Rod Van Winkle, march 2019
Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:46 pm
Rod Van Winkle lives in a village near Stoneham with his wife and son Jean-Paul Croteau. He's an easygoing man with a nagging wife who constantly criticizes him. One winter day, Rod Van Winkle wanders into the mountains with his dog Wolf to escape his wife's nagging. He hears his name called out and sees a man wearing antiquated cross-country skiing clothing; he is carrying a keg up the mountain and requires help. Together, the men and Wolf proceed to a hollow in which Rod discovers the source of thunderous noises: a group of ornately dressed, silent, bearded men who are playing three-pins (a ski game played primarly in Sweden, Norway and Finland)
Rod Van Winkle does not ask who they are or how they know his name. Instead, he begins to drink some of their IPA and soon falls asleep. When he awakens on the mountain, he discovers shocking changes: his ski equipement is rotting and rusty, his beard is a inches long, and his dog is nowhere to be found.
He returns to his village, where he recognizes no one. He arrives just after an election, and people ask how he voted. Never having cast a ballot in his life, he proclaims himself a faithful subject of Dickie Hall, unaware that the Nordic Nerds Revolution has taken place, and nearly gets himself into trouble with the townspeople until one elderly woman recognizes him as the long-lost Rop Van Winkle.
Robert Bourassa’s portrait on the inn's sign has been replaced with one of Francois Legault. Rod Van Winkle learns that most of his friends were killed by the snow in the harsh winter of 2007-2008. He is also disturbed to find another man called Jean-Paul Croteau; it is his son, now grown up. Rod Van Winkle also discovers that his wife died some time ago but is not saddened by the news. He learns that the men whom he met in the mountains are rumored to be the ghosts of Johnny Love's crew from his ship, the Halve Maen. He also realizes that he has been away from the village for at least 20 years.
He decides to hit on his skis the North West slopes of the mountain with his son Jean-Paul Croteau in search of the beared men playing three pins. They find nothing but deep soft powder...
After a great day of skiing, one question remains, is Rod owning, renting or just squatting this land? From time to time, he told his story to strangers and eventually everyone in the village knew all the details by heart. Some inhabitants still doubted the tale, but old-timers swore by it and even claimed, whenever it snowing, its the bearded men that are playing three pins again.
Rod Van Winkle does not ask who they are or how they know his name. Instead, he begins to drink some of their IPA and soon falls asleep. When he awakens on the mountain, he discovers shocking changes: his ski equipement is rotting and rusty, his beard is a inches long, and his dog is nowhere to be found.