Book Nineteen ½
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1 A Day to Remember
The bedspread rustled, and the curtains swayed.
The maids felt a cool breeze, and looked upon the beautiful queen to make sure she was still pleasantly sleeping.
Regina, the dream goddess, came down from her castle in the sky, to deliver upon Penelope the dream.
With fingers like feathers, she summoned Penelope into the past and the future. And brought back the memories that Penelope had forgotten so long ago.
The Sun was shining, the air was warm, and the birds were chirping; but it was a gloomy day in Penelope's eyes.
It was the day that Odysseus, with his baby blue eyes, had been working up to, and the day that Penelope had been regretting.
Today was the day that Odysseus would leave for his long journey to Troy; to be a hero and lead his men to victory against the Trojans.
Troy was a long way away from Ithaca, and there were many obstacles along the route they would take.
There was a good chance that Penelope would never see her lover again.
Odysseus, with his sparkling eyes, awoke and looked at his beautiful wife lying next to him.
In her hands was their newborn son Telemachus, whom Odysseus was very concerned about.
How long would it be until Telemachus saw his father again?
What if Odysseus died, and never got to see Telemachus again?
That was a risk that all of the men, going on the journey, had to take.
But he did not want to worry about that now.
All he wanted to do was spend his last few hours in Ithaca, with his beautiful family, in his beautiful city.
Penelope, with her pink rosy cheeks, rose from Odysseus' warm embrace, ran out the door, and quickly reappeared with a box.
She had gotten her knight in shining armor, a beautiful apparel for him, to set sail in.
She handed him the neatly wrapped box, and as he opened the box, a smile stretched across his face.
Penelope shivered, knowing that she would not see another smile like that for a long time.
First came a pair of dark purple knickers, lined with pure gold in an intricate pattern along the seams.
Next he pulled out a white collared shirt, with hand embroidered gold cuffs, that had been newly designed.
There was one more item left in the box, but Odysseus could not bring himself to pull it out.
He had received so much love from his dear wife Penelope, and had nothing to give to her in return.
"My darling Penelope, who brings the light into my life! Oh how generous you are to have given me all of these wonderful gifts.
I am afraid I cannot say the same for myself, for I have not given you any gifts."
"Oh, my sweet Odysseus. What you don't realize is that I received all of my wonderful gifts at one time.
All of the gifts I could imagine came in one package.
That gift that you gave me, which I couldn't love more, is your mere image. A shining statue of your self, with all of your qualities; your handsomeness, your braveness, your loyalty, your love for all that lives, your will, and your spirit. You gave me our son, Telemachus.
No matter how far away we are from each other, we'll always be able to look back, and remember a new life that we brought into this world.
Hopefully, when our son gets older, he will be like you.
And make another woman, just as happy as I am with you!"
With that Odysseus embraced Penelope, and held her until they could stand no longer.
He put on the eloquent new clothes, and stood in front of Penelope and Telemachus for their approval.
The gods must have been looking upon him at that time, for he was glowing, to the human eye.
He had the features of a god himself, with his tall figure, topped off with large muscular arms and legs.
His brown hair, combed to the side, made his blue eyes stand out from everyone else's.
But the most exquisite feature of all was his smile.
His dimples could make a goddess faint.
For he was the most beautiful creature on earth when he was happy.
He walked out the door, winking at his family as he left.
As soon as he stepped onto the street, the world around him seemed to stop.
As he walked down the street, everyone turned their attention to Odysseus, the Great King himself, as if the world around them had stopped turning, and everything was standing, not moving, but giving all of their attention the so called "god" that had finally arrived on earth.
His eyes gleamed as he strutted down the pathway towards the harbor.
His Purple cloak swayed in the breeze, as he bowed his hat to everyone he saw, as if he were God, and everyone else on earth were the little people.
When Odysseus reached the harbor, men were working hard to load the ship with supplies and food for their long journey to Troy.
Odysseus walked along the boardwalk, watching 25 barrels of wine being loaded onto the tall ship, along with fruits, breads, crates of chickens, barrels of flour and other delicious foods.
In the distance Odysseus could hear yelling, as animals were being sacrificed for the journey.
Odysseus was finally seeing that this was his duty in life.
And no matter how much he wanted to stay home with his wife and newborn son, Odysseus had to lead his men in this journey.
Men were starting to load their equipment, and bags, with the hot sun pouring down on their brazen, muscular backs.
Odysseus had the men load his belongings into his private quarters.
He reached his quarters, and inside he found a large living area, that he would have all to himself for the next few weeks, like an island that had just been discovered; Odysseus had the whole quarters to himself, and all of the freedom, and peace that a god should receive.
This ship would soon be his home, and these men would soon be his family.
Odysseus could not look at the ship any longer, for after that night; he would not step off of the ship for a long time.
Odysseus headed back to the meeting area in the city, and met Penelope and Telemachus, whom Penelope cradled in her arms.
Penelope looked just as beautiful, if not more, than the first time Odysseus had ever laid eyes on her.
Her smile tore Odysseus' heart, knowing that if he were to not come back, that smile would be lost forever.
Odysseus, with his bright blue eyes, gathered their son into his loving arms, took Penelope's hand, and they walked up and down the streets, talking about their future, and how they wanted to grow old and die together.
Penelope made Odysseus promise her that he would come back to her, some way, some how.
Odysseus made an oath that he would come back, and one day, they would be a family again. Whether it be 2 years or 20 years, they would be reunited once again.
On that word they returned back to the palace for a parting feast.
Odysseus sat at the head of the table with his parents, wife, and best friend besides him.
As he looked around the room, he saw many faces, and many smiles.
These people, whom he all loved very much gave him pride in his life, like a mother horse who is watching her colt stand up for it's first time on its own, and walk over to the mother with a smile on it's face.
That is what Odysseus felt every time he was with his loved ones.
The feast lasted many hours, consisting of meat, salads, fish, fruit, bread, sweets, and wine.
The hour was coming when he was to leave his city, moving on to a place of crime, and war.
As the feast ended he invited everyone to gather in the city center, for one last gathering before the ship departed.
As everyone sat around, Odysseus stood up, with pride, and honor.
"My dear city, we have come so far in these past years. We have gone from a state of confusion, to a state of stability. We have expanded our horizons, established our goals, and received help from the gods, in order to follow our dreams.
While I am gone, I expect the greatest respect towards the royal family, and I ask that I remain in all of your hearts.
Please, remember me as the father of this city, and take care of it while I am gone. I will come back, and reclaim my throne, when my goal in life has been completed. Thank you!"
Everyone cheered, as the King walked away from his throne.
He and his comrades walked towards the ship with their families, saying their last goodbyes.
Odysseus looked at Telemachus, and his heart was ripped apart with sadness, like a wild beast that has just attacked it's pray, and is ripping apart the kill.
Odysseus held his son and Penelope close to him, as he shed his first tears ever.
The strong man that everyone knew let his emotions overcome him, and his love for his family take over his heart.
Odysseus said his last word good bye, and stepped onto the ship.
The ladder rose, and the anchor was pulled from the bottom of the sea. The ship was on its way, to the land of Troy, destined not to return for 20 years.
Odysseus waved and blew a kiss back to his city. He watched as the people got smaller, and smaller, and smaller, until he could not see them any longer.
He was on the open sea now, no turning back.
All he needed was the love of the gods, so that he would one day return to his people.
As the ship sailed on into the clear blue waters, Penelope shed 20 tears, not knowing that each one of her tears stood for another year that she would be without Odysseus.
As Regina, with her fingers like feathers, went back up to her castle in the sky, she left with Penelope one last note on her husband.
Penelope would shed tears no longer, for Odysseus was back.
As Penelope quietly slept, a smile stretched across her face. She gave a little shiver, for she felt Odysseus' presence, and knew that he was very close by.
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1 A Day to Remember
The bedspread rustled, and the curtains swayed.
The maids felt a cool breeze, and looked upon the beautiful queen to make sure she was still pleasantly sleeping.
Regina, the dream goddess, came down from her castle in the sky, to deliver upon Penelope the dream.
With fingers like feathers, she summoned Penelope into the past and the future. And brought back the memories that Penelope had forgotten so long ago.
The Sun was shining, the air was warm, and the birds were chirping; but it was a gloomy day in Penelope's eyes.
It was the day that Odysseus, with his baby blue eyes, had been working up to, and the day that Penelope had been regretting.
Today was the day that Odysseus would leave for his long journey to Troy; to be a hero and lead his men to victory against the Trojans.
Troy was a long way away from Ithaca, and there were many obstacles along the route they would take.
There was a good chance that Penelope would never see her lover again.
Odysseus, with his sparkling eyes, awoke and looked at his beautiful wife lying next to him.
In her hands was their newborn son Telemachus, whom Odysseus was very concerned about.
How long would it be until Telemachus saw his father again?
What if Odysseus died, and never got to see Telemachus again?
That was a risk that all of the men, going on the journey, had to take.
But he did not want to worry about that now.
All he wanted to do was spend his last few hours in Ithaca, with his beautiful family, in his beautiful city.
Penelope, with her pink rosy cheeks, rose from Odysseus' warm embrace, ran out the door, and quickly reappeared with a box.
She had gotten her knight in shining armor, a beautiful apparel for him, to set sail in.
She handed him the neatly wrapped box, and as he opened the box, a smile stretched across his face.
Penelope shivered, knowing that she would not see another smile like that for a long time.
First came a pair of dark purple knickers, lined with pure gold in an intricate pattern along the seams.
Next he pulled out a white collared shirt, with hand embroidered gold cuffs, that had been newly designed.
There was one more item left in the box, but Odysseus could not bring himself to pull it out.
He had received so much love from his dear wife Penelope, and had nothing to give to her in return.
"My darling Penelope, who brings the light into my life! Oh how generous you are to have given me all of these wonderful gifts.
I am afraid I cannot say the same for myself, for I have not given you any gifts."
"Oh, my sweet Odysseus. What you don't realize is that I received all of my wonderful gifts at one time.
All of the gifts I could imagine came in one package.
That gift that you gave me, which I couldn't love more, is your mere image. A shining statue of your self, with all of your qualities; your handsomeness, your braveness, your loyalty, your love for all that lives, your will, and your spirit. You gave me our son, Telemachus.
No matter how far away we are from each other, we'll always be able to look back, and remember a new life that we brought into this world.
Hopefully, when our son gets older, he will be like you.
And make another woman, just as happy as I am with you!"
With that Odysseus embraced Penelope, and held her until they could stand no longer.
He put on the eloquent new clothes, and stood in front of Penelope and Telemachus for their approval.
The gods must have been looking upon him at that time, for he was glowing, to the human eye.
He had the features of a god himself, with his tall figure, topped off with large muscular arms and legs.
His brown hair, combed to the side, made his blue eyes stand out from everyone else's.
But the most exquisite feature of all was his smile.
His dimples could make a goddess faint.
For he was the most beautiful creature on earth when he was happy.
He walked out the door, winking at his family as he left.
As soon as he stepped onto the street, the world around him seemed to stop.
As he walked down the street, everyone turned their attention to Odysseus, the Great King himself, as if the world around them had stopped turning, and everything was standing, not moving, but giving all of their attention the so called "god" that had finally arrived on earth.
His eyes gleamed as he strutted down the pathway towards the harbor.
His Purple cloak swayed in the breeze, as he bowed his hat to everyone he saw, as if he were God, and everyone else on earth were the little people.
When Odysseus reached the harbor, men were working hard to load the ship with supplies and food for their long journey to Troy.
Odysseus walked along the boardwalk, watching 25 barrels of wine being loaded onto the tall ship, along with fruits, breads, crates of chickens, barrels of flour and other delicious foods.
In the distance Odysseus could hear yelling, as animals were being sacrificed for the journey.
Odysseus was finally seeing that this was his duty in life.
And no matter how much he wanted to stay home with his wife and newborn son, Odysseus had to lead his men in this journey.
Men were starting to load their equipment, and bags, with the hot sun pouring down on their brazen, muscular backs.
Odysseus had the men load his belongings into his private quarters.
He reached his quarters, and inside he found a large living area, that he would have all to himself for the next few weeks, like an island that had just been discovered; Odysseus had the whole quarters to himself, and all of the freedom, and peace that a god should receive.
This ship would soon be his home, and these men would soon be his family.
Odysseus could not look at the ship any longer, for after that night; he would not step off of the ship for a long time.
Odysseus headed back to the meeting area in the city, and met Penelope and Telemachus, whom Penelope cradled in her arms.
Penelope looked just as beautiful, if not more, than the first time Odysseus had ever laid eyes on her.
Her smile tore Odysseus' heart, knowing that if he were to not come back, that smile would be lost forever.
Odysseus, with his bright blue eyes, gathered their son into his loving arms, took Penelope's hand, and they walked up and down the streets, talking about their future, and how they wanted to grow old and die together.
Penelope made Odysseus promise her that he would come back to her, some way, some how.
Odysseus made an oath that he would come back, and one day, they would be a family again. Whether it be 2 years or 20 years, they would be reunited once again.
On that word they returned back to the palace for a parting feast.
Odysseus sat at the head of the table with his parents, wife, and best friend besides him.
As he looked around the room, he saw many faces, and many smiles.
These people, whom he all loved very much gave him pride in his life, like a mother horse who is watching her colt stand up for it's first time on its own, and walk over to the mother with a smile on it's face.
That is what Odysseus felt every time he was with his loved ones.
The feast lasted many hours, consisting of meat, salads, fish, fruit, bread, sweets, and wine.
The hour was coming when he was to leave his city, moving on to a place of crime, and war.
As the feast ended he invited everyone to gather in the city center, for one last gathering before the ship departed.
As everyone sat around, Odysseus stood up, with pride, and honor.
"My dear city, we have come so far in these past years. We have gone from a state of confusion, to a state of stability. We have expanded our horizons, established our goals, and received help from the gods, in order to follow our dreams.
While I am gone, I expect the greatest respect towards the royal family, and I ask that I remain in all of your hearts.
Please, remember me as the father of this city, and take care of it while I am gone. I will come back, and reclaim my throne, when my goal in life has been completed. Thank you!"
Everyone cheered, as the King walked away from his throne.
He and his comrades walked towards the ship with their families, saying their last goodbyes.
Odysseus looked at Telemachus, and his heart was ripped apart with sadness, like a wild beast that has just attacked it's pray, and is ripping apart the kill.
Odysseus held his son and Penelope close to him, as he shed his first tears ever.
The strong man that everyone knew let his emotions overcome him, and his love for his family take over his heart.
Odysseus said his last word good bye, and stepped onto the ship.
The ladder rose, and the anchor was pulled from the bottom of the sea. The ship was on its way, to the land of Troy, destined not to return for 20 years.
Odysseus waved and blew a kiss back to his city. He watched as the people got smaller, and smaller, and smaller, until he could not see them any longer.
He was on the open sea now, no turning back.
All he needed was the love of the gods, so that he would one day return to his people.
As the ship sailed on into the clear blue waters, Penelope shed 20 tears, not knowing that each one of her tears stood for another year that she would be without Odysseus.
As Regina, with her fingers like feathers, went back up to her castle in the sky, she left with Penelope one last note on her husband.
Penelope would shed tears no longer, for Odysseus was back.
As Penelope quietly slept, a smile stretched across her face. She gave a little shiver, for she felt Odysseus' presence, and knew that he was very close by.