Odysseus Part 12

X11

Helios is the young Greek god of the sun. He is the son of Hyperion and Theia. The people worshiped him by dedicating herds to him, such as on the island of Thrinacia. Here is where we are to pass by. Circe warned me of not to harm the herds given to Helios or the men will die and myself delayed to more challenges before I can reach Ithaca.

We did see Thrinacia and its beautiful pastures. I told the men to rowed on but they protest strongly as we have been at sea for a long time. They long to put their feet on solid ground and also to replenished some fresh water. Supplies from Circe will suffice our needs but still the men complained about the need to walk on land. Their whims are getting to me and they do sound like women folks. I keep on looking at the island and its tempting to me too, but I heeded Circe’s warning.

“Move those oars. We will not land. Did you not learn on Circe Island.” But the one who shouted back at me was the one I least expected.

“Circe! Circe! Is all we hear now from you. Do you know what has happened to you, Odysseus? You worship the lady till you now listen to her words like how you lay at her bosom. Where is the warrior I knew before? Is he dead on Circe’s bosom too or he stands before us. We bested the Cyclops, the Sirens and now you feared an island. Are not mariners always landing at islands if not ports? Tell me what ail you here. Another lady perhaps.” His words mocks me but I feared he tells the truth. I listened to closely to Circe that I feared so much what she cautions. I have lost my warrior instinct and I am becoming a normal man.

“Okay, so be it. We land but you must adhered to my words. Touch not the herds that graze there and eat what you bring onto the island. Promise that on your oath as warriors and I let you go.” The men did  but they are disillusioned by the island than the oath. So I hold their words or my bow will do the talking but these are my friends. Men who walked with me in Troy and fought with me for Ithaca.

The sails lowered and we rowed to the beach. We landed and we rejoice with our own food. We mourned for the six who will not come back with us. When we were ready to leave the island, the skies went dark with heavy overcast and we stayed back. The days turns as we waited but we could not leave. The supplies dwindled and the men are complaining again. They feed on the catch of the sea but they yearn for the meat of the herds.

“Odysseus, tell us do we eat or do we starve?” I have no answer for them. I only can said, I will pray for the Gods to assist us. So I took my leave of them to find a place to lay myself to the mercy of the Gods. But none came to me; not even Apollo whom has said will be there for me. I woke up to the smell of roasted meat.

“No! The fools.” I ran to the camp and there it was. The meat on the rack taken from the herd to be given to Helios. I confronted Eurylochus.

“Aye, we slaughter them but we offered them to Helios before we eat. We promised him that we will built a temple for him in Ithaca. But the worst was yet to come.

We sailed that day but the voyage was raged by the storm. Zeus’s lightning made cinders of our ship and all the men are tossed out fo the ship by the waves or the fire. I was left standing holding the mast which I had attached to the keel. I held onto it as it sailed me with the assistance of the wind. All my men, my loots of past raids, my supplies and my ship are gone.

So is Mues.

Eurylochus.

And the remaining men which I sailed from Circe’s island.

All dead or presumed dead, as the sea waves raged around me.

I am the only survival as told by Circe.

Did she caution or did she prophecies on us?

For what was my ten years of sacrifice to come so far and yet go back with nothing. I should had stayed as a farmer and maybe today be King.

But I am cursed to be here. By the Gods or by myself, I know not but I did know, my sufferings has just begun.

But the wind was without mercy. I was shown not to safety but back to the Straits. I am sailing towards the lower cliff into the grasp of the whirlpool of Charybdis. She whirl me in like a line on the rod. I rowed with hands but she still pulled my makeshift boat in. I saw no chance of escaping and then I got the opportunity.

“Grant me strength, my Gods. I bid you mercy on my soul. I beg of you.” I leap high and I caught myself on the cliff and onto the fig tree. There I held for dear life watching the whirlpool ensnared my boat. It twirls and whirl the boat into the depths. As I thought I will be stranded, the boat appeared before me as Charybdis regurgitates it out. As the legend saids, she will swallow three times and throw it out three times. So it was, and I leap off the cliff onto my boat again.

“Sailed me, you wooden wonder. Aye, we will sailed to safety together.” And so we did, the boat and myself. Soon, I was adrift and the boats takes it own course.

I wake to find myself on an island. I am alive, but bruised with aches all over my body. My armor gone and so is my bow. I am a broken man on another beach on another island. What tragedy will it bring me here I do not wished to foresee but as a warrior born, I will faced it. But truly in me, I feel like a humbled man with no aspirations of gold and wealth but to go home to my loved ones.

I must had laid long on the beach as next I was to see myself on the soft comfort of the beddings and the aroma of a lady in waiting.

“You awake, stranger. Welcome to my home. My name is Calypso, and I dwell alone here on this land.” She is a beautiful lady with the smile that can swoon any man off his feet. She laid some food and drinks for me next to the bedding, and she raised me up so I can eat in comfort. I took small amount of both and slowly feel my body revitalized itself. But I soon myself asleep and was in the state of dreams. The dreams of a man being comforted by a lady. The dream of being in the caress of a lady. I reached for the image of that lady thinking its Penelope but I held was a stranger in my arms.

“Penelope?” I shouted out in my dream and I was awaken from it. It was Calypso who shook me out of my sleep and she is next to me in my bedding. I leap out of the bedding and realized I am unclothed. I grabbed the cover of the bedding but it uncovered the lady in nude. I shook my head and gave back her the cover while I searched for something decent to cover myself. I found a piece of cloth which I wrapped myself around.

“My lady, I apologies for my ride behaviour but I may have acted in my state of unknowing. I begged your forgiveness if I have in any way harmed your virtue. I swear before Zeus, Odysseus is a man of his honor and he will carry out his obligations”. But she laughed at my sworn statement.

“Atlas is my father, and as for Zeus; discretion is not his greatest valor. He sired more than he can remembered. I am the daughter of Atlas, Calypso. You are on my island and my guest. I rescued you from the beach where you laid dying. The apologies shall be mine for I slept next to you in the bedding, but its my bedding and you are sharing it. As for my sleeping attire, I favor the skin to the coarse clothings, as here I felt closer to the soul and I liked the morning sun on my skin. I meant no acts was imposed on you to smear your honor or my virtue. If I wanted to, there are many of nymphs who are ever willing to do so with your body.” She laughed aloud and her bosom was unveil to me. Its truly a sight since I left Circe that I had laid my head on any, not since Penelope before I left Ithaca. I can feel myself in turmoil for my love to Penelope and my last betrayal to Circe.

“Perhaps, I shall wait outside for you, Lady Calypso.” I turned to walked out the door and leave her to her dressing. I am not in mind to annoyed another God or God’s children for fear of more punishment. As I was waiting, a nymph came to me with some clothes to change into. And I was to join her mistress Lady Calypso in the Hall.

“Odysseus, I know your name well. You adventures are spoken by the Gods and they admired you. If not for your foolishness of your men, you would had been home by now. What the Goddess said about you, even put Aphrodite to blush as she heard of your valor and honor for Penelope. You succumb to Circe for the sacrifice of your men; a noble deed in the making, but you also had the courage to walked away after such a long time of .... attachment. There I wondered on how strong you hold your love for Penelope. Surely a normal man will have forgo her for the life with a nymph, who serves all you desires and longing. You are a unique man, Odysseus.” She raised her goblet of wine to my character. I obliged her but I did not reveal that within me, a man still harbors for the love of a woman. If I was like Achilles, I could had picked up one fo the forty six of my men, but I am not him.  I looked at the lady who sits before me, with her lips sipping ever lightly at the wine that trickles down into her mouth. She is a seductress by yards, but she is one sensational one at that.

It was not the push for the consummation but the pull by me towards her. It did not take place immediately but over a period of time, where courteous words and gestures are shown before the raging hormones of mankind reels in its desires. I lain with her and yet I harbour not the love for her like that of Circe and Penelope. It was not a sacrifice of my flesh as I did with Circe nor a enveloping heart beats for my true love, Penelope, but for one a craving for company and respite from all the adventures I had. The feeling of being wanted and at times to extract my rage on the punishment I had for my voyage. It was a long seven years of servitude and self fulfillment for both of us. We served and yet we get it in return.

“Calypso, the day has come for me to said my farewell. Its been a great seven years, but my heart is not here. Neither was it at Circe’s but for Penelope. I begged your forgiveness but I did loved you these years. Please allow me the leave of your side so that I may see my family.” She leap out of the bedding and she stared at me.

“Odysseus, look at me. Do you see me as a woman or a Goddess? If the former, then understand my feelings too. If the later, be gone for I will not see you again.” I looked at her and I stared at her. I cannot forgive my sight as its travels down her body.

“I see the woman as well I can see the man in me. Just as I desire you, but my heart tells me its empty of the substance I yearn for; love. I love thee for the body but not your heart. I begged again your forgiveness for this selfish thoughts.” She raised her hand as it to weave some magic but then she stopped. She lowered her hand and asked me to leave. I did as she requested. I needed a swim in the cold water.

It was not for two days, before she was seen by me. But she ignored me and called not for me. I sat in the garden and awaits her call. I know that she did tell me that I would to stay with her, I would be immortal and aged not a day older. But I am not sure of what I want then.

“Odysseus, hear me out.” I turned to see the man who spoke. Its Hermes, the very same one I saw on Circe’s Island. “You been not yourself in the last years, with two ladies you have chosen to shattered their hearts for you. I am surprised at your indiscretion as on one end, you harbour a love for Penelope, yet you betrayed her’s with your body and lust. If not for Zeus intervention on the pleading of Athena, I would had not stepped in but his words are mine to carried out. I have spoken to Calypso, and she has agreed to leave you, and you of her. So go to her now and continue your voyage.”

I did; I met Calypso who was in tears for me, but we did not let the tears stopped us for one more night of indiscretion. I sailed the next day watched by her from on top of her roof, and she bid the winds to carry me home. I waved to her and big her my farewell. Little I was to know, I left not one heart but two more on the island. She soon gave birth to my sons; two of them.