Feng Ping, University of Warsaw

“It is better not to...” Before Penelope finished her words, Telemachus had already left.

With the enthusiasm at seeing the beautiful Julia, Odysseus walked with big strides. The Goddess of Venus looked from the sky above, and smiled a little. She knew that Odysseus had fallen in love with Julia, but she would not give them the real chance of being together, for she didn’t want faithful Penelope to be disappointed. Twenty years of youth was too much a price for God to intervene.

Odysseus didn’t even know that his son was following him behind, because he was too excited to notice someone following him. He knocked the door of palace where Julia was waiting.

She opened the door, wearing a white dress with golden flowers decorated on it, shining under the candlelight. She was extremely beautiful. She smiled to Odysseus and held out her hands to him.

“I bring a new music book to you.” Odysseus said to Julia, “This is a new serenade. I hope you like it.”

“Thank you,” Julia put the book on the table. “My honored Odysseus, I want to tell you that I will leave tomorrow.”

“Why? Aren’t you happy here?’ Odysseus was a little flustered. He was willing to do everything to make Julia stay.

Julia smiled shyly. “I need to find a home. I am not your wife, so I can’t stay with you forever.”

“Oh.” Odysseus was silent for a while. He thought of the affairs he had before, but they were more like playing games.

But this time, he was really serious. He thought he had fallen in love. With Julia, he shared a lot in common. Julia could understand him, and he her.

“I think I can grant you happiness. I, Odysseus, can do anything,” words broke out from proud Odysseus’ mouth.

“How?” Julia asked cunningly.

“For you, I will give up everything,” Odysseus said at last.

Julia was shocked, but she didn’t believe what he said.

“You are going to give up mother and me?”

Suddenly, a cold voice came in. Telemachus was standing at the door staring at his father with bloodshot eyes.

“Father! You are a heartless man. I will kill you! You betray my mum! What a faithless bastard!” He held out his spear and stabbed Odysseus.

Odysseus was too shocked by his son’s appearance. He never expected his son was following him. He was shaking with anger. He shouted, “Telemachus, come back! Will you become my enemy?”

“I have no father like you. The moment you betray my mother, you are my father no more. I will kill you.” Telemachus stabbed his spear to his father’s heart the moment the words fell, and Odysseus escaped with a sill. Telemachus stabbed his spear to Odyssey’s leg, and successfully hurt his father’s tendon, which made Odysseus very ferocious. He picked up the spear which Telemachus dropped on the ground and stabbed to his son too. Then blood flew out, which splashed on Odysseus and Telemachus’ face. A woman appeared in the middle of them, and the spearhead pieced the woman’s body. Odysseus dropped his spear in angst. It was Penelope, Odysseus’s very wife.

“Penelope!”

“Mother!”

“Oh!”

Blood flew out of Penelope’s body, and tainted all the yellow carpet brown. Telemachus hurried to his mother’s side, while Odysseus just stood there dumbfounded.

“Mother!” Telemachus was crying hard. “Telemachus, I am going to die. But I want a promise from you,” Penelope said weakly. “It’s a better ending for me.”

“I will promise everything,” Tears were washing down the son’s face.

“Forgive your father, and bless him.”

Telemachus chocked hard. He looked at his father with hatred, and nodded his head reluctantly.

Penelope took a deep breath.

“Why?” Odysseus asked Penelope in a shaking voice.

“Death can make people forgive everything,” Penelope’s smile waned. She looked at Julia, who was totally shocked, and whispered. “So young, and so beautiful.” Then her past 20 years flashed in front of her eyes. Then she smiled for the last time, leaving this beautiful but suffering world behind.

“Mother!” Telemachus cried very hard. He got up, took his mother’s body and went out of this palace with difficulty. The whole palace was shaking with sadness and anger.

Odysseus’ reputation was totally ruined. He was a hero no more. People all felt sorry for faithful and beautiful Penelope, and Odysseus was despised by the citizens.

Odysseus had lost everything. He looked at his home where he once lived with Penelope and his son before for the last time, feeling very old.

Julia decided to leave. Before she left, she visited old Odysseus again. Odysseus said in a flat voice, “She is dead. I have nothing now. But will you give me comfort in the future?”

Julia blushed a little, “I am sorry. You are a good man. I am very grateful to you. But I come to say goodbye. You are a great man. I am sorry for your misfortunes. As I told you before, I want to find my muses, though I don’t know where they are, but I am sure that she is not here.”

“Ha ha.” Odysseus laughed dryly, “I know you are sure to go. So may God bless you.”

Julia was a little uneasy, but she still turned back with a difficulty, and walked away in the setting sun.

Since then, Odysseus decided to travel and fight in battle again to reestablish his reputation. He won several battles later in his life. People forgave his faults and only remembered his virtues. “No one is perfect.” This is what people told their children.

Every month, there were flowers on wife Penelope’s tomb, the sender unknown, but these flowers were always very fresh and clean.