Storytelling for Week 13: Sing Me A Healing Song

Author's Note

Another week, another storytelling with hockey players!  This story takes Väinämöinen from the Kalevala unit and will feature Olli Määttä, #3 for the Pittsburgh Penguins, as Väinämöinen hanging out in the modern day.  I wrote a mini-primer on Olli which will probably be helpful in order to understand some of the things he does and the voice I give him.  Pictures of the cast will be at the end.

I was writing this during last night's game, when this happened... it's just insane how many bad things have happened to this kid.

Anyway, here's a picture of him when things were still good :'(

Olli Maatta

-z-

Väinämöinen’s not saying that he’s bored with being alive – he’s just saying that he’s running out of things to do.

Then he stumbles on a new game from across the ocean – a game called hockey.

-

He shortens his name to Väin and plays in Finland for years and years, learning the game and figuring out which position suited him best.

And when he finally settles on one, he changes his name to Olli and sings a song about youth – watching in the mirror as the lines of age smooth away.  Then he plays his way back up the leagues, and pretends to be surprised when he’s taken in the first round of the NHL draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

-

“I think I like it here,” Olli tells his manager, a young African American with just the barest touches of magic around her eyes in sparks of red; she probably didn’t even know she had it.

Her name is Katrina and her eyes flick up to him from her phone for just the barest moment, a quirk to her lips letting him know she didn’t quite believe him.  “I’m glad,” she says, returning to her phone, her thumb flicking and swiping the screen quickly.  “The Penguins have a good contract ready for you to sign – just let them know when you’re ready.”

Olli looks over to her, smile wide on his face, when he says, “I am ready.”

-

He loves his teammates and he's accepted almost immediately.

And when Jussi – a fellow Finn – joins the team, Olli can barely contain his excitement.  That excitement doubles when he finally gets to meet him and Jussi says, “Oh, you have magic!”

Olli laughs, sees the way Jussi’s own magic dances around his head and his hands – little teal ribbons sliding between his fingers.  Jussi’s magic is diluted to Olli’s eyes, but he know it’s still strong for the modern world.  It gives him just a little more endurance during a game, just a little extra speed when he needs it.

“So do you,” Olli says.

-

Sometimes, Olli and Jussi sing the old ballads to the locker room.  Olli doesn’t even flinch when Jussi starts the Väinämöinen ballads – a name he feels he hasn’t heard in decades.  (A part of him wonders if young Joukahainen was still around, he ever grew into his magic.)

And sometimes, when the team is tired and they’re deep into the season, when all those little bumps and bruises have accumulated and they’re all just sore and hurt down to their bones – Olli sings a healing song. 

He closes his eyes against slumped shoulders and tight faces, and sings – soft and slow, his voice deepening with his comfort in his native tongue.  He wraps his magic into each of the words, tying in the names of his teammates.

(No one talks once he starts singing, he’s been here long enough that they’ve all just taken to just listening, even if they’re not sure what he says or why they feel lighter after he’s stopped.)

And when he opens his eyes – the room always seems just a little bit brighter.

-z-

End.

"Katrina" by Zoë Kravitz

Jussi Jokinen; unfortunately, he doesn't play for the Pens
any more, he now plays for the Panthers.