EPT
What I do remember, though, is the stories he'd tell me. You see, an hour-long drive for a 8-year-old is pretty fun probably for the first 5-10 minutes. After that, staring at slow-moving traffic, or putting my hand out the window to feel the wind starts to get old.
So, dad would tell me stories. Sometimes they'd be stories about his life, about how he grew up, people he met, or things he did. More often than not, though, they'd be fairy tales or recitations of great fiction.
One such tale was the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Perhaps you read it in grade school history or literature-- or maybe you're just a well-read person and know about it. Basically, it's a story about the king of the city of Uruk, and he's basically a pretty cool guy. He's the strongest in the land, and is basically a tier above regular people. Where the tale goes from here depends on what source you're getting your info from. If you're reading a history book or wikipedia, you learn about how Gilgamesh finally meets his equal, a wild man named Enkidu, and they become friends and do all kinds of neat things, like banging women, stabbing monsters, slaying giants, checking out the underworld, etc.
My dad put a different spin on things, since he was telling the story for a young boy. Don't worry, there was still lots of dragon fighting, and Enkidu even died-- it was just a much nicer version with, well, much more modern morals. I still remember the idea of there being a wild man fascinating-- and that he could come to join civilization moreso. Looking back on it, I'm glad I was told a story from my own heritage. Even if Gilgamesh isn't strictly Persian, there's enough overlap that I can say, "close enough."
Sometimes, he'd tell the story of Gilgamesh's and Enkidu's battle with the dragon. This was always my favorite story. Sometimes he'd just talk about how they met-- or an adventure Gilgamesh held alone. Always, though, the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu was that of brotherly or familial love. They always had each others' backs, whether fighting man or beast, or even in daily life.
One day, he told me the story of Enkidu's death and passage into the underworld. That alone was enough to bring tears to a young boy's eyes, but the story didn't stop there. Gilgamesh would not accept the death of his brother. He set out across the land, through the wilds, and away from civilization, searching for a way to confront and overcome death. In time he heard of Utnapishtim, an ancient man on immeasurable wisdom. Gilgamesh travels through jungles and forests never seen before by man, and climbs a mountain taller than any other in the world, finally meeting Utnapishtim after crossing an immense sea.
"Oh great Utnapishtim, I, Gilgamesh, have traveled far to see you," says Gilgamesh. "I need your help. My heart is broken-- my best friend in the world, Enkidu, is dead. I must see him again. I need you to bring him back."
Utnapishtim responded somberly. "Death is part of the way of this world, Gilgamesh. So as things live, they must too come to die. It is part of the great cycle of life. Someday, even you shall die. There is no way to save your friend Enkidu."
Covered by immeasurable grief, Gilgamesh left the ancient man. He missed his friend more than he could bear. In time, he returned home, and none could console him. Eventually, he came to accept the death of his friend, celebrating his life rather than mourning his death... and in time, Gilgamesh too passed away.
A sad end to a story. Fairly true to the original, though. Even knowing how the story ended, though, I still wanted to hear the story. Even if at the end they all die, what they did was something I still wanted to know.
Every time I got into the car, I'd beg him to tell me the story of Gilgamesh, and he'd smile and recite again tales from the halls of Uruk bedecked with the riches of a kingdom, and the god-king who ruled, and the wild man who was his best friend. Even in stop-and-go traffic under the California sun, I was happy 8-year-old, immersed in a world of adventure and heroism with Gilgamesh and Enkidu, best friends destined for death.
good read nonetheless.
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