Man & Youth at Symposium
“Unrequited love’s a drag,” as Mama Cass once said. And nearly all of us have experience the excruciating pain, at some time in our lives, of being deeply in love with someone who didn’t even know of our existence. Speaking for myself, I vividly remember the crush I had on my high school physical education teacher. Adolescent love is more like a blight than a delight. It can lay you low. Make you sick. Drive you to distraction. One becomes morbidly preoccupied with the object of your desire. At the age of 16, Mr D was my singular raison d’etre! And then, one day, he came up to me in the school yard, and spoke to me. He asked me some inane question about my father, I recall. And though I loved him with a passion that was fast threatening to annihilate me, I found that the only way I could respond to this beautiful, god-like man; this vision splendid; was by stuttering out a mumbled response, giggling, and turning such a bright shade of fire engine red, I thought my head would surely burst into flames at any moment. Ah, adolescence! More to be endured, than enjoyed!
Unlike my Mr D, it looks like the object of Alexias’ ardour, Lysis, is beginning to pay attention and take notice. Even though Lysis was engaged in conversation with his peers about the whereabouts of Sokrates, it would appear that his attention was surreptitiously drawn elsewhere. Lysis had made a point of noticing that Alexias had twisted his ankle. Not unusual in itself. However, Lysis leaves his companions and takes a cooling cloth to Alexias, to bind his foot. Move over Florence Nightingale, Lysis is here to save the day!
Alexias tells us that he blushes so violently because he is ashamed that Lysis will find out that he hasn’t really been injured, or that he is malingering, or that he’s withdrawn from the race because he fears defeat. But I wonder if the real reason he has this reaction is because he has been surprised by the sudden, unexpected presence of the man he has been secretly fantasizing about and lusting over.
It reminds me of the Kahlil Gibran quote about the peasant who performs an act of bravery and is brought before the king to be honoured for his heroism. Even though he is thrilled to have his bravery acknowledged by the king, he is more mindful that he is trembling violently at being in the presence of his sovereign.
Here we have a man whom Alexias has been admiring from afar for some time. And now, suddenly, here he is, literally casting his shadow over Alexias’ person, soothing balm in hand, eager to administer comforting relief.
Psst, Alexias, he doesn’t find you boorish in the least. He’s got your name on his dance card, baby! He thinks you’re cute! Looks like the love you’re experiencing ain’t so unrequited after all!