Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Parental Ties

Praxis’ mouth hung open upon hearing that last statement. “You knew my father?”

“I did,” confirmed Demetrios. “I knew him when he wasn’t much older than you. He looked a good deal like you as well now that I think about it. He passed through this village, doing almost the same thing you are now. Except his destination was east, not west.”

“East to Argos,” replied Praxis. “He was the king there for a short time. A few years at least.”

“Yes, all the good that did him though. His kingship was a sad tale too. Truthfully, I think it broke him as a man. Evander was never the same after that. I have to wonder if he regrets ever taking the kingship of the city.”

Hearing his father’s name caused a surge of interest in Praxis. He found himself sitting upright, something he did today with considerably less pain.

“Can you tell me what you know of him? How did you meet him? What was he like?”

Demetrios gave him an odd look. “You ask questions like you haven’t seen him in quite a long time.”

“You’d be right about that. I don’t have any memories of him. Only what I’ve been told by my mother before she died. And that was pretty scant at that.”

“Hmm,” said Demetrios, rubbing his chin. “It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about him. I might miss most of the details. But yes, I first met him when he came through here many years ago. He was from Messenia, and I remember he had a noticeable accent the first time he spoke to me. He was incredibly tall as well, something you’ve seemed to inherit from him. It sets you apart from your other Argives.”

“I’ve been called a foreigner most of my life by my own people,” replied Praxis. “I assumed my father’s heritage had something to do with it.”

“Yes, for you are more Messenian than you are an Argive. At least, you seem to favor your father’s side more than your mother’s.” At this point, Demetrios let out a chuckle. “Doris. I can’t believe it took me so long to recognize her name. The last time I saw her, you were only a boy. How much has changed for you.”

“Do you know why my father was coming east?” pressed Praxis. “Was he escaping someplace too?”

Demetrios shook his head. “Not even close. Your father was more of an adventurer than anything else. He was always looking for excitement, and he frequently found it. I think he was tired of his life in Messenia. That, or he’d had all the fun there that he could stand. Either way, he came through looking for a new land but I knew a rustic place like Arcadia wouldn’t suit him. He needed something bigger—something grander.”

“It’s so strange in a way,” continued Demetrios. “He was so full of life in those days. He could be reckless and aggressive but he was always friendly to me. It was just in his nature to try to do things that others couldn’t, and he would always attempt to do it with a smile on his face. Evander was truly one of a kind. I always wished I had his confidence.”

“Did he come alone?” asked Praxis. “I’ve always heard that he met my mother in Argos.”

Demetrios started to chuckle. “No, he wasn’t alone. And that’s a story more so about Doris than anything else. He traveled with a woman—a pretty thing that he’d brought with him from Messenia. From what I remember, it wasn’t just a fling either. Things were serious between them but it wasn’t until he met your mother that their relationship ended. That says a lot about who Doris was to be honest. I think she made it clear to him that she wasn’t going to share and that was that.”

Praxis found that hard to believe. “It surprises me to hear that, especially with her being Damian’s second wife. She didn’t mind sharing him.”

“Well, I think a lot of that goes toward who the man is,” replied Demetrios. “But from what I remember, she was every bit as fiery as he was in those early days. Perhaps it’s why they were such a great match.”

“So did they not meet until he arrived in Argos then?”

“As far as I know, that’s when it happened. But they really did make a great pair. They were both young, driven, and ambitious. And Evander was such a good fighter in those days. You can say it’s not surprising that he ended up as the king.”

“I haven’t heard a lot about those days when he was king. I know that after Damian became king, he made it a law that no one was permitted to say my father’s name. Or to even talk about his rulership of the city.”

Demetrios snorted. “That doesn’t surprise me. Damian was insecure, especially when it came to one of his wives’ former lovers. But then again, he had a lot to be insecure about when it came to his reign when compared to Evander’s. He really was a great king.”

“Really?” asked Praxis. “My mother told me the only reason he wasn’t king anymore was because he left. Because he found it too hard to be a king, especially with a famine during his reign. I’m surprised to hear you say that.”

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“Sure, but that wasn’t your father’s fault,” replied Demetrios. “He just took the brunt of it, as kings normally do in times of struggle. And then there were the Spartans to consider, as well as your brother’s death. What I think happened was that he had all of those issues all at once and it just broke him. He was never the same man after that. Something inside him died that day. I know because I saw him shortly afterward. It was probably the last time that I came to Argos—right before he left the city. You could see it in his face, Praxis. There was a great sorrow in his eyes, like someone who bit off more than they could chew. It was like he felt like a failure.”

Praxis grunted. “I think I know how he feels right now.”

“I’m not sure that you do, son. I see the spark of life in you still. Your father lost that. In a moment, all his brashness and his confidence was gone. It’s like that bravado was only an inch deep. Once it was blemished, it was destroyed completely. I always found him hard to read but that really took the cake. I only found out later that he abandoned you and your mother. But I didn’t see him. He didn’t come through my village on the way back to Messenia.”

“How do you know he went back to Messenia?”

“At one point, he told me he wanted to go back. I think part of him regretting leaving and trying to make it abroad. I don’t know if he had any family back in the city but I’m guessing that might have had something to do with it too. It’s like this—his heart never left Messenia. That’s why I believe that if he’s still alive, he’ll be there.”

“Part of what I’m trying to do is to go to Messenia,” admitted Praxis. “With Argos having fallen under Spartan dominion, it seems like the next logical place for me to go. I was hoping I might find him.”

“If he’s still alive, I’m sure you’ll find him.”

“But that’s the thing, I don’t know if he’s still alive,” said Praxis. “I don’t know what he looks like. All I have is a name.”

Demetrios started to chuckle. “If you need to know what he looks like, just find the nearest river and look over the side of it. To see you is to see Evander, Praxis. You’ll know him when you see him. You have every bit of his likeness.”

That statement was something that made Praxis pause for a moment. He hadn’t thought of his image as being helpful in finding his father. Until now, it was only a small hope that he’d be able to locate the man at all but now that he had a name and a likeness, maybe there was still hope?

Even still, it might not be that easy.

“I sometimes question whether or not I want to see him after all this time. He abandoned us, and I don’t know if I can forgive him for doing so. What if I should just leave it in the past?”

Demetrios started to shake his head. “That is for you to decide and no one else. I can’t make up your mind on that but if you want to know where to start, go to Messene—the city that gave its name to Messenia. If Evander is to be found, he’ll be there. I will say this though—you might want to give him a chance. It’s been many years since he left your family. No doubt it still weighs on him. Sometimes, I wonder how the years have treated him. I wonder if he ever recovered from those losses. Probably not is my guess. He could have been great but he retreated from it, Praxis. I’m sure it kills him to this day. Keep that in mind if you decide to confront him.”

Demetrios’ words made sense and it gave Praxis much to think about. He didn’t see a scenario where he didn’t move forward with meeting his father but he also knew that holding in that resentment would be hard to do.

It would be a fine line to walk either way.

“You look like someone whose world has been greatly complicated,” said Demetrios a moment later, a grin on his face.

“You have no idea,” replied Praxis.

“Put the thoughts of your father away for a moment. The only thing you need to think about is healing. You’re getting better, which is no small miracle, but you’re not back to normal just yet. Turn your mind inward and concentrate on your body. Once your body matches your inquisitive mind again, then you’ll be ready to seek the answers that you need.”

Demetrios patted his shoulder gently as he left, giving him much to think about. Praxis had imagined that life without Argos might be simpler but that was turning out not to be the case. It had only grown more complicated, especially when he didn’t have that focal point in his life with which to orient himself.

In the end, he decided to do exactly as Demetrios had stated. He laid down and closed his eyes, focusing on his body. The sooner he was out of this bed, the better.

And the sooner he could start seeking the answers that he needed.

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