I step back and hand the surfboard that I exclusively bought for him. He automatically reached out to take it and started to inspect it. It was a bright yellow like sunshine with glitter letters marking out the words

“Inside me, there’s a thin person struggling to get out, but I can usually sedate him with four or five cupcakes.”

He looked up and raised an eyebrow in question.

If I hadn’t been who I am, I would have been intimidated by that.

I smiled and gestured towards the surf board. “It’s a gift, for you. Maybe you could… I don’t know, go for a surf… Just a suggestion!!” I shrugged, very subtly hinting him. For Hades, to get out his office and get a break. Visit a beach with his wife & enjoy the sun and surf.

He rolled his eyes at me… ME!!!

What is with these people today?? Everybody is rolling their eyes at me!!?!!

I sat down on the chair across him and gestured him to take his seat. Lord Hades raised his eyebrows in wonder and sat in his seat.

I drummed my fingers on his desk and spoke “This meeting is strictly confidential. John can’t know about this!!! Absolutely not!!”

Hades narrowed his eyes in suspicion and asked, “Don’t tell me, you want to go out to play??”

I rolled my eyes and mumbled, “I am not a Child who needs to go out to play!!!”

Hades continued to ask, “Really… Please, don’t tell me you want to go to that Ice cream store again?? Even then, you didn’t want to tell John because he would have NAGGED YOU TO DEATH… But you always forget, John has some extraordinary senses. No matter what you hide from him, he eventually digs it out. And after John came to know about that trip, he came to me and nagged MY ears off. So, forgive me but I refuse to go out to play with you, because I don’t want to wear my ears off by his nagging. I don’t want to hear John’s Nag. Like EVER!!?!!!” He finished at a decisive note and mumbled, “It is worse than sparing with him…”

There was a moment of utter silence in the office.

Probably because of two reasons.

First, this was the ‘Once in a Blue Moon’ occurrence, where Lord Hades deigns to converse with you, in more than a sentence.

And Secondly…

I exploded, “OF COURSE NOT!!!?!!! What am I?? A CHILD??”