Bergfors Family Forces

       It was dark. Angry wind was biting him, threw snowballs into his face. Snow drifts were gripping and tripping him. Still, Jani ran through all that storm. He was scared, but his best friend was lost out there, all alone and cold. He got to his feet and went forward and fell again. That was when two white eyes flashed in the dark ahead, growling like a bear. Jani ducked his head into wet snow and squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe, if he didn’t see the bear, it would not see him either? The growling went away and out. When he peeked from snow, it was dark again. Just in case, Jani went on looking for Mitten in another direction, away from the bear. But all he saw was snow. Okay, maybe some twigs, too, sticking from the snow. Home was left far behind, but its light still flickered there. No, Jani said to himself, and didn’t go to a warm, safe home. And didn’t call for help. And— And he fell into a deep pit of snow. It was so scary! But when he sat up, he saw Mitten stuck right in the twigs in front of him. Little Mitten, small and pasted all over with snow. Oh dear… Jani laughed out loud, but then he looked around and realised he didn’t know where home was. Now that was too much.       *** “…And Hannu locked himself in the cellar to read, and Jani got out and lost!” Mean Johanna was ratting out on her older brother to Mom, who had just returned from work. Hannu snorted. Little sisters should be prohibited by law. Of course, he got reprimanded at once. “Hannu,” Mom gave an exasperated sigh. “You know your duties, right? You’re tasked to look after just one younger brother. He could get lost in the dark and freeze. He could walk on the highway and be overrun by a truck. He could—" “No, he couldn’t,” Hannu hated talking, but injustice was even worse. “He lost his odd yellow mitten again, the one he walks on a leash like a dog, and found it out after dinner already. You know what he’s like when he loses a toy. But he wouldn’t get lost, I heard him at once because he bawled like a siren. Even a truck driver would have heard him and pulled to the curb, thinking it was police. Besides, there was still a large distance to the highway, not to mention the fence and ditch. He didn’t even get more snot than during a normal walk. Not a big tragedy, really.” And he squinted at the sofa where little Jani was cuddling with an old knitted mitten and making it jump over a pencil, gurgling in delight and oblivious to the rest of the world.