The way it is supposed to be.

My life is back to normal, as it should be. My own wife, at first, was in utter disbelief that it was truly me when she awoke after the massacre. It took me giving the details of our unmovable and symbolic bridal bed. I then went to spend time with my wife, my love. I told her a brief version of everything that had happened to me in the past years. I told her of the prophecy and how I must please Poseidon in any way. I told her to lie low and not accept any visitors until it is safe again. I went and visited Laertes’ orchard. My father had aged prematurely with the grief that his son was dead. All the suitors’ families came after me when they heard of the massacre that I partook in and how I murdered them all. Only Antinous’s father was struck dead and everyone else forgot about the murder of their kin.

I am the king of Ithaca. The husband of Penelope. The father of Telemachus. The son of Laertes. A Greek hero. A man who tempted the Gods.

A fight to the death

So the fighting commences. I started with the nastiest suitor out of all of them, Antinous. I sure taught him a lesson. Once he is gone, I reveal myself to the rest of the suitors. Oh the looks on their faces; they will be forever engraved into my mind. The plan goes through. We have locked them in with no way to escape. Finally Athena joins the fight and in good timing, Telemachus has gone missing. Oh goodness I do hope he is okay.

Finally they are all dead. Every single one. That will set an example to anyone else who thinks that they can just come and try to take over my life.

Athena, Athena, Athena

I do hope that Telemachus and I can pull this off tomorrow. Oh Athena please help my son and I defeat the suitors that have taken over my palace, my wife and my former life.

To be recognized or not…

An eventful night indeed. My son and I were able to remove all the arms weapons out of the suitors’ sights. My unknowing wife then came up to me, after our son went to bed. Oh how I wished she knew it was me and not some lowly beggar. She asked me to unknowingly describe myself, which I did in great detail. I did not mean to make her cry. I just wanted her to believe and trust me as the beggar. “My dear sir, of all the guests who ever yet came to my house there never was one who spoke in all things with such admirable propriety as you do.” (Book 19) I have to tell her that “Odysseus” will be back within the month. Oh how I wished to hold her in my arms at that moment. Goodness gracious, the old nurse has recognized me. I should have never let her wash my feet. Only she would remember the scar I received many years ago there. I had to beg her not to tell Penelope of my true identity. I know I can trust her.

My dear, loving wife

My clever, cunning wife. I knew that we make the perfect couple. She is so clever to fool and trick the suitors into thinking that she actually pick one of them. Her plan showers her in presents from many of the suitors and the suitors have begun to celebrate the good news.

Oh Irus

The audacity of this beggar. He thinks that he can just waltz into my house and challenge me to a boxing match. Oh help me Athena, give me the extra strength to show this man his place in the world and pummel him to the ground. Just give me the strength to stop from going too far.

The beggar’s facade

Well now, I never thought that I would ever get beaten up by a lackey of the suitors. I also never thought that the suitors would be so hesitantly nice. I was given food but then I was insulted shortly after and then it was followed by a stool thrown at me. If only they knew who I truly was; they would never have treated me this way. I want to talk to my dear wife, but I do not want to be looked at and questioned by the suitors. I need to devise a plan and fast.

The Gods are on our side

She has heard me. Athena has changed me back to my former glory. My son now recognizes me. I tell him everything; everything that has happened to me over the past decade. There are more important things to discuss though. We begin plotting the overthrow of the suitors that have taken over my palace. The plan is simple, I enter the home as beggar while my son goes within the house and removes and hides all the artillery out of reach.

My dear son

Oh my gods. My own son is in front of me, in the flesh. A son who I have not seen for over ten years. When I left, he was just an infant and now he is a man. “Eumaeus, I hear footsteps; I suppose one of your men or some one of your acquaintance is coming here, for the dogs are fawning upon him and not barking.” (Book 16) If only Athena, my goddess, would change me back to my former self so that my own son could recognize me.

Tragic Life of a Servant

I praise my servants. Eumaeus is a kind and giving man. I offered to leave in the morning, but he would have none of it. I offered to pay my way around, working for the many suitors that have taken over my home and go after my wife. Again he would have none of it. From here, we swap story after story. He was a child of a King, I learned; stolen by some pirates with the help of a maid that worked for his father.