Status: Sorry for the historical inaccuracy.
The Time I Left Forever
The Merchant In Paestum
We came to a city called Paestum. We had little money. Dan went to a local merchant to buy food. The merchant knew Dan and I weren’t from Paestum. He started to get nosy.
"Where are you from?" The merchant inquired in a hoarse voice.
"Uh… We’re from Pompeii." Dan said.
" I heard that there town, Pompeii, you say, was covered in ash. Are these rumours correct?" The merchant’s voice was annoying me.
"Yes." Dan’s voice made me happy.
" Who are you?" The merchant made me want to scream.
"We are everybody and nobody. Why should you need to know anway?" I answered.
"I need to know because if I don’t I’ll have the guards come after you." The merchant me want to shoot myself.
"Oohhh! The guards! Oh no, I’m so scared." I was being sarcastic.
"Molly…" Dan wanted me to stop.
"You better make that little girl of yours shut her stupid mouth! Ya hear me?!" The merchant was obviously annoyed.
"Y-Y-Yes, sir." Dan was terrified of this man.
"Good. Now buy something or get out!!!"
"Um… How much are those?" Dan asked.
"$0.25. Would you like them?"
"Yes please, sir."
”Why would you act that way to a stranger? That’s not like you, Molly.” Dan was annoyed at my reaction to the remark the merchant made about the guards.
"I-I don’t know."
We had to find an inn for the night. But where? The townspeople were obviously told about my attitude to the merchant.
There were few inns but, so far, all the ones we came across refused to let us stay. But then, out of the blue, came a little elderly woman’s frail voice.
"Do you need a place to stay for the night." The elderly widow asked.
"That would be superb!" Dan answered.
"Come. Come. My dear children." I could tell this lady was nice.
We followed her to her house and she served us supper. Dan kept reassuring her that we would only be staying the one night.
"It’s fine. You’re no burden and whatnot. That merchant gets on my nerves too. I just can’t see why all the townspeople would turn against you after one simple act at the least favourite person in this town." The kind widow said.
"I suppose they’re just scared of outsiders." Dan said.
She took us up to her small guest room with two beds. We fell asleep and awoke the next morning to leave.
"We will be leaving now." Dan said to the widow.
"Not until you’ve had your breakfast. I’m not letting you leave until you sit down at the table and have a steaming hot bowl of porridge." The widow pushed us to the table and sat bowls of porridge in front of us.
We chowed down on the porridge and left with a basket of food, compliments of the widow named Mary.
"Where are you from?" The merchant inquired in a hoarse voice.
"Uh… We’re from Pompeii." Dan said.
" I heard that there town, Pompeii, you say, was covered in ash. Are these rumours correct?" The merchant’s voice was annoying me.
"Yes." Dan’s voice made me happy.
" Who are you?" The merchant made me want to scream.
"We are everybody and nobody. Why should you need to know anway?" I answered.
"I need to know because if I don’t I’ll have the guards come after you." The merchant me want to shoot myself.
"Oohhh! The guards! Oh no, I’m so scared." I was being sarcastic.
"Molly…" Dan wanted me to stop.
"You better make that little girl of yours shut her stupid mouth! Ya hear me?!" The merchant was obviously annoyed.
"Y-Y-Yes, sir." Dan was terrified of this man.
"Good. Now buy something or get out!!!"
"Um… How much are those?" Dan asked.
"$0.25. Would you like them?"
"Yes please, sir."
”Why would you act that way to a stranger? That’s not like you, Molly.” Dan was annoyed at my reaction to the remark the merchant made about the guards.
"I-I don’t know."
We had to find an inn for the night. But where? The townspeople were obviously told about my attitude to the merchant.
There were few inns but, so far, all the ones we came across refused to let us stay. But then, out of the blue, came a little elderly woman’s frail voice.
"Do you need a place to stay for the night." The elderly widow asked.
"That would be superb!" Dan answered.
"Come. Come. My dear children." I could tell this lady was nice.
We followed her to her house and she served us supper. Dan kept reassuring her that we would only be staying the one night.
"It’s fine. You’re no burden and whatnot. That merchant gets on my nerves too. I just can’t see why all the townspeople would turn against you after one simple act at the least favourite person in this town." The kind widow said.
"I suppose they’re just scared of outsiders." Dan said.
She took us up to her small guest room with two beds. We fell asleep and awoke the next morning to leave.
"We will be leaving now." Dan said to the widow.
"Not until you’ve had your breakfast. I’m not letting you leave until you sit down at the table and have a steaming hot bowl of porridge." The widow pushed us to the table and sat bowls of porridge in front of us.
We chowed down on the porridge and left with a basket of food, compliments of the widow named Mary.