Dion: His Life and Mine Read Online Free Page A

he didn’t damage it and gave it to Andro as a consolation prize.”
    “It’s one of his tricks,” Aster informed me. “Another one of his favourites is to hold his arm out, with fingers outstretched, and challenge people to bend his little finger. Andro says he’s going to smuggle me into the next Great Games and pretend I’m his masseur so we can see Milo in action. Andro reckons it’ll be Milo’s last games, as he’s over forty, but I think he’ll just go on and on!”
    “Andro says there’s a new competition, The Pankration.” I told Aster, reading on. “Apparently, this new son of King Aegeus has invented it. Andro says that they’ve all been warned not to win, although he says they needn’t bother as this Theseus is pretty good; he’s impressed Andro anyway.”
    “What does it involve?” Aster wanted to know.
    “It’s a mixture of boxing and wrestling. Here,” I said, handing the letter to Aster, “Andro says that he’ll show you when he gets back but he’s drawn some positions for you.”
    The next time I visited Aster he showed me stances he’d practised from the letter.
    “This is called The Fighting Stance,” Aster informed me. He was standing in a near
    frontal position, but slightly turned to one side.
    “Right” I said, trying to sound interested.
    “Andro says the weight should be virtually all on the right foot at the back - see? You put your left foot at the front, touching the ground with the ball of the foot. Then, you’re ready to kick as well as defend against any low level kicks.” Aster demonstrated by lifting his front knee in a blocking motion. As I tried to look impressed, Aster looked frustrated. Clearly I was no substitute for our big brother. Aster wasn’t the only one caught up in The Games; father was the happiest he had been since Aster was a baby. He granted a public holiday in honour of Andro and held mock tournaments. He kept everyone busy, planning a big parade for Andro’s return.
    Sadly, not all sportsmen are sporting. The only competitor who had the smallest chance of coming close to matching Andro’s skill was the darling of Athens, Tireas. Tireas had won nine awards, but his pride had been dented. He had lost all the events in which he’d been pitted against Andro, and on home turf too. Even as he accepted his prize as second-best athlete in the youth tournaments and watched my beautiful, talented brother take first place, he had revenge and murder in his soul. As the great Achilleus had his heel, Andro had Aster. During the end of the tournament feast Tireas, after making sure Andro was in earshot, insulted our mother and little brother to another competitor. Andro let rip, but Tireas was ready. Andro was a fantastic wrestler, but, up against Tireas’s glistening dagger, he had no chance. The news hit father hard. For three days he was inconsolable and could only mutter, “why him? Why couldn’t it have been…?”
    Mother insisted on a larger dose of catmint. Phaedra took to her room and refused to eat. It was down to me to break the news to Aster and in doing so, break his heart.
    He was wearing the t-shirt Andro had given him; four Andro’s, forming an athletic circle, taunting me with the former vitality of my, now, deceased brother. My living one beamed at me hopeful and excited, completely unaware of the devastating news I was bringing. Just how do you break the news of a loved one’s death? What’s the best way? Sit down I’ve got something to tell you. Here goes nothing…
    All he said was “oh”, before curling up as best his body, which had cruelly betrayed him, would allow. By turning his face to the wall, he told me that my visit was over. Whilst the palace and the island adapted Andro’s victory parade to his funeral procession, below stairs one small, solitary, crumpled figure was left to celebrate his brother’s life and deal with his grief alone.
     
    A week later, I received Andro’s last letter. Out of respect, shops