It could have been another miserable winter. Every year, as soon as thick fog and white crisp snow covered the town of Hoonah, its Eight hundred inhabitants would start spending their free time indoors, either sleeping or trying to wake up. This is what people commonly did during winter in Hoonah, a small Alaskan village located right in the middle of nowhere, on the shores of a breathtaking bay, which unlike the inhabitants of Hoonah never froze even during the most severe winter seasons. Winter usually started early, and it meant that most life would hibernate for the eight or nine months to come. The village folk were used to this kind of weather here. Everyone but Laura. She came to Hoonah only three years ago, and she still had not forgotten what life was like outside this sleepy hollow.
Laura came to Hoonah to work at the local intensive care. She loved the work. She just was not into the whole desolate landscape and depressing lifestyle. A native of Boston, Laura was used to having an active social life, hundreds of acquaintances, and a wide variety of places to go out in the evenings. Well, one part of her life that she did not have problems with here was getting acquainted. It seemed that two months after Laura had arrived in the village, everyone already knew her, and four months later, she already knew everyone here as well. “Everyone” was the eight hundred inhabitants of Hoonah, not all by name of course but enough to have a friendly conversation with any of them.
Laura’s first two winters in Hoonah were surprisingly quiet and stress-free. It was not that she did not expect the place to be that way, but it seemed that she already had enough of the quietness and relaxation to start finding it rather depressive. She craved for sunny days, bright blue skies and smiley faces. That is why Laura long ago decided that this winter would be different from the previous two that she had spent here. Laura decided it would not hurt to travel around a little, there was only one problem; she did not know what was there to see in wintry Alaska. But then it suddenly occurred to her that the famous Sanat House was just north of her. It was a twenty-one hour-long trip in her SUV, and water travel added an hour or two, but she had plenty of time since she had completed her last 12-hour shift for the month.
When Laura finally reached Fairbanks, the home of the Jolly Old Man, she was sore and sleepy. As soon as she stepped out of her car three cute toddlers dressed in green and with miniature bells sewed to their cones approached her. Two of them took hold of Laura’s hands and the third one pointed at a house, speaking among themselves half-laughing and half-whispering. That is just as much as it took for Laura to start feeling like she was part of a fairy tale. Even Though she was a clear-eyed 27-year-old woman, this place made her feel like a gullible child once more. The toddlers lead Laura inside the house, and suddenly a wave of warmth, comfort, and home washed over her. The toddlers pointed at an old leather armchair by the fireplace then ran away, leaving the sounds of their joyful laughter ringing in Laura’s ears. She hopped on the armchair, tucked her legs underneath herself and stretched her arms towards the fire, the dancing flames warming her palms. She didn’t even notice when an old man with a big white beard, dressed in red from head to toe, quietly approached her. He gently put his right arm on her shoulder like a father to a daughter after coming back from a prolonged winter vacation.
“Well, hello there, dear. You have grown up so much since your last visit, my girl.”
