“The Odyssey was the first story. But there was a 2nd, it was called The Telegony. It talked about Odysseus’s death the way he would die. He was told that he would die to the sea, so he lived in fear of the ocean. He was stabbed by his son in battle the spear tipped with the barb of a sting ray. He died to the sea.” The kids sat back and stopped the recording on their phone. “Mr. Murphy, why do you feel like this story resonants with you?” The old man looked at the teens with tired eyes. “Is it because of the new Odyssey movie?” Snickered one of the teens. “Shut up Kyle,” screamed April. “Sorry Mr. Murphy, we appreciate you taking this interview for our class.” The old man nodded his bushy eyes hiding no happiness. “You said this project is for history class?” The kids nodded. “Yes, it’s a look at what historically people found to be the most important to them.” April said with a sly smile, “Yours must have been the Odyssey? Or the Telegony?” The man looked down, “Not the story itself, the concept it holds. The concept of knowing your own death. For I know mine.” The three kids looked at each other. “You know how you die?” The man nodded. “A fortune teller told me one day when I was 16 at the fair. They said your true love would be your downfall.” April scribbled away and paused her recorder again. “How did you avoid it love Mr. Murphy?” A slight smile came to his face. “I chose to never love. I pushed away every suitor and stayed alone. I left my family, changed my name and never looked back.” The kids listened intently. “That sounds like a horrible life,” April exclaimed. “Why would you push everything away for a possible tall tale Mr. Murphy?” The old man shook his head. “Look at me, something must have worked. I’m the ripe age of 89 and I’m still feeling youthful.” The kids chuckled. “Don’t you regret not loving anyone.” The old man’s eyes grew dark, “There was one she was a wonderful lady, I was only in her life for a short time. I miss her.” April moved closer in her chair. “My grandma has a similar story, she said she met a man who went off to Vietnam. She loved him very much.” The old man smiled again. “See, everyone in life has to give up something.” April bit on her pencil, “Yeah my grandma got married but she always talked about that man she met for that long summer.” “Why didn’t you interview her for this assignment?” April looked at the ceiling. “She passed away not too long ago. Ole Marry Taylor, my beautiful grandma.” The name stung the old man deep in the heart. Almost instantly the smells came back and the look of her beautiful white dress. He looked into the eyes of the girl in front of him and he saw her. He fell back in his chair. The nurses walked in as the kids screamed in a panic. The nursing home assured the kids that life happens that way. It was a heart attack, it wasn’t them that caused it. April turned in her assignment the next day with a note. Death by love.
Housed and Fed 