DAY 1
I answered a knock at the door today. I didn't know it would turn our lives upside down. There stood Hercules, holding in his arms the limp body of his best friend.
"Mother, Iolaus has been hurt bad."
Jason jumped up from the table where he and I had been lingering after lunch, just talking and enjoying each other's company. He helped Hercules carry Iolaus into Hercules' old room. The two of them gently lowered Iolaus onto the bed where Hercules sleeps when he visits us. I rushed to fill a basin with water and gather all the clean cloths I could find. When I returned, the two men had gotten Iolaus' vest, belts, and boots off, so he would rest more comfortably. I shooed them away so I could see what damage had been done. There was a horribly bloody bandage around his forehead. I removed it and began to clean the awful gash right at his hairline, and tried to wash some of the dried blood out of his hair and from his face. Hercules brought me the medicinal salve we keep for emergencies, and then he and Jason stood by quietly while I finished doing what I could for our dear friend. There was no response at all from Iolaus.
When I had done all I knew to do, and had bound Iolaus' head in a clean bandage, Hercules, Jason, and I retired to the dining table, which I noticed still held dirty dishes from lunch. We just pushed them aside, and let Hercules talk.
"The battle was over, Mother. The warlord who had been terrorizing the village had surrendered, and we had relaxed and let our defenses down. One of the warlord's soldiers wasn't willing to admit defeat, though, because when he came up to relinquish his weapon, he hit Iolaus square in the head with a mace. Iolaus never knew what hit him. It all happened too quickly--he never had a chance to ward off the blow. I didn't see what was about to happen, and couldn't stop it. He just crumpled to the ground, and has been unconscious ever since. That was last evening. I don't know what to do to help him. I feel so useless!"
I took my son's hand and held it while the three of us sat in silence. Hercules stirred after a few minutes.
"I need to go sit with him. I want to be there when he wakes up."
Left unsaid was "if" Iolaus wakes up.
DAY 2
We're taking turns sitting with Iolaus. Hercules has gone two nights without sleep, and was about to drop from exhaustion. Jason and I finally got him to lie down and try to rest. We promised him we'd wake him if there was any change at all in Iolaus' condition. Hercules said he wouldn't be able to sleep, but dropped right off. He's so worried, as are we all.
I sat with Iolaus first. I held his hand, and talked to him. I don't know if he can hear me, but I must convey to him some way how much we care for him, and want him to return to us.
I reminisced about the first time I met him.
"Mother, I've made a new friend." Hercules had brought someone home with him from school. I was in the yard, pruning my flowers, and turned around to meet my son's new schoolmate. There, standing next to Hercules, was the scrawniest, dustiest child I think I had ever seen. He was small--I remember wondering if he and Hercules were the same age--and had this wild shock of straw colored hair that went every which way. But, you should have seen the grin on that little face. He smiled with his whole face, eyes and all. He was very polite, extending his hand and so precisely saying, "Hello. I'm Iolaus. I've just moved here, and this was my first day at school. I'm very glad to meet you." I had to smile also as I shook his hand (which I remember was quite dirty) and told him I was very glad to meet him, and was pleased that he had come to play with Hercules. My son didn't have any really close friends. All the other school children viewed him as "different." The two boys went into the house and got themselves drinks of water, and then came back outside to play. I had to stop my chores and just watch them. I had never seen anyone play as hard as Iolaus did. He reminded me of a colt that has been turned out after several days of being penned up. He never walked when he could run, or jump, or turn cartwheels. He climbed everything that could be climbed--trees, trellises, even the barn roof. And I'll never forget the laughter. Those two little boys became instant best friends.
That evening, as Hercules and I were eating our supper, he told me that this really had been Iolaus' very first day at school. He and Hercules were the same age, but Iolaus had never been to school before. Hercules had already finished his second year. According to Hercules, it had been a rather rough first day of school for Iolaus. He, too, was viewed as different. He was behind the other boys his age in school work, he lived with his grandparents instead of his parents, and he was smaller than the other boys his age. That made him just right for being picked on. Hercules said the other boys in his class had pestered Iolaus all day, and then, after school, had gotten together to really test him in a fight. Iolaus had given them more than they had ever bargained for. Hercules had stepped in to fight at Iolaus' side, because he was so outnumbered, and the two of them whipped the other boys soundly. Hercules said he didn't think anyone would be picking on Iolaus again.
That night, after Hercules had finished his studies and gone to bed, I wondered why Iolaus was just now starting school, and what had happened to his parents. I knew his grandparents by sight only, and they were known as good, hard working people. I would eventually find out Iolaus' story.
It happened in the most frightful way. Iolaus had been coming to our home for months. He had really filled out in those months. I knew that when he'd share a meal with us, he would eat as if he had never eatten before. I never saw such an appetite! And his appetite for learning was just as hearty. Hercules said Iolaus was really advancing in his studies; already up to second year equivalency. He loved to read, now that he knew how, and would read everything he could get his hands on. It wouldn't be that long until he had caught up with the other boys his age. And those other boys had developed a healthy respect for Iolaus' other abilities. He could outrun, out jump, and out throw all of them, except Hercules. And they knew he would fight like a fury if challenged. He adored his grandparents, and was learning many skills from them. He loved nothing better than hunting or fishing with his grandfather, and was already more skilled in those areas than any of his school chums. On this particular day, the two of them were having to play indoors, as it was cold and rainy outside. I was doing my housecleaning, and had had to call the boys down from roughhousing at least twice already. I told them that if they didn't settle down, they'd break something. Well, of course, the quiet didn't last long. It started with giggling, then they began punching at each other, and it ended up in a wrestling match. They rolled into the table, and a vase full of flowers came crashing to the floor. I threw down my towel and told them, "See, I told you something like this would happen!" I stomped over to start cleaning up the mess they had made, and just happened to look at Iolaus as I began picking up the pieces of the vase. All the color had left his face, and huge tears were forming in his eyes. I reached out to him to reassure him I wasn't really mad, and he threw up his hands and averted his face, as if to ward off a blow, and began to sob. It broke my heart. Hercules was completely stunned by the actions of his friend. I took Iolaus in my arms, and tried to quite his sobs. I told him it was just a vase, and that everything was all right and he shouldn't be so upset. He cried and cried, then looked up at me and asked me if this meant he couldn't come over anymore to play with Hercules. I dried his tears and assured him that we wanted him to come over anytime he wanted to, because Hercules and I both loved him and would miss him so much if he quit visiting us. He was able to smile again after that. I decided that I would take him home that day, leaving Hercules to clean up the mess. I had to talk to Iolaus' grandparents. If they were mistreating this precious child, I was going to put a stop to it.
Iolaus' grandmother knew something was wrong as soon as we entered her home. She sent him off to help his grandfather in the shop, and she and I had a long talk. I never heard such a story. Their daughter, Iolaus' mother, had died shortly after childbirth. Iolaus' father went crazy with grief. He blamed the child for the death of his wife. He was a man who had been married before, and already had three big, strapping sons from his first marriage. The grandmother came to take care of the baby and could see the ill feelings his father held for him. She tried to talk him into giving her the baby to raise, but he would have nothing of it. In this land, women and children are the property of their husbands or fathers. I knew this so well myself--I had lost my own son Iphicles to my in-laws, because they were his deceased father's parents and felt me unworthy to raise him, due to the circumstances of Hercules' birth. When Iolaus was old enough to get around on his own, his father sent the grandmother away. She and her husband would visit from time to time, and their hearts would break at the way their grandson was being treated. He was little more than a slave to his father and half-brothers. He would try so hard to please, but would be reprimanded for the slightest mistake. He was just a little boy, so there were many unavoidable mistakes. His father would hit him, or send him to the barn to sleep without any supper, or any other cruel thing the brute could think of.
One time the grandparents came to visit, and Iolaus had a bad cut on his forehead that had gone without any treatment. He said he had fallen into the fireplace. They found out his father had thrown him into the fireplace when Iolaus dropped and broke a pitcher of water. He carries the scar of that wound to this day. The grandparents knew they had to get Iolaus away from there, or his father would eventually kill him. They basically bought their grandson. They convinced the father that he needed the money more than he needed a troublesome little boy. He agreed to the deal, and that was how Iolaus came to live with them.
I wept as I returned home that day. How could anyone abuse an innocent child that way? I now understood why Iolaus played so hard--he had never before been allowed to be a child.
I never told Hercules what I had learned. I wanted to shield my son from this example of life's ugliness. When he later asked me why Iolaus thought I was going to hit him, I just said that I must have moved too quickly and scared him. I wonder if Hercules knows today what his friend's early life was like.
DAY 3
There is still no change. I am so frightened. How long can he go on without water or food? We tried to get him to drink something, but he couldn't swallow.
I spent my time with Iolaus today thanking him for all the things he has done for me and my family over the years. I told him how relieved I am when he accompanies Hercules on one of his quests. I know my son can take care of himself, but a mother still worries. I have seen firsthand how well he and Iolaus work together, so I do feel better knowing they are watching out for each other. I thanked him for the help and support he gave Hercules after Deianeira and the children were killed. Iolaus had lost his own wife and child, and this enabled him to help Hercules by speaking from experience. Iolaus is the one who helped me erect the little memorial to my lost daughter-in-law and grandchildren. I had the stones fashioned in town, and Iolaus brought them out to where Hercules and his family liked to picnic, and then he set them up for me. He's also the one who stood there beside me and held me while I grieved for my lost family and the sorrow of my son. Iolaus felt their loss deeply, himself. They called him "Uncle Iolaus."
Jason says it was Hercules and Iolaus who stood beside him when he was going through the trauma of the loss of his own children, and had started drinking so badly. The other Argonauts had given up on him, but not Hercules and Iolaus. Those two friends convinced the others to give Jason another chance to prove himself. Their support helped my beloved Jason pull himself out of the mire and begin again.
I know Hercules and I both would have died after that awful attack by Echidna's archers, if it hadn't been for Iolaus. He saved Hercules' life by removing the arrow from his side, and then doctoring him. He stayed by Hercules' side during the long trip from my house to Dronos. He saved me from Echidna's grip, and then fought that horrible Demetrius for both Hercules and me. How can you really thank anyone for such deeds as these?
I thanked Iolaus for the laughter he had brought into our lives. His penchant for exaggeration, his sense of humor, his ability to always bounce back and laugh at whatever life throws at him has helped us all. His grandparents would be so proud of the good, brave, and kind man their grandson became.
Iolaus has always been there to help Hercules and me, in big ways and in small. He and Hercules have had disagreements, but their friendship has been stronger than any differences that may come up between them. I had to thank him for that, too.
But, he just lies there. What can we do to bring him back?
DAY 4
Today, I resorted to pleading with Iolaus. I held his hand, and begged him to please wake up. I told him how much we miss him, and how our lives would never be the same if he were to leave us.
I thought I felt him squeeze my hand. I looked at his face and saw his eyelids flutter. My hopes started to rise, but then his body jerked in an awful spasm. His legs, his arms, his whole body was racked by spasms. I ran to the door.
"Hercules, something terrible is happening!"
Hercules came running into the room. I turned to follow, but Jason held me back. He said Hercules needed to be alone with Iolaus. He felt it was the end.
I collapsed into my husband's arms, and all the tears I had been holding back since that knock on my door came flooding out. I couldn't restrain them any longer. Jason didn't try to say anything to console me. He just held me and stroked my hair. Eventually I had no more tears to shed. I just stood there in Jason's arms. I felt him tense, and I turned to see Hercules standing in his bedroom's door. There was the strangest look on his face. It was as if he was in shock. I reached out to him, and asked, "Is Iolaus gone?"
A tear rolled down his face. He answered me, "No, he's thirsty. He just asked me for a drink of water."
There is laughter in my house again. In the week since Iolaus came back to us, he has been gaining more and more strength. His headaches have gone, the wound is healing nicely, and he says he feels well enough to return to his home. I'm reluctant to let him go, though. We came so close to losing him.
He said it was terrifying for him, too. It was like he was trapped behind a giant stone wall, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get through. He would yell and beat on the wall, but we couldn't hear him. He says he thought he could hear us, though. It wasn't exactly like he was hearing us, he said, it was more like feeling that we were always there, trying to help him break through. It really doesn't matter exactly what happened, just as long as he's back with us.
Iphicles and Rena are with us. We contacted them that we were planning a party tonight, to celebrate Iolaus' recovery and good health. They brought an exquisite wine, Hercules and Iolaus went out and snared several quail to roast, and Jason went to the market and brought back delicious fresh vegetables and fruit. To top off our feast, I baked some of the fruit pastries that have been Iolaus' favorites since he was that little boy I so recently remembered.
He and Hercules are in the next room telling stories and keeping everyone entertained. We are all so happy. How, in the course of just a few days, can one rise from the deepest sadness to the highest joy? I'm so full of thoughts and feelings, I had to come in here and write some of them down.
I'm thinking about family tonight. I'm the most blessed of women. I'm surrounded by my whole family--my wonderful husband, my beautiful and loving daughter-in-law, my two brave sons...and Iolaus.
What makes up a family? You are born into a family, you marry into a family, you can be adopted into a family. However, there is so much more to family than that. The love and devotion Iolaus has shown us over the years, and that we feel toward him, has gone far beyond the bonds of friendship. He is as much a member of my family as any of the others of us. I will make sure he knows this. I'm just sorry it took near tragedy for me to realize that he has always been this important to us.
Oh, my, but it's getting raucous in the next room. I've got to go back in there and see what I've been missing.
I want to be with my family.
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