “Samuel–the boy Jason bought just before his death?”
“Yes,” Titus said with obvious affection. “I have adopted him. He is growing into a fine man, and he helps with the younger ones without complaint.”
Menelaus decided to release his resentment in favor of curiosity. “How many children do you have?”
Titus’s chest puffed, but with a far different pride than Menelaus was used to seeing in him. “Three of my blood. Jason, of course, and his older sister Ester, who is almost nine, and the babe, Cleopas, who is two.”
Menelaus studied Titus without expression. “You have named your children after the Visibullises instead of your own family?”
A hint of the old Titus entered the man’s face. “I stopped calling my father family when I married Abigail, and nothing changed before he died five years ago, so I see no reason to favor his memory in such a way. We named a daughter after my mother, but she did not survive a month.”
Menelaus marveled at the sadness in Titus’s eyes. Uncomfortable with such talk, he searched his mind for something else. “I was surprised to hear of your enterprises here. It was my impression that Jews and this new sect called Christians are not favored in Rome.”
Titus smiled almost too cheerfully. “Indeed. I suspect a large part of that is our fault actually; the emperor became rather intrigued by Abigail, and when she refused him, he grew angry.” Titus shrugged. “He will never send his soldiers here, though, he respects her too much. As long as our brethren gather with us, they will maintain at least a modicum of safety. It is more than they find elsewhere, and not only because of the frustrations of Caesar.”
Menelaus swallowed any reaction to the first part of that story. “Yes, I know. They meet with persecutions everywhere, though I have heard tales of even their persecutors being converted.”
“Paul of Tarsus, yes. He writes us that he wishes to visit our church here, but the Lord has not ordained it yet. Still, many mutual acquaintances have made their way to us, and we keep each other updated on the growth of the church in the various countries.”
“So you are a Christian, too, then?” Menelaus asked in disbelief.
Titus’s smile was not proud now, but something just as strong. “I was one of the first, my friend. Christ gained my faith when I watched him die that day I should have been watching Barabbas. It was that that drew Abigail and me together.”
He was not certain if that news made the present any easier to understand or not. Menelaus could not grasp this new man he saw in his old friend. Before he could think up any adequate response, movement caught his eye, and he turned to see Abigail enter the chamber.
If possible, she had only grown more beautiful since the first time he had seen her. He realized only by seeing her now, mature but still young, how close to being a child she had been ten years before. He realized too, seeing her dressed in Roman styles with gold glistening against her simple garment, that she looked more appropriate as mistress here than she had as slave in Jerusalem. She approached him with a resplendent smile and held out a hand. He took it.
“Welcome, my friend,” she said in the same alto voice he remembered. “We have prayed you would come. Jason would have wanted us to keep in better communication.”
Hearing her say it, he knew it was true and felt a stab of guilt. “I know. How is his mother?”
She chuckled. “She is having a marvelous time chasing around her grandchildren with Titus’s mother. She will be eager to greet you, but she and Aquilia are out visiting another friend at the moment. I expect them back soon.”
“I look forward to seeing them both again.” Menelaus smiled, even when Abigail stepped comfortably into the space Titus made for her at his side, his arm around her.
“How long can you stay? Are you only on leave?”
Menelaus shook his head. “No, I have been released from service. I know not where I will go from here.”