On the way home Eric went back and forth between talking to Elena Daphnopoulou and the whale. More like launched insults at his very demanding girlfriends. But despite his heroic rebellion against them (even if it was merely verbal), he knew that he was addressing himself. Believe me, it’s a very frightening realization for a man Eric’s age, successful in his work, married and a father, that in order to achieve some sort of balance in his life he’ll have to make peace with his childhood bites and his teenage unfulfilled loves.
Episode 36
On his vacation Eric managed to get some rest. No pains, no dilemmas, no annoying laundry owners. His son taught him how to play again. They dove in the sea together looking for treasures. The boy also confided in him that he was sure he saw an enormous fish – bigger than the hotel they were staying at – swimming a few feet away from them. Eric got strong confirmation of the validity of his experiences. And he reciprocated.
Episode 37
One week had passed back at work, and still nothing had been mentioned between Eric and his assistant Elena Daphnopoulou, regarding their unfinished business from a few weeks before. She was so sweet and looked at him with such admiration, one would think time had reversed to when they’d first met. Eric wondered if what he saw was some kind of trick or spell. It was a Friday at quarter to four p.m. when Elena Daphnopoulou left him a message which read: “Find a way to come to my place at nine, I’ll be naked.ˮ Eric’s desire to go made him dizzy. He knew it was time to consult the whale. He locked the door of his office, closed his eyes and presented the problem with as much detail as he could. A sound like a dive was heard. After a little while the whale decided: “Experience it.ˮ Eric’s eyes widened with surprise: “But is it the right thing to do?ˮ The whale, obviously puzzled, replied with a question: “Is what the right thing?ˮ He said: “To go and meet my assistant at her place.” And the whale answered with the following words: “That’s not necessarily what I said. I said experience it either way, whether it’s your erotic exploration or the disappointment of not going through with it.” Eric shook his head, as he had never imagined that one could consciously experience disappointment.