Wonder Woman: Goddess of Freedom

Kal prepares breakfast while I fix the table. We take turns on the house duties and cooking. 

Today, I cleaned the floors and bathrooms, and he took over the kitchen. 

"Today's menu is scrambled 'just egg' with mashed potatoes and grilled artichoke, and fresh orange juice," said Kal, placing the bowls on the table. He goes back to look for the jar of juice.

I start serving the food on our plates, that way he just needs to sit and eat. He serves the juice before sitting.

"Everything looks tasty!"

I start eating, "it is! Never doubted it. I thank the gods for this chef of a husband".

He chuckles. "Nothing compares to yours, God-wife".

I eat a piece of artichoke and take a sip of juice, "well, as a grateful wife, I will do the cooking from tomorrow on, until my heart's content, that way you can focus on writing your new novel, Timmy".

He got stunned with the fork still inside his mouth, "What about your whole day schedule and the league? Will you have time?"

"Don't worry about that, I'll clear my schedule, I'm going to settle some matters today and take a sabbatical. I need some time alone. So, I'll be doing all the house duties from now on, alright?"

Kal's brows rise, "Are pigs flying? I never thought I would hear those words coming from you. But, I understand, everybody needs a break, even from the things we love doing".

My lips turn up into a smile, "thank you, Kal".

We hold our free hands for a few seconds, staring at each other's eyes. 

We went back to eating.

"what will you do then?" He asks.

"Well, maybe watch you write, do some training, wander around... I don't know".

"Seems fun, to wander around, and have you near while writing, you give me some good ideas".

"Maybe, we can write this novel together. What's your new novel about?" I say while preparing a fork full of potato.

"I don't know, I am still thinking about the theme," he scratches his head. "Do you have some ideas?" 

I give it some thought, "Um..., maybe, freedom".

"Freedom?"

I nod, "yes, what does it mean to be free? What do you think?"

He looks at me for a few seconds, then to the plate and scratches his two-weeks-long beard, "we already know what freedom is, we have fought for it almost all our lives", he eats a mouthful of potatoes.

"We have, you are right." I nod and continue, "since I remember I've been wanting to be free. When I hold the lasso I feel that desire intensifying". I look at Kal observing his every move. "Do you know why the lasso lets me see the truth of others?" 

He takes a sip of juice, "because you know your truth?"

I let a smile flow through my lips, "yes, that's a reason. But the main one is that I completely accept the truth it shows about myself".

He looks at me intrigued, "Which is?"

"That I don't know."

"What?" He stares at me in confusion.

"As I told you before, I don't know who I am, nor I know what freedom is, I just accepted as mine the truth of others, like my mom's, the amazons, the gods, this world; don't get me wrong, I have made some of my own, following that voice, that desire that comes to me from time to time, you know, the little angel as you call it."

He looks down while chewing.

"Kal, isn't the freedom that you speak repeated verbatim?"

He puts the fork and knife over the plate, pushes his front locks back, presses his back on the chair, crosses his arms, takes a deep breath looking around thinking. "Oh boy…" he says, taken aback.

"God-wife...", he continues, then remains silent.

"Yes, Timmy?"

We look at each other without saying a word.

"Alright… What about we go traveling, but as reporters or writers to explore the definitions of freedom according to the different cultures?" I asked after I knew he wouldn't continue.

His eyes go wide open, "I love the idea! We could go disguised and write a nonfiction book," he says putting down his fork and knife to caress his beard, "or a realistic fiction book of short stories about the two of us on this journey," his eyes are shining, his smile doesn't leave his face. 

"Or you can try something new," I say after drinking another sip of juice," like writing a novel with the different characteristics that represent each culture," I continued flowing with the current brainstorming.

"It would be quite a challenge, it's been a long time since I tried to write a novel, I was normally focused on the news report and the short stories," he says absent-mindedly, "I might give it a go," he returns to earth, picks up the cutleries and fill it with potatoes and a piece of artichoke, "thank you for the suggestion, I wouldn't have thought about it," he eats it.

"I am glad I helped, when you feel ready to leave tell me, to prepare for the journey".

He shakes his hand in front of my face, "Don't sweat my love, just focus on yourself right now, I can handle all that, you are on vacation starting today, don't let it waste".

My brows rise, "Alright, but don't leave me behind".

"I won't, I promise".

We finished breakfast and did our house chores. He goes to his office, and I just walk around the house admiring it after decades of underappreciation.

The house is modern, mixed with a rustic style and minimalist decoration, set on the mountains surrounding Metropolis City, one of the most private places and closest to the city we could get. 635m2 of construction, and 3000m2 of terrain, more than enough. It has neutral colors, brown and white being the most abundant. It's been a long time since we are both alone here, our kids left the moment they could, the five of them, making it easier to clean.

I miss them dearly. 

I watch the pictures on the wall, Jor, Etta, the twins, Jimmy and Mala, and Altair, the youngest, are all over the place. In some pictures, they were playing, some are from their graduations, and our times at the Themyscira Olympic Games, they all loved it, they never miss the opportunity to participate. Jor's wedding with Kyla, who is like a daughter to me, she spent most of her teen years here with us. She was brought to me by Artemis, as an orphan who was lost in the woods when she was ten. It's funny how those two fell in love, it was love at first sight, at least for him.

I take a picture from a shelf near the photo wall, I caress the picture of all of them together smiling silly, having fun on a sunny day playing with a hose they found open, they are all wet. 

I chuckle in the reverie of those times.

Putting back the picture in its place, I go to change. I changed to a semi-casual outfit, a pair of navy-blue jeans, a white blouse and a scarlet blazer, with a pair of simple yet elegant 2 inch light brown ankle-boots. Some call me old fashion, but this is the style I have liked the most through the years.

"Good morning, Mom. Is everything alright?" She says worriedly.

"Good morning, everything is alright, daughter".

"Nice to know," she says relieved, " you got me shocked with this morning call, what's up?"

"I'll take a long vacation from the company, can't you handle it without me?" I tell her, concerned about what her reaction could be.

A few seconds of silence. "Are you sure everything is alright? I never saw this coming from Mama duty".

'Mama duty, uh…' "Yes, dear, I just need to organize my thoughts, they have become messy for some reason".

"Alright, mom. Remember if you need anything just call".

"Thank you, my daughter. I'll let you be, I love you".

"I love you too, Mom. M&D Ice cream won't be the same without you, but we can handle it, enjoy your vaca', bye".

"Bye".

Call's off.