The Stool
It was never remembered in the history books. Although it played a part in the great legacy of Alexander and Hephaestion, historians didn't record its presence. But it did exist.
It had a rather auspicious beginning. A party full of fun and, more importantly, Hephaestion full of wine, brought the stool into the picture. Hephaestion mounted it in his inebriated state and couldn't seem to make a graceful exit. In fact, he couldn't make any kind of exit off of it. The result was a complete embarrassment to him for days, weeks and even years to follow. That wasn't the only think to follow him. So did the stool itself.
Try as he might, Hephaestion could not shake its presence. It would always seem to find his tent or room. He tried sending it to the fires, cutting it apart and even giving it away but nothing seemed to work.
Not only did it remain close to Hephaestion, it acquired a friend along the way. Alexander thought it would be fun to add another for Hephaestion, just like the first. Hephaestion was not amused.
But one night it endeared itself to Hephaestion. In one of their rare moments of conflict, Alexander stubbed his toe on one of them, much to Hephaestion's delight. Suddenly its value went up a few notches in Hephaestion's estimation. He decided that it wasn't as much of a nuisance as he thought.
And so the stool followed its master and the king, so many miles and so many different cultures and lands. It survived the rains, scorching heat and blowing sands. It received a few nicks and dents along the way, just like the two men it traveled with. Its beauty was never one to write home about to begin with; so a couple more blemished hardly made a difference. Even two rambunctious puppies couldn't destroy it, even though they certainly gave it their best shots.
Hephaestion developed a love/hate relationship with the stool. It took awhile for him to forget their first meeting, since it was so emblazed in his memory and mainly because no one would let him forget it. But after awhile he found himself looking for its presence when they established a new camp, just to make sure it made the trip all right. He didn't give it more than a glance but just made sure it was around.
No one made note of the fact that the stool was the last seat Hephaestion sat on before his death. His fever had finally broken after many days and his appetite returned. He sat on his little stool next to his bed and ate and drank the mixed wine.
It was to be his last meal.
No one had moved the stool from beside his bed and when Alexander entered the room and found his beloved in the throngs of death, he sat down beside him on the stool and talked to him till he could no longer watch. Alexander's eyes could see what was happening but his heart could not accept it.
In the days that followed, the stool, along with Hephaestion's others personal treasures were moved to Alexander's rooms and kept very close at hand after Hephaestion went on ahead to wait for Alexander.
What happened to the stool after Alexander's death was never recorded. One would hope that it made it to great beyond with its master. Maybe that is the first thing that Alexander saw when he reached Hephaestion, him sitting on it waiting for Alexander. It seems only fitting that it would end and begin again that way.
No, history didn't remember the little stool that attached itself to Hephaestion, friend and beloved of Alexander. After all, it was only a piece of furniture, and only a little stool at that.
But we remember.