Eléni’s First Visit - Part 6

This is the sixth part of the tale. However, the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth parts are not really required to appreciate this one. They are very helpful, however, and full of kisses by both Eléni and Anthi Psomiadou who had graciously agreed to become a fictional character in this unusual visit by Eléni (formerly Cryssarina) to Greece, where she had hoped to speak to Goddess Athena and find the missing Patrick. She accomplished both with Anthi’s help. The continuing story spans the rest of her two-week visit to gorgeous blue-and-white Greece. Moreover, R Tsambounieri Talarantas has also graciously agreed to become another fictional character in this still continuing story. I may never leave Greece. Athena has taken care of the flying roaches.

Eléni was never afraid of Hell because she knew that it did not exist. Human brutality and cruelty, on the other hand, existed and still did in many colours and hues no matter the gods or god. Hades was also both fictional and highly improbable, but now that she met Goddess Athena, there was no way for her to refute Hades and all the other gods and goddesses. Zeus and Hera, King and Queen of the Olympian gods and Athena’s parents, though Zeus had her all by himself, must both be alive as well, as all the other greats. Apollo, the musician, must have listened to Mozart and Pink Floyd and many others in between and before. Poseidon, the earth and sea troublemaker, must have seen incredible destruction in the middle of it all and even in the air. Ares, the warmonger, must have felt like the world belonged to him through all the wars and world wars that humans seemed to have enjoyed throughout the centuries. Artemis, Nature’s bow and arrow, must have been pro-choice many centuries before some women had finally perceived it as their fundamental right. Demeter, Earth’s protector, must have witnessed the unrelenting devastation of the trees and animals, saving those that she had caressed and or kissed. Aphrodite, the love and lust goddess, politics incarnate, must have witnessed many affairs, perhaps even this new one between Goddess Athena and Patrick, yours truly. Dionysos, the merry god, must have cried between bottles of red wine and then danced with The Rolling Stones for more satisfaction. Hermes, the cleverest and most mischievous of the gods, though Athena surely surpassed him with her wisdom by more than her owl, must have run and won every marathon before the advent of faxing and texting. And Hephaistos, the craftsman and fireman, must have seen the fires of Hades and despised all the waste of fire on bad humans when they could have simply been drowned ad nauseam.

Twelve months begot twelve gods and goddesses who begot twelve apostles who did not beget a dozen eggs. I may be mistaken somewhere there. Yet, Athena is the greatest, but I am, of course, biased. She loves it when I kiss everything she has showing and then uncover all the rest for many more kisses. Unlike Anthi’s and Eléni’s kisses which have become divinely inspired, my kisses are love-inspired, though they happen to transpire on the most divine entity of them all. What about Aphrodite? some of you may ask. What about her? She cannot hold any candle or torch to my Athena. I also love her owl and the tree on which it perches like a bird. But the owl is a bird, I can imagine at least one of you thinking or even exclaiming. It is debatable since this one talks and is not a parrot. There is actually a specialist in Greece with a beautiful name. She is a king’s daughter or the daughter of a king. I think that there is a difference and I will ask her to explain it when I finally meet her. Athena is arranging everything. It is one of the perks of being loved by a goddess. I am, of course, referring to Rigópoula. What a first name! I read her stories on Medium and was transported to Greece. Anthi lighted the spark and nourished the fire with words, and Rigópoula lighted other fires, some of them painful to withstand. I was afraid for my wooden heart. Luckily, Athena is aware of its fragility, caressing my chest whenever she thinks it is time to reinforce it with her love.

A bird specialist? She prefers to write than speak. She speaks with her pencil, or is it a pen? It is another mystery she will elucidate when I meet her. I cannot wait. Athena already likes her, especially after I read her several of Rigópoula’s stories. She writes them in Greek and translates them to English. I think she should also translate them to French. It is another thing I need to discuss with her. And there are other languages, of course. Portuguese could be handled by Rui Alves, Italian by Jonah Lightwhale, Romanian by Cris, and so on until we cover all languages available on Medium. Rigópoula speaks and understands the languages of birds. Unlike King Solomon who spoke to all animals, Rigópoula only speaks to birds and the trees on which they perch. I want her to teach me the languages of trees. I have to learn Greek as well, but Athena already speaks it directly to my mind while massaging my heart. I love her hands. I love every part of her. Her statues do not even come close to her real beauty. It is another reason why she reinforces my heart. I do not mind being mortal when I am with her. Like in the movie, Highlander, she has witnessed too many deaths. I read about death and death camps, watched too many scarring movies, and even witnessed one death, and it was and remains too much. Athena soothes my heart with her touch but every time I look at her, I feel her inside. Being in love with a goddess is always hardening.

But enough about me. This is Eléni’s story. She will be the one meeting Anthi again and, of course, Rigópoula. What a first name! I cannot get over it. It should be plastered all over the world. I am just the narrator and Athena’s love, which is more than enough. I hope M is feeling okay. His latest tree and AI pieces are sadder than usual. He has to get his vaccine as soon as possible and move also to Greece. Eléni is here to stay and he knows it. He will come around. He loves Eléni, and love can even take you to the Moon. But enough about Mars. What the hell is going on? It is too far and freaking red. Blue is the human colour along with its green sibling. We have to rise up and save Earth, our only home in the universe. I love science fiction but it remains fiction. Reality bites to kill or at least maim. We have to stand up to the ignorant and heartless. We are more numerous and we have love and facts on our side. All the gods will help; even Ares in his warped way. He needs to be loved to understand it. Love will always be the answer, even if one has to move to Greece.

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I would like to thank Anthi and Rigópoula for being two real Athenas in accepting to take part in this atypical case of my eudaemonia. May Goddess Athena bless you both beyond your obvious blessedness. I was salting my daily avocado when I noticed that the sea salt that I was using came from Greece and branded, Athena. Reality will always be stranger than fiction.