"She is larger than life."
"Yes!She is."
"She is simply stunning!"
"Yes.Photos don't do her justice!"
"No.I agree.They don't."
I grin, now knowing that he is a photographer."No.Photos don't cut it!She is very beautiful!"
"She is very beautiful, both inside and outside, but she doesn't know just how truly beautiful she is."
"What?"I crinkle my eyebrows and look at him.
He laughs as he lowers his phone, grinning at me, then he puts his arm around me, turns me away from the view, holds his phone out away from us, and snaps a selfie pic.I pucker my lips up to him, and he lays his on mine and snaps another.I lay my cheek against his and pose.He snaps another pic.I stick my tongue out at him.He snaps another pic.I put a hand on each side of our faces and push, contorting them.He snaps another pic.We die laughing.He snaps another pic.I grab his hand, pull him, and back away.He snaps another pic.
"Come on!Let's go!This is a special place to touch and explore."
He smacks his lips."And taste."
I giggle as he takes control again and leads me to the looming monument.I follow along behind him, looking around at everything, trying to take it all in.When we enter the actual Colosseum, it feels like we have entered sacred ground.
Aurei tells me that to go down to the gladiator area, we have to go on a guided tour.When the tour starts, we join the others and listen as the guide fills us in on all the little details.I'm fascinated by all she tells us, and I'm quiet as I listen.When we walk past the small cells that held the gladiators before combat, I turn to Aurei."Aurei, how do you...."He is taking a picture of me, and I roll my eyes at him.
He grins and whispers."Curious Thang, how do I what?"
"How do you feel down here?"
He looks surprised at my question."What do you mean?"He furloughs his brow.
"You know.How do youfeeldown here?"
"Comfortable.Are you cold?"He asks with confused concern on his face.
"No!I'm not cold."I chuckle at him."That's not what I meant.I'm not asking how do you physically feel.I'm asking how do you feel inside being down here."
"I don't know.How should I feel inside?"He is frowning now, totally confused by my question.
I look at him and can't help but laugh.He is clueless!But he's trying really hard to understand.His eyes search mine for meaning.I look away, tipping my head, and think.Concise communication doesn't always mean the fewest words, I guess.Concise also means comprehensive.Hmmm."How does being down here, where gladiators stood before going to battle to live or to die, make you feel?You know, inside."I touch my gut, then my heart.
"Oh!"He chuckles now too."I don't feel anything inside being down here."
"Oh."I frown, now a little disappointed."Don't you feel proud that you have Italian blood?Don't you feel a kinship with the ancient warriors of Rome?"
His eyes are soft as he explains."Of course, I'm proud of my Italian heritage, and of course, I feel a kinship with the ancient warriors of Rome, but they were not gladiators.The warriors of Rome were the Legions of Roman Soldiers that conquered their world."
My eyes light up."Ah!Yes!I stand corrected."
The tour guide calls to us."Come.Now.We must stay together."As we walk to join the group, Aurei tells me."When Antonio and I were young, we would pretend we were gladiators, though.It's hard to pretend you are part of a conquering army when there are only two of you."
I laugh."Did you fight each other?"
"Yes.We had great battles."
"Weapons?"
"Of course, swords."
