He was young with 26 years
old and 1.82 m tall, in a very good athletic shape. He was born in Sicily, a
great island in the South of Italy, in the city of Taormina, and
was in the Roman army there is eight years.
Longinus liked to speak about his homeland remembering the 18 years of his life that lived there. Also he had an immense pleasure to appreciate the bucolic landscapes where he grew as a terrible boy, who didn't choose day and nor hour for "to set a prank".
Raining was very rare in the city. Usually it had a pleasant summer with around temperature 22 centigrade degrees, and almost no rainy day.
However, there were also uncomfortable days when it blew the "sirocco wind", i.e., a mass of hot air coming from North of Africa, just 150 kilometers away from the island. And being so close to his homeland, in those occasions, the wind it transports a microscopic dust that involves the whole city for two or three days, paralyzing almost all the activities. The streets stay practically deserted and all covering with a layer of desert sand.
In his memories could not if forget of the famous wines Sicilian, and especially the delicious wine manufactured by Mr. Francesco, a very hard-working neighbor, but very scrooge. In spite of to be him since childhood, neighbor of his parents, the relationship among them was limited to an "economical" : good morning, good afternoon, or goodnight, but without any friendly expression in the face. He sold the wine of a very expensive way, because he was aware of the excellent quality, and he didn't have interest to please no one.
Longinus liked very much of wine,
and the publicity that people spread of that wine, let him with mouthwatering.
As he was always short of money began considering the idea of practicing
some “math skirmish” in
order to get some bottle of that wine. Then he imagined subtracting the precious wine from the deposit of Mister
Francesco and adding
to his hiding-place or "transferring
it straight to his stomach".
And it went with much sagacity and imagination that he elaborated a meticulous plan in order to pilfer the neighbor and to get the precious wine. He accomplished a brilliant plan in one of those days that "sirocco wind" brought the dust cloudy. He got into the main deposit and caught three bottles of the famous wine, not being seen. And when came back at home he left a note:
"The goddess Juno has been here. She took three bottle of your tasty wine to offer at the warrior god. Thank you".
In spite of being frisky, Longinus was a good boy. He helped his parents in the agriculture and sold the vegetables, and the almonds that they cultivated in the market, because it was the source of income of the family. And whenever he returned home, he did the bills of the transactions, being punctual and meticulous in all the tasks trusted to him.
In his homeland, loved a young girl called Juliana, daughter of a farming neighbor of name Taglivine.By the fact of the girl's parents, wishing a better future for daughter, they were always trying to interpose difficulties for two young. They were always creating obstacles to prevent, avoiding who it happened an eventual marriage among them. The pair's meetings were hidden ones. Most of the times, was only a greeting, a motion with the hands, a exchange of passionate glances, always from far away, they constituted the apparent manifestations that marked the existence of a friendship and of a mutual interest among them.
The flirt was with duration of three years, when Longinus wanting a better future and a prominence position in his country, including, to be a man with a solid and comfortable financial situation decided to seek with interest and perseverance, the means to belong in the Legion of the Roman Centurion.
However, it was very difficult to make part of the elite of the Roman soldiers. Besides the many requirements and personal qualities that the candidate should possess, it also depended of his descendants and primordially of a big-man, powerful and influential people to help him.
But what seemed impossible started to become reality. Through a friend of his father that lived in Messina he met Senator Catton that soon it stayed interested in him and promised to help him to be a member of the famous Legion of Centurion.
Some months are passed by... Then the good news arrived. Longinus should meet the Senator in Rome, because of an opportunity that arose. Naturally, he stayed afflicted and anxious of to get the necessary things to travel. He could not let to escape that precious chance that was offered to him. With the help of the family he gathered the necessary financial resources, and traveled to the headquarters of the great Roman Empire.
There, after the
presentations, and the administrative bureaucracy, he finally got to
be registered in the military unit. Now it would depend exclusively on him, of his
dedication, the personal conduct, and his interest in having a good performance
executing with ability all duties. For this reason, he if unfolded intensely in all works
in order to reveal being useful, and attracting the affection of the superiors,
acquiring a higher position among the military companions
And it went with much effort, and sacrifices that he got to participate in several military campaigns, fighting together with brave and famous soldiers.
After fighting during seven years in the battle fields his military unity (corps) was sent off to Palestine, with the objective of keeping the order in Jerusalem. All that area, including Judea, was occupied by the Roman Empire.
In a certain way, it was beginning a new phase in his life, because he already had a good salary and a commanding position inside of the garrison in Judea. This provided him of certain prominence, and facilitated him to dream to get married with unforgettable his Juliana Taglivine.
There were five years who he had visited his relatives and there were over six months that arrived last news of his city. The last news spoke very little about the health of his parents and brothers. They have written a letter with short lines.
Thus, by a natural reason, he was anxious on returning to Sicily, to review the relatives and friends, and primordially again to see that woman who occupied already a great dimension in his heart.
Those were the days of Longinus, when it appeared the mission with the three "malefactors" in the Golgotha, in Jerusalem.
