The Lotus Eaters We won the Trojan war! Thanks to Odysseus and his heroic intelligence we tricked those Trojan’s right into letting us in their kingdom and by now we were already sailing home to share the wonderful news. I was so thankful to have survived the war and couldn’t wait to be back home with my family again. I wanted to share all my stories and tell them how the great Odysseus won the Trojan war with a huge wooden horse. It was our third day straight of rowing. My body was shot. I felt like any wrong move and my body would crumple, but I kept going.
Nothing in the whole world could have stopped me from rowing, even if all my limbs were gone, I would have found a way to keep going. I wanted to be home more than anything. I daydreamed of my arrival imaging my wife and two kids running up and hugging and cheering for me, but before I knew it some commotion on deck split me from my dream. “We need to make a 75 degree turn to the right men, I have a quick stop to make. ” It was Odysseus. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why we had to turn. The seas were for the most part calm that day, so we didn’t get of course, and it was practically a straight sail home.
I trusted his decisions though, so I retreated back to my fantasy. “Land ho! ” I heard someone yell from the starboard side of the ship. Land ho? I pondered to myself. My minded may have wandered slightly off, but I knew for a fact that it takes at the least two weeks to get home, so I was clueless as to why we were heading to some unknown location. Like I said though I trusted Odysseus and like a good crewman should I continued to rowing our way to shore. Few hours went by and I started to hear some chatter from two guys in front of me.
“This is idiculous that he is taking us of course just so he can get some street cred. ” one of them said. “I know, we have families we want to get home to. All this hero mumbo jumbo is getting in his head. So what he had one good idea, now he thinks everyone should bow down to him” the other complained to him. I was stunned. How could they think so low of such a courageous, intelligent, selfless, and humble man. We finally made it ashore just before sundown and I had no idea what to expect. Could what those guys were saying be true, or was Odysseus just being thoughtful and giving us a short break.
I had no idea at the time. “You, you, and you (he was pointing at me) go and learn what race of men that this land sustains. ” “No problem” | said eagerly. When I got together with my companions the excitement was immediately sucked right out of me. It was the two men from the ship, who were not as thrilled as me to be exploring might I add. It didn’t take long until we came across some natives gathered around a fire. Before we got to close we drew bake an arrow and proceed with caution. We used a surprise attack and popped out of a cluster of trees yelling “Stand down.
We want to know who you are and what you’re doing” They were frightened by our assertiveness and some of them stuttered trying to mumble words, until one of them could make words. “We we are no threat. We are men like you and are doing no harm. We eat the lotus. A sweet, honeyed flower, and are more than willing to share. ” The three of us looked at each other unsure of our next moves, but then I heard the rumble of my stomach. Four days at seas doesn’t come with the best diet. I wasn’t exactly sure what this lotus flower thing was, but I was starving and they were sharing.
I joined the lotus eaters around their fire and without hesitation my associates were chowing down on the lotus flower too. I felt more relaxed than ever before. There was something about the lotus eaters that made them so comfortable to be around. Even when I looked over to the other crew members it seemed that all the hate they had in them for Odysseus and his actions was gone. I felt like I had no responsibilities, no need for home, family, or to even leave. I figured as long as I had the lotus flower to eat I could live happily ever after.
“What is going on here? I sent you guys out hours ago. again it was Odysseus with the rest of the crew behind him. I didn’t understand why he was so mad. There was plenty of lotus to go around and no hurry to leave. The majority of the crew joined us, but for some reason Odysseus wouldn’t take a chill pill and relax with us. “This isn’t right, we have to leave” he told us “Why? What’s anywhere else? We have everything here”| informed him. “No, I know what’s best for you and I will drag you guys back if i have to. ” He kept to his word and within seconds himself and the only crewmen left on his side dragged us back to the boat and forced us to row away from shore.
I suddenly knew why some had such a hatred for Odysseus wasn’t the selfless, intelligent, and humble man I thought he was. The next day it seemed that most of us had snapped out of our “lotus” dayz and reality hit us like a ton of bricks. I was embarrassed and ashamed of the way I acted the night before. The lotus flower caused me to be forgetful of my homeland and to lose all determination to return home. Those disgraceful Lotus Eaters aren’t like us, they’re addicts that are oblivious to the world around them and rely on a flower for happiness.
