Awakening Under the Olive Tree

This is the fourth instalment in a series focusing on Greek Mythology. This segment follows A Shadow in the Field. Our journey takes us to the God of the Sky, protector and father to all the Gods, Zeus. He enjoys a rare moment of peaceful bliss underneath a secluded olive tree as he looks up at the sky with one of his many lovers. As these moments are rare indeed for Zeus, we know that trouble is not far on the horizon.

Ganymede’s hands were softer and whiter than any woman’s Zeus had ever felt. Zeus had his choice of gods and goddesses, but it was the temptation of mortals like Ganymede…something about their childlike innocence, that made them so enticing to the father of the gods.

He looked up at the puffs of white clouds racing through the sky and ran his hands past the back of Ganymede’s hand. He turned his head and peeked at the young Trojan prince’s face…almost certainly passed out from exhaustion. A picture of serenity, he slept quietly dreaming the dreams that only mortals can dream, underneath the shade of the olive tree.

The breeze wafted Ganymede’s hair back and forth — a baby’s softness.

Zeus was content at this moment. He felt delightfully empty and generally devoid of worry and responsibility at this moment.

Carefree.

These feelings were rare with a woman, least of all with his wives. He sighed, knowingly. This feeling of floating as a piece of driftwood could not last forever.

Indeed, just like that, reality snapped back to him. He heard familiar footsteps of a woman, and without looking, he knew it was his wife. She spoke, her voice trembling, pleading, distraught.

“She’s gone,” Demeter said flatly. “Persephone has been taken, Zeus.”The father of the gods sighed and made a silent apology to Ganymede as he hefted his sculpted body to his feet. The carefree moment was gone and so, apparently, was his daughter.