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A while after Odysseus came back and defeated the suitors, he and his son, Telemachus went to spend some time together. Make up for the years they lost. Maybe teach Telemachus a thing or two. They were on a boat. Although he knew, deep down, that Poseidon would no longer come after him, Odysseus would instinctively look in the water. I mean, he was the one to defeat Poseidon but you could never know. Not with the Olympians.
“Is everything alright, Father?” Telemachus asked.
“Yes, son. I’m alright.” Odysseus replied.
“You know, everyone used to tell me,” Telemachus said,“that you fought quite a lot of battles.”
“I guess so.” Odysseus chuckled.
“Athena told me that you even fought Poseidon.” Telemachus continued.
“Of course she did.”
Just then a fast bolt of light came towards them. It was Hermes. He let out his familiar laugh before speaking.
“Hello, old friend! Hi, Telemachus!”
“Hermes! We weren’t expecting you…” Odysseus sighed.
“Wait, wait, wait! HERMES?!” Telemachus gasped.
“Yes, yes, dawling. It is me, Hermes. I’ve brought a message for you, Ody!”
“Since when do you call me Ody?”
“Anyways, it’s from Hades. For, quote, ‘The paperwork you put him through.’”
“What? Father!” Telemachus looked at his father.
“I know, son. Hermes,” Odysseus said, “What does the Lord of the Underworld say to me?”
“How should I start? You lost 558 men at sea…” Hermes started counting.
“Poseidon killed them!”
“Because you didn’t kill Polythemus. You also sacrificed the remaining 36 to Zeus…”
“They betrayed me!”
“And before that, you fed 6 of your friends to Scylla…”
“IT WAS THE ONLY WAY!”
“You didn’t even notice the absence of Elpenor...”
“Wait, Elpenor died?”
"Apparently, he fell from the roof of Circe’s palace.”
“Of course he did…”
“Don’t even get me started on Polities...”
“Wait! What happened to Polities?” Telemachus asked.
“He got smashed by a Cyclops named Polythemus.”
“I told you to kill him!” shouted a female voice, and Athena came, floating above the water.
“Athena!” Odysseus and Telemachus exclaimed.
“And why in the world did you give him your full name and address and let him live?!”
“It was ONE TIME!” Odysseus exclaimed.
“One time that led to everyone else’s death!”
“What-FATHER!” Telemachus yelled. He prayed he heard everything wrong and he was dreaming. The thought of The Great Odysseus carrying the blood of 600 men…
“Telemachus, I know how all of this looks like, but I can explain…”
“NO! I spent my whole life adoring you! I died every day to meet you! I thought you were the brave, merciful Odysseus. And yet you have the blood of 600 men on your hands! Didn’t even notice that one of them died! And risked our safety when you revealed your name and title to that cyclops! That’s not how I would define the word hero.” Telemachus shouted. Then he jumped off of the boat and swam to shore. Odysseus looked at his son as he swam. He was devastated. Not because he got exposed by two gods. But because his son was right. Nothing could justify the lengths he went to. Aeolus said “The end always justifies the means.” And the wind god was right. The ends do justify the means.
But it doesn’t undo it…
Athena and Hermes looked at each other. They didn’t agree on everything. But both felt a mutual feeling of guilt as they watched Telemachus snap at his father. Athena performed quick-thought on Hermes to speak to him swiftly and privately.
“Hermes, you know I don’t always agree with you.”
“Yes, dawling.”
“But it is partially our fault that Telemachus left.”
Hermes sighed,
“Athena, as much as I hate to agree with you, you’re right.”
“I have a plan. Stay with Odysseus. Speak to him a little. And I will go find Telemachus. We must make this right.”
Athena stopped the quick-thought. They both nodded as Athena turned into an owl and flew away.
Hermes looked at Odysseus. That was his old friend. The guy who took 600 men to war, the guy who defeated Circe and Poseidon. The guy Athena desperately tried to free. Hermes was always the more energetic-party type, that was true. But this time, he couldn’t help but feel…sorry. Was that even a word for an immortal deity like him? The Olympians weren’t known for taking accountability…
Then he noticed that Odysseus had noticed he was there.
“Oh.” Hermes managed. Truly, that was the only thing he could manage.
“I can’t blame a messenger for the message, Hermes.” Odysseus sighed, “But I wish you’d come to me privately.”
“I’m-”
“It’s alright.” Odysseus exhaled, “All I’ve ever wanted, all I’ve ever worked for was to be a father for him. But if I was in his position now, and heard everything I’ve done. I don’t think I’d want a man like that as my father.”
Hermes was speechless. He couldn’t say a lot about that. His father was Zeus for goodness sake! That is one of the worst luck ever!
“You know,” Hermes said, “You aren’t the worst. I mean, my father is Zeus-”
“You’re comparing me to Zeus?” Odysseus chuckled weakly.
“That’s not what I mean. What I mean is, you’re a great dad. Telemachus just needs to get over himself.”
Hermes couldn’t read mortals well. After all he was just a messenger. But he hoped that his wise words made Odysseus feel better.
Meanwhile…
Athena didn’t fly for too long. It was easy to find Telemachus. He was sitting underneath an olive tree (not the one where Odysseus and Penelope met). Athena looked at Telemachus. She had spent years training Odysseus. And after they parted ways, she trained his son. In hindsight, that seemed weird for some reason. That reason must’ve been way too complex, if even the literal goddess of wisdom couldn’t put her finger on it. She stayed in her owl form as she watched Telemachus from the branch of the tree.
“I know it’s you, Athena.” Telemachus said unexpectedly. That’s when Athena turned into her regular form.
“You’re smarter than you let on.” Athena said.
“You came here to say that?” Telemachus asked.
“Look, I know you are devastated-”
“That’s one way to put it.”
“But your father is a good man. At least, he had good intentions.”
“What kind of good intentions would lead a man to sacrifice six men?”
“You sound just like Eurylochus.”
“You knew him?”
“From your father.”
“Of course you did.”
“Now you sound just like him.”
“Stop!” Telemachus chuckled. Unlike his dad, this was a delighted, sincere chuckle.
“What I mean is, everyone makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes, Odysseus has made mistakes, and Zeus definitely made mistakes. Actually his weren’t even mistakes, they were intentional. Anyway, your father had taught me a valuable lesson right before our argument. And I’ve wondered how the world could be if we all used it. ”
“What was it?”
“That empathy and mercy are two things that this world could use more. So, I have a proposition; What if we went and talked to him?”
“Only if you stop babying me.”
“Deal.”
And so, Athena and Telemachus went to see Odysseus and Hermes.
Honestly, there wasn’t much more to say…
They met on the shore. Odysseus was still in the boat, Hermes floating above him.
“There you are.” Hermes and Athena said at once. Then they looked at Telemachus and Odysseus before flying away. Odysseus and Telemachus looked at each other,
“I’m sorry.” They said at the same time.
“Look, son, I-”
“It’s alright, dad.”
“But you’re right! I-”
“You did it to come back to us.” Telemachus said as he jumped on the boat to hug his father. Odysseus did owe him 20 years worth of hugs after all.
As the father and son embraced each other, an owl and a flying figure watched from afar before disappearing. Afterall, men and monsters both need time alone with their loved ones…