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August, 2005
Moomintroll sat alone on the vast verandah of Moominhouse, sighing into the fresh late-summer air. It was soft and warm, with Autumn being just around the corner.
It had been roughly two weeks since the departure of his father, Moominpappa, who had gone off with Snufkin’s father, the Joxter, on some sort of sporadic camping trip, with many details omitted.
Truth be told, the young troll had never spent so much time away from his pappa. He found himself missing his father, and eagerly awaited for his return.
Lost in thought, he hadn’t noticed Snufkin had taken a seat to his right.
“Good evening, Moomin.”
Moomin’s eyelids fluttered at the voice of his best friend, bringing him immediately out of his thoughts. “Hm? Oh, Snufkin—! Hi.”
“The sunset is lovely.” Snufkin said, “I wonder how things with our fathers are going."
Moomintroll became deflated. “Yeah… I wonder.”
“What’s the matter?” Snufkin questioned, scooting slightly closer to his friend. “You seem downcast.”
“I guess…” Moomin sighed, "I miss Pappa. I know it sounds silly, but I’ve never gone so long without seeing him in my entire life.”
Moomin looked to his side, and saw the other nodding along, listening intently as he always did. “I know it’s ridiculous, considering you’ve gone your whole life without seeing your dad until recently.”
“One shouldn’t compare.” Snufkin advised, as he began to polish his harmonica with a microfiber cloth. “For me, that’s my normal. Moominpappa being away isn’t for you.”
He smiled to his friend. “I never knew what having a father of my very own was like, so I didn’t even know what I was missing out on recently.”
“I guess you’re right.” Moomin replied, “I know it hasn’t been long, but I just wonder why they both left so suddenly.”
“Our folks go way back, apparently.” Noted Snufkin, pocketing the cloth. “My father says that he’s known Moominpappa since they were both around our ages. Just slightly older.”
"Yeah, I remember Pappa telling me that. I think they knew Sniff’s parents too?”
“Yes, they did.” The mumrik nodded. “The three of our fathers were close, from what I’ve been told.”
Moomin’s ears twitched to this. “What’ve you been told?” He leaned in, eager for a story. “Oh, do tell me, Snufkin!”
“Well,” Snufkin began, “they lived together, and went on a lot of adventures. He hasn’t told me too many specifics yet, but apparently they hot-wired and stole a car in the seventies.”
“Really?!” Moomin squeaked with stars in gis eyes. “Pappa’s never told me this story!” He giggled, imagining the sight of his father in such a situation.
How daring! How… criminal!
“Do you think the car they took belonged to anyone?” Moomin questioned, "or was it already abandoned?”
He began to hop in place in anticipation of an answer. "Oh, oh, was it a fancy car where the top can come down?"
Snufkin shrugged. “My father didn’t give me many additional details."
Moomin played with his paws quietly in response. He looked towards the horizon, above which the sun was just about to set. The stars were becoming visible in the vast night sky.
“Do you know when they’ll be back? Will it be soon?” Moomin asked, breaking the silence.
“I suppose it depends.” Snufkin spoke.
“On what? It’s been two weeks already, how long do they plan on camping?”
Snufkin pursed his lips. “Moomin... do you know why they went camping?”
Moomin tilted his head, feeling slightly confused. “Because they haven’t seen each other in years?”
“No, Moomin.” Snufkin sighed, not wanting to spoil the innocence of his friend. Though, in a situation like this, evading the truth was of use to no one.
“He took my father to get sober, Moomin.”
“He… what?”
Moomin stared to his friend, anxiously awaiting a reply. What was Snufkin talking about?
“My father is an alcoholic, Moomin.” Snufkin traced along the metal of his harmonica with a straightened face. “Moominpappa took him away to clean him up.”
“He is? I’ve never seen him drink!” Moomin exclaimed.
“It wasn’t water in those flasks, Moomin.” Snufkin stated, straight-forwardly. “I could smell it on his breath, even the day we met.”
Moomin nodded, slowly. “Oh… but he always seemed very nice to me.”
Snufkin played a short scale on his harmonica. “That doesn’t mean he isn’t nice. He just has an addiction that he struggles with."
“Did they tell you that’s why they went?” Moomin asked.
“Not exactly.” Snufkin admitted, handing his harmonica to Moomintroll, who he could tell was wanting to observe. “I eavesdropped in on a conversation over the second floor banister.”
“What did they say?” Moomin held the instrument gently within his paws, and observed his eyes in the scuffed reflection of the metal. "If you can remember."
Snufkin hummed an acknowledgement. “Do you remember when I told you I wanted to visit him at his own place, eventually?”
Moomintroll nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“Your father really lectured mine.” The mumrik recalled, “He got pretty stern, and basically told him he has to quit drinking, or leave and never come back.”
Moomin’s eyes widened slightly. “Wow… I guess that makes sense. I didn’t even realize Pappa could be so stern.”
“Neither did I, honestly.” Said Snufkin. “He even slammed his palm on the table.”
“I’m really glad Pappa doesn’t get angry with us like that.” Moomin shivered at the thought, not at all ever wanting to be on the receiving end of such treatment.
“My father is a grown, drunk man.” Snufkin reminded his slightly-younger friend, gently. “He needed it, if anything. Moominpappa would never talk to anyone else that way.”
Snufkin rose to his feet, wiggling his tail slightly, and turned towards Moomintroll with an extended hand. “Walk with me.”
“Before supper?” Though having asked, Moomin didn’t hesitate to grab ahold, and begin to walk alongside his friend. “Where do you want to go?”
“Just a small stroll before we eat."
Into the violet hue of the night, the two of them began to walk into the grass, downwards to their very special place. Though the bridge and creek was just down the way from Moominhouse, the two boys had built innumerable memories together, just in that one place.
The late-night, early-morning, and mid-afternoon conversations they had as they leaned on the railing, or relaxed by the stream with one another brought a feeling to both that was irreplaceable by anything else in the world.
Upon reaching their destination, Snufkin walked out to the middle, and took both of Moomin’s small, white paws, into his own hands.
“I need to talk with you, Moomintroll.”
The use of his entire name caused a chill to run down his spine. Had he done something to upset his friend? “Snufkin?”
The mumrik gave a warm gaze to the other, admiring the way Moomin’s fur, bearing a charming resemblance to snow, glowed in the light of the still-rising moon.
“Moomin, if Moominpappa is able to sober up my father, I will be going away with him this winter.”
The troll’s tail swished. “This winter?”
“Yes,” Snufkin nodded, “this very winter.”
Now, Moomin had already been well aware of his friend’s plans to stay with his father. For some reason, however, the young troll hadn’t imagined he would be spending time there as early as the end of that very year.
He felt a slight twinge in his heart. For how much he’d missed Moominpappa, he couldn’t imagine how much worse the ache would be with the absence of his very best friend.
“If I can manage without Pappa for a couple weeks, or even a month, then I can do this too.” Moomin reminded himself internally.
Suddenly, his father’s temporary departure began to feel like a sort of "practice round" for what was to come.
“For how long, Snufkin?” Moomin, having already braced himself for hearing that he’d spend the month of December alone, clenched his paws. He wanted to be supportive of Snunfkin instead of selfish.
“The entire winter, Moomin.”
…
The… entire… winter?
…
No. He couldn’t have heard him correctly.
...
“T-the whole winter? Snufkin, as in start to finish?”
The mumrik gave Moomin’s paws a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be leaving the beginning of December, and returning the very first day of Spring.”
Tears pooled within Moomin's eyes, with the devastation he felt in his heart reflecting wtihin each one that fell. "Snufkin, why does it have to be all winter long?" He sniffled, "why not just a couple weeks, or even a whole month?"
"Moomintroll." Snufkin laid a gentle arm onto his crying friend's shoulder. "You've always known of my dreams to travel, and on top of that I finally have a chance to get to know my father."
Moomin hung his head low. "I know, I know... I'll just miss you so much."
Snufkin smiled gently. "Spending so much time apart from you during the winter and then returning will be a great treasure to me. I'll have many stories to tell."
Moomin wiped away his tears at the comment. "Oh, Snufkin... you're my very best friend, I'll miss you the entire season."
"I'll miss you too." Snufkin admitted, his own eyes becoming misty, "but every other season will be spent in Moominvalley with you and the others. I'll definitely miss Moominmamma and her cooking, that's for sure."
Moomin let out a soft laugh and looked out towards the moon from their special spot on the bridge, a place where the two of them had spent many hours talking, fishing, relaxing, belonging — it was still hard to imagine that in just a few short months, he wouldn't see Snufkin again until after the snow had melted from the valley.
"This news almost makes me want to take up the ways of my ancestors and hibernate all winter." Moomin leaned over the wooden railing of the bridge with a sigh.
Snufkin laughed. "I doubt Little My would let you even sleep a full day, much less the entire winter."
"Yeah," sighed Moomin, "that's true."
"You'll still have your parents here, and you'll still have Little My, Snorkmaiden and Sniff to play with." Snufkin gave a caring rub to Moomin's back. "I also promise to give a phone call here and there when I'm not busy."
"Really? You promise?"
Snufkin nodded. "I sure do."
As only the sound of birds and the water of the creek between the bridge came between them, Moomin took Snufkin by the hands and looked deeply into his eyes.
"Before we go in for supper, please tell me, Snufkin. Tell me that you promise you'll be back by spring."
Snufkin stood for a moment before giving Moomin's hands a gentle squeeze.
"I promise I'll be back by spring."