Ignorance is Bliss
When you are immortal what do you do for fun? You can't play pranks on humans. Everyone knows what happened Prometheus and he was giving them a gift! As a matter a fact I think I can hear that eagle ripping out his spleen now. We can't directly interfere with our children and what is the good of indirectly interfering. Worst of all I am Hades, and I can't even have a true throne on Olympus. I am supposed to be the 'evil' and 'dark' one so, sure lets just stuff Hades in a hole for the next three thousand years so he can't cause too much trouble on Olympus!
It gets awfully lonely down in Hades especially when Persephone is away during spring and summer. Even with that scrawny boy Nico running around here, and that is coming from a loner. I suppose the underworld is crowed, but with no one I want to talk to because they are all ghosts. I sighed but immediately cheered up. I was going to have some fun today out in the mortal world where everyone is oblivious to the gods and monsters. Whoever came up with the term ignorance is bliss deserves to go in the Elysium for they are absolutely correct.
I pictured what I should look like in the mortal world. Being a god I could choose to be whatever I wanted. I decided on a twenty-one year-old male with slick black hair. I would wear a tailored black suit with leather dress shoes. My occupation would be a movie director, after all no one remembers a movie director after watching a film. I then shadow traveled to just outside my palace near Cerberus. I patted him on the middle head and praised him. Today I could allow myself to be kind, because I would no longer be Hades, Lord of the Underworld, but Haden just your average LA movie director. After petting Cerberus one last time I walked into the Mortal world.
Los Angeles was busy as always and no one noticed the dark haired man join the flock of people from the shadows. I made my way to the nearest bar. I found in the past three thousand years of my existence that where there are alcoholic beverages there are interesting people. I guess I should thank Dionysus, but I will see how the day goes. I scurried across the street. I knew the roads with my eyes closed and I could easily locate the nearest bar. Fifteen minutes later I burst through the doors and small bells noted the bar tender of my arrival. The aroma of fresh liquor filled my nose. The bar was dark, but my eyes were used to it from the underworld. I walked to the counter and took a stool next to a woman who looked to be the same age as me.
"Hello, do I know you?" I said lightly. I knew I had never seen her in my life, but it was still a good conversation starter.
"No, sorry, I don't believe we've met before."
"Oh, you just seemed very familiar. No matter, I am Haden."
"Nice to meet you Haden. My name is Anne." She said my name a slowly and her eyebrows formed a "V" in confusion. Ann was in deep thought because her eyes glazed over and didn't speak.
For the first time I took in her whole appearance. She had light brown hair that was at her shoulders and she was dressed for work. Her dark-brown eyes were slightly red from crying and her legs were crossed, which is body language for I-am-uncomfortable-talking-to-this-man. She had on a pinstripe skirt and blazer, which suggests office work.
"Can I buy you a drink?" I offered at first she was hesitant but then nodded quickly in reply. I could sense it had been a long hard day for her, something tragic must have happened. Hey, I'm a god and I can do that kind of stuff. She wasn't the only one who needed to unload. Try being stuffed in the Underworld for a few months at a time. Not that I would tell her that but I still needed to talk to someone who wasn't a stuck up god on Olympus or dead.
"You seem worried." I prompted.
"No, I'm fine its just work has been really stressful lately."
"How so, it always helps me when I talk to other people."
"My boss has been laying off people like crazy. He told me today that if I don't get my act together I'm next. I can't afford to lose this job, if I do I'm dead." She broke into a bitter laugh. I just smiled gently at the irony of her words. It felt strange listening to other people's problems, and actually caring. I thought for a moment on what to do. Suddenly, I pulled out a drachma from my waste coat pocket. It was decided, I took a favor to this poor girl so lost in her life, and I helped in one of the few ways I could. I wasn't sure what she would do with it, but at least I tried.
"Here, take this, you will need it one day. Make sure you have it in your pocket at all times, and if you do I will be sure to see you again."
I got up from my bar stool and paid for my drink. I exited the bar and listened to the clinging bells behind me. Not bothering to turn around I was sure I knew a confused expression would be plastered on her face but as I walked along a little farther she appeared next to me.
"Thank you, you gave me a drachma to give to Charon for passage on the river of Styx. Thank you for your mercy Lord Hades." She panted out of breath.
I froze on the spot not sure of the next action to take. My true identity had never been discovered before.
"How did you know?" I whispered
She only smiled in reply and walked back, much happier than before. Then again anyone would be a lot happier knowing that they wouldn't have to spend an eternity waiting for some one who had a drachma to spare for them to pay Charon.
Suddenly the saying ignorance is bliss popped back in my mind. Is it really true? Are we really happier not knowing about certain things? Would Anne be better off not knowing I existed? Finally I came up with my answer, no, she would was better off recognizing me. Had Anne not realized I was a god or that the coin I gave her was a drachma, she could have just thought I was crazy and spent all of eternity a lost soul. Then again I think of all of those half-bloods who learned about their parentage only to get them killed by my fury or a hellhound. Once I reached Cerberus I pat his head in deep thought. Ignorance can bring bliss only when you are young. When you have aged and youthful ignorance can no longer protect you is when the saying's meaning is no longer correct. When you have aged you will see the true terrors and the true miracles of this world. Which led me to wonder; have I grown up completely, still blind to some horrors even after three thousand years? I don't think I will ever know, but I do know I still wish for the simple youthful ignorance that protected me from so much while I was a young spirit. Then again, doesn't everyone?
