River of Thames

Part Two

As I walked, the lapping waters of the Thames River sloshed on the muddy shores that hugged the body of the river. The sun was peeking through the clouded sky, painting it with shades of pink and purple that so tenderly embraced the city of London. The city was quiet this morning. The bakers slept in, the farmers rolled over in bed ignoring the shrill cry of the roosters, and the mothers held their quilts tighter while their precious babies slept. Despite it not being the Holy Day of Sunday, it was a day granted off. A day of rest. A day to see the gracious, Sir Julius Caesar.

As the city slept, I strolled along the river's barrier, staring at the ground as I made my way to uncertainty. I've been summoned to meet at the Thames at six am sharp by an unknown sender that night previous. My mind refused to ignore the invitation, being fixated on the letter throughout the night. Caesar perhaps... I pondered, allowing myself to peer upwards, my face now rising to be gently caressed by the sun. No... Not Caesar. Caesar would directly ask me- and he wouldn't be caught near the city slums. Trebonius perhaps... My mind and conscious thoughts continued to wander down the twisting and winding turns of endless possibility.

I decided to pause for a moment, reaching into the pocket of his grey trousers to pull out the parchment that has been delivered to him. My eyes read over the words for the tenth time that morning. 'Dearest Brutus. Please allow me to see you in the morrow. Promptly at six at the bank of Thames.' was all the paper read. I sighed with defeat as I folded the sheet up and slipped it back into my pocket. Who wrote this... I then asked myself, pulling out my gold pocket watch to consult it for the time. Five: Fifty-Eight... I slid it into his pocket and began to look around the banks.

This better not be all for not... I scowled at the thought. Waking up at 4 am to meet God-knows-who at the Thames to be stood up, stabbed, or whatever else would surely tick me off for the rest of the day. Especially so, considering I already had to attend a public event. No one was in sight. I figured it would be logical to walk on and go farther down the bank, possibly towards the docks. I didn't make it twenty paces before he heard an oh-so-familiar voice calling for my attention.

"Brutus! Brutus!" An older man's voice yelled. In a slight state of panic, I felt an electric rush zoom up and down my spine, somehow ending in my stomach, and the sensation gave me a nervous fluttering in my guts. The same nervous fluttering I feel whenever I'm around him, think of him, smell him, or hear the mention of his name. I froze, stopping mid-step while I turned to see him.

Cassius...

Oh, sweet Cassius...

How stupid of me. Of course, it was him...

I couldn't help but crack a childish smile, all previous anger, and annoyance leaving my body only to be replaced with nervousness and excitement to see Cassius.

Cassius, with the hair as gold as the shining sun. Cassius. He was rightfully in his late forties, forty-seven to be exact, yet he was ever so spry and spontaneous. It was truly stupid of me to not realize it was him who wanted to meet. Countless times before, he'd pull me from my bed, or my office to meet in the fields of farmland, to the Thames so we could swim in the river, or wander the streets in the shroud of darkness. Times like those were cherished by both of us. Times when we were lost in our own world together. Times when we were true. Times when we were free.

He briskly walked towards my being before taking my hand and cupping it in his. Even in his older age, his golden-yellow hair was as pigmented, as it was when he was in his prime.

I shook his head, at myself mostly, for feeling so immature at the emotions that were erupting in my stomach. "You-" I said with a playful laugh. "Me?" Cassius beamed a smile just as childish as my own. I dramatically forced my face into a deliberate frown. "Yes. You." I said through pursed lips, faking being upset, just to tease him. "Would you rather me be someone else?" Cassius challenged, dropping the young man's hand from his.