Olives, Saltwater, and Honey

4

Permenides was a very serious man, and he did not enjoy lovemaking very often. I learned quickly that he was a very easy man to avoid. He was very busy during the days. He made his money by giving loans out to starting merchants and not only collecting the loan in full but collecting interest and also being paid a percentage of the merchants profit for the rest of their time in business. There were always men in the home waiting to speak to him. The only time I was unable to stay away from him was mealtimes. He was very meticulous about his mealtimes. Breakfast was prompt one hour after the sun rose, midday meal served just as the sun was highest in the sky, supper at dusk, and a small snack before retiring to bed. Four times a day I was required to put on my best wife face, make small talk, and listen to his never ending narcissistic rants. Four times a day I was required to make eye contact. Four times that came too fast and lasted too long. Occasionally Permenides would summon me to a small room that had only two chairs and an expensive Persian rug in the middle. A small window faced out towards the ocean my mother drowned in. He would ask me to sing for him, or to tell him stories. The only stories I knew involved the God’s he loathed so very much. I would only tell Permenides the stories about the ancient heroes. Permenides was no fool, and I don’t believe for a second that he was ignorant to which stories I was telling him. I believe that he was just pleased that I had made an effort to change the names. One day, shortly after my fourteenth birthday, he summoned me into his small nook.

“Tell me a story.” He commanded.

A few nights before I had noticed Permenides staring into a pot of water admiring his own reflection, rubbing his beard; I decided to be clever and pull one over my Narcissistic husband and tell him the story of Narcissus.

“There once was a young nymph named Eumelia who was in love with a handsome man named Neleos. Neleos was loved by all that knew him, but he loved no one. He believed that no one was worthy of him-”

“He sounds like a sensible man.” Permenides interrupted.

I continued on as if he had not spoken.

 “Eumelia had only one other passion other than Neleos and that was talking. Eumelia always had to have the last word. Her passion of speaking had gotten her into some trouble, and she was cursed to not be able to speak unless she had been spoken too.

“Eumelia often waited in the forest to catch a glimpse and hoping to be noticed by Neleos. One day he had heard her footsteps and summoned her out towards him. She had been overjoyed by his summons that she threw herself onto him. She wished to tell him of her love for him but she could not speak. Neleos became angry with her touch and pushed her to the ground. She felt her heart break and she ran away from Neleos. She continued her life in the Mountains yearning for a love that could never be returned. The grief overwhelmed her and she died. She became one with the mountain stone and all that remained was her soft voice which replied when others spoke.

“Neleos continued to attract many nymphs all of which he entertained for a short while before breaking their hearts. Soon acting forces of the world grew angry with his behavior and cursed Neleos. The acting forces wanted him to understand what it meant to love and not be loved back. They made it so that there was only one who could love, one who was not real and could never love him back.

“One day while Neleos was out enjoying his day he came upon a small pond. He gazed into the pond and caught glimpse of what he thought was a beautiful water spirit, but in fact it was his own reflection. He bent down to kiss his reflection and as it reciprocated his own actions. This reciprocation made him believe that the water spirit also wanted him. He reached into the pond to draw the water spirit towards him but found that he disrupted the water and the water spirit had vanished. Neleos panicked for a moment until again the water spirit returned.  ‘Why did you go away from me, beautiful water spirit? Surely, it was not my face that repelled you away. The nymphs all love me, and you do not look indifferent towards me. When I smile you do the same, when I reach out towards you, you do the same, but why when I touch you you disappear from me?’ Again he reached out and again the water spirit he loved so much vanished. Afraid of losing his love forever he stopped reaching into the water and merely laid beside the pond staring into the eyes of his love. He did not eat, he did not drink, he did not sleep, he merely lay there and longed for his love. He died from grief of wanting his love so badly but not having her. Where his body had laid, a flower grew.”

I finished the story and looked up at Permenides. He had a peculiar look on his face.

“Why have you chosen to tell me the story of Narcissus to me?” He asked gazing out through the window.

“No reason in particular, my king.” I could feel sweat begin to prick out of my pores.

He stood up slowly and continued to stare out into the ocean.

“I noticed you noticing me as I admired myself in the pot of water a few dawns ago. Tell me… Are you comparing me to Narcissus?”

“Not at all!” I defended myself.

He brought his hand down upon my cheek with such ferocity I felt the sting before I heard the loud clap of his skin against my skin. He then brought his hand down upon the opposite cheek with the same force.

“DO NOT EVER TRY TO MAKE FUN OF ME AGAIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?” He screamed.

“Yes.” I stuttered.

Tears began to sting my eyes as heat radiated off of my face. He stormed out of the room angrily, leaving me cry silently into my hands.

He did not speak to me during supper. He summoned me to his room just as I began changing into my night clothes before bed.

“Come in, Eos.” He said.

I walked in and sat on his bed where he motioned me to come.

“You did a very bad thing today, and I am going to need to make it up to me.” His eyes were glazed over and he kept on licking his lips.

He pushed me down underneath him and moved away my underwear. He removed his clothes quickly and entered me with a rough shove.

“You. Are. Such. A. Good. Girl.” He said in tune with his thrusts.

He finished inside of me and shoved me away from him.

“Goodnight, Eos.” He grunted.

“Goodnight, my king. I love you.” I whispered.

“You’re a quick learner, little one.” I heard him chuckle as I left his room.