Oil And Water: A Sequel To Alpheus And Arethusa's Love

Oil and Water, No More
A Sequel to Alpheus and Arethusa’s Love Story
By Piologo Tabernilla

Centuries have passed and Arethusa has remained the lovely spring that she is. The same goes for the island of Ortygia. It has remained a cultural hotspot for Sicily. True, it adjusted a bit to the modernity of the times and the influx of tourists. Restaurants and cafés have lined the streets in Piazza del Duomo, Ortygia’s real center. Tables and chairs, covered by large off-white umbrellas, are aplenty. A large pedestrian square lies in the middle, often used for large installations by artists.
All these new add-ons did not do anything to the old feel, though, as the island pretty much stayed the same. It also helped that the later medieval buildings
did not look so much different from the remnants of the Greek and Roman edifices. Transformations are so seamless that everything blends beautifully. For example, towering in front of the piazza is a cathedral built on the site of an ancient temple for Athena while at its side is the church of Santa Lucia. There is also the Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco, a large Baroque townhouse now made available for public use.
It is in the quieter western side of the island where the historical and mythological wonder can be found. Affected by improvements, the banks of the stream have become tall concrete walls, always lined with people wishing to look down and to get a glimpse of the waters which the follower of Artemis turned into. The spring continues to fascinate natives and visitors alike because of the continued re-telling of the love story, coupled by the recurrence of the unexplained surfacing of flowers from the bottom of the water.
The believers are right. Beyond the people’s knowledge, the love story never ended. Alpheus never ceased in courting the hesitant Arethusa. This is despite the fact that Arethusa has grown to be more irate, embittered by her turning into a body of water. She even questioned her mistress if indeed the goddess wanted to save her from Alpheus’ reach or if she intended, for some reason, that she be forever within Alpheus’ contact.
Alpheus only doubled his efforts. He regularly made his way from Greece, then under the sea, up to Arethusa’s fountain. Every time he did so, he brought flowers with him. He even caused the growth of the high and thick throng of wild papyrus at the center of Arethusa’s pool, giving her shade in times of unbearable heat and, in turn, preventing the drying up of Arethusa’s waters.
Despite these labors, Arethusa never budged.
In fact, every time Alpheus visited her, no genuine mixture of their waters happened, contrary to the tale. Because of Arethusa’s intense repugnance of Alpheus, their waters were exactly like oil and water- they literally and strangely did not mix.
One night, a vehicle stopped by the fountain. Five men went out of it and proceeded to unload several large drums. Arethusa could not care less. Having been undisturbed for so long a time and having been accustomed lately to tourists wanting to see her legendary waters, she did not bother about the strange stop-over.
The moon shined brightly that night and so Arethusa saw every move the men made above her walls. When they already motioned to pour the contents of the drums into her basin, she felt the sudden pang of fear and panic. However, before the stench liquid material reached the bottom, a wave of extraordinary strength and height rushed through the fountain, going straight to the direction of the falling matter. It caught them and rushed back out to the
sea.
The ducks that have made Arethusa’s waters their dwelling flew out of horror. Underwater, fishes swam to the side farthest from the one where the men threw what appeared to be wastes. The men above, shocked at the forceful reaction to their deed, hurriedly went back to their vehicle, together with their containers, and sped off.
Although relieved over the turn of events, Arethusa cannot contain her worries. She was sure of who ran to her rescue. No one would risk that much for her other than the persistent and loyal Alpheus. Despite no longer having the human form or the physical human heart, she felt that. That heroic act tugged at her very core.
Right there and then, she has finally decided.
The moment Alpheus returns, theirs will no longer be a story of unrequited love. Arethusa was sure of that.
Days, weeks, and months have passed but Alpheus did not come for a visit. Arethusa’s fears have grown. Something bad might have befallen the river god. And so Arethusa prayed to Artemis again, after a very long time, just to make sure that Alpheus is in fine condition. With a heavy heart, Artemis told her that Alpheus’ waters have been greatly defiled by the chemical wastes which he caught to save Arethusa’s waters from getting contaminated. He could not make his return to Arethusa’s basin with the fear of polluting her too. The news broke Arethusa’s heart.
Artemis, guilty of the despair she has brought her follower since turning her to a body of water, asked help from Poseidon to clean Alpheus. The Olympian willingly agreed and rode his golden carriage to Alpheus’ river waters. He gathered the filthy liquid material and solidified it until it turned into a big black rock. Alpheus then expressed his deepest gratitude to the mighty god of the sea who, in turn, happily commanded him to rush to Arethusa’s basin at
once.
The grieving Arethusa, having no knowledge of what Artemis and Poseidon did, was surprised to see flowers floating from the sea. They gradually increased in number until finally she felt Alpheus’ waters enter her basin. Elated, she allowed Alpheus to embrace her for the first time. For the very first time, their waters mixed. Arethusa finally accepted Alpheus’ devoted love.