As the last rays of the setting sun cast long shadows through the frost-lined windows of their cabin, a young boy stood eagerly by the window. It had been a day of relentless toil, balancing schoolwork and chores, and now, his stomach rumbled with hunger as he yearned for his father's return.
Through the window, the boy's gaze fixated on the expansive forest that enveloped their humble dwelling. The woods held a silent allure, its secrets whispered through the trees. The fragrant promises of roasting meat and freshly baked bread wafted through the small cabin, a prelude to the imminent reunion.
It was his mother's voice that gently called him away from the window. She beckoned him to help set the place settings for the evening meal. The boy complied, though his excitement simmered just beneath the surface. The anticipation mounted with each passing moment.
Amidst the clattering of cutlery and the rustle of linen, the boy could hear the unmistakable sound of heavy boots approaching. It was the rhythmic thud of his father's footsteps, the cadence of a long and grueling day's work. The axe, a symbol of the toil of the North Woods, resounded with a distinct clang on the porch, followed by the muffled thump-thump-thump of his father knocking the mud from his boots
Then, the door swung open, revealing the imposing silhouette of his father, a lumberman of the North Woods. The boy's heart leaped with uncontainable joy as he squealed, "Pappa!" He quickly set the plate he held on the table and sprinted for the door.
In his father's arms, he found himself lifted from the ground and embraced by the scents of the woods. The lingering aroma of his father's laborious day enveloped him like a warm, welcoming blanket. They were the scents of sawdust, wood smoke, and the sweat of a hard and perilous day's work, all intermingled with the love of a father's embrace.
These were the stories of their people, tales of adventurers, pioneers, and craftsmen. The ones who had shaped North America with their unwavering determination and indomitable spirit. This was their Norse-American heritage, an enduring legacy carried forward by generations.
- Ian Stålkråke