residents of Nome. Deciding would not be easy.
After getting the message, he showed it to all who might be interested in hearing about it - namely, his parents, Kaj, his band mates, even his Outdoor Outfitters boss John Robertson. They all had mixed reactions to the news. Mika didn't tell Balto about it because he was worried about upsetting him. Balto was the only one in town who actually understood what Mika was going through. And he wasn't sure how to tell him he might once again leave and actually never return. But as usual, Balto had a way of finding out.
As the days passed, Mika had deliberating almost non-stop about what to do. Should he stay in Nome, possibly squandering any hopes of living out his original dream upon coming to America? Or should he go, and risk never seeing those who mattered the most to him ever again? Of course, he already left at three such people behind in Finland - two brothers and a girlfriend - so it wouldn't be like it was a new and scary undertaking. And in Detroit, he left behind the first real friend he had since coming to North America. You might say if letting go was a game, Mika Kykalisko would definitely be one of the greats at it. This time, however, if he did leave, he'd be leaving more people that mattered behind than the previous ones combined.
But eventually it came to him. It wasn't like he might never actually see them again. There was always the possibility that he might be able to come up and pay a visit every now and then. There were teams based on the west coast, or at least the western half of the continent, in places like Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. He would certainly face them at least once during the season. Besides, he had been feeling bottled-up during his time in Nome. If he stayed, he'd be left wondering what might have been if he had decided to chase his dream. Eventually, he made up his mind and decided to go for it. He had decided he was going to play in the NHL. The problem now was how to break the news. He eventually decided to come out and say it. Which he did.
The reaction was mixed. Those who took the news hardest were Mika's band mates. Even though Nick Jones - the guy who was originally lined-up as Mika's replacement during his stay in Wales - was available to take the position, they enjoyed having Mika in their group. But they still wished him the best of luck, as did his parents, John, Balto, and even David's family did likewise.
Although the hockey season wouldn't start for another month, Mika had to leave early to get up to speed with his new team. Preseason practices began in early to mid-September, with the actual season beginning in early October. Mika's oldest brother, Mikko, agreed to fly over across the Arctic from Finland and take Mika to Detroit.
Departure day eventually arrived. Mikko had arrived a few days early to rest and resupply. While there, Mika and Kaj agreed to show Mikko around town during his brief stay.
But eventually, it was time to go. All of Mika's bags were packed, including his gear, and were stowed aboard Mikko's plane. The plane that Mikko used was more of a cargo type. It was similar in to the Spirit of St. Louis plane that Charles Lindbergh had flown on his epic solo flight across the Atlantic from New York. It was painted a deep blue. It was parked on the outskirts of town, where Mikko could get a clear shot at taking off.
Mikko himself was slightly taller than Mika, and his hair was more clean cut than either of his younger brothers.
"You take care, my boy," said Erja as she hugged her son.
"I will, Mom," replied Mika as he hugged her back.
"Good luck son," said Toni.
"Thanks, Dad," Mika responded.
"Go get 'em, bro!" exclaimed Kaj.
"I sure will!" Mika answered back.
John Robertson, the other members of Lapp Attack, and Balto were among those who had come out to say goodbye and wish Mika good luck in his new endeavor. David's son, Michael, who's only 6, had a present for Mika as a kind of parting gift. It was a drawing of the Finn in a Red Wings jersey. He was clutching a hockey stick in both hands and was handling a puck with it.
"This is for you, Mika," Michael said as he handed Mika the picture.
Mika took it, looked at it, and was almost at a loss for words.
"Thanks, Michael," he finally said back as he pat the kid on the back. "Now, where should I put this?"
He then decided to fold it up and put it in an inside pocket in his jacket.
"Good luck, Mika," said John after he made his way through.
"Thank you, John," Mika said back.
"You were one of the best workers I ever had working at my store," John added.
"I knew that already," Mika put in. "Thanks for telling me anyway."
Nick, Keith, Colin and Ryan also told him good luck. Balto was next, but he had it the hardest.
"Well," he said dejectedly, "I guess this is it. You really want to do this, eh?"
"Yep," Mika responded. "My mind's made up."
"Well, good luck, Mika," said Balto. "I'm really gonna miss you."
"Me too, Balto," Mika replied as he hugged the wolf-dog. Balto put his front paws around the Finn's neck and returned the favor.
While that was going on, Jenna snuck into the fray, wanting a piece of it. In doing so, her cold, wet nose grazed the back of Mika's neck, sending a cold shock down his spine.
"GAH!" Mika exclaimed. He then turned around to see who had just given him that cold shock treatment.
"What is the matter with you?" he asked, sounding a little disgruntled.
"I just wanted to be part of the moment," Jenna replied.
Mika rolled his eyes, turned to Balto, and said, "You were right about her. She just can't keep her paws off of you."
"And don't think I plan on taking them off anytime soon," Jenna added, laughing as she and Balto nuzzled.
Mika, as if assuming what might happen next, looked over and thought,
"What, you two have magnets in your cheeks?" Rosy then walked over and hugged them both. The fact that her family lived next door to Mika's parents is why they came out to say goodbye to Mika.
"Oh, look, it's a Kodak moment!" Kaj lightly exclaimed as he put his hands forward in the usual "photographer visualizing the shot pose." "Mika?" he asked. "Can I borrow your Leica? The shutter on mine malfunctioned recently."
"Go right ahead," Mika said, giving his approval.
Kaj then grabbed the camera and took a snapshot.
"Oh, get one of me in here, too!" Mika said enthusiastically as he jumped into the shot behind Balto.
Kaj eventually took the picture. This happened to be the last picture on the film roll, so Kaj took it out so he could take it to the photo lab to be developed. He put a spare roll of film in the camera and put the camera back in its case.
Mika then looked around, uncertain.
"You alright?" Kaj asked his older brother.
"Yeah," Mika responded. "I'm trying to figure out whether I should pee first."
After a few seconds, he said, "Oh, what the hell, I'll make it interesting."
"Uh, bro," put in Mikko, "If you have to pee, you should do it now, 'cause there's not gonna be a lot of places to stop once we get in the air."
"Alright," added Mika. "I'll go now."
He went back to his house to do his business. He returned a few minutes later.
"Okay, I'm all set," he said. "Let's go."
Mika entered his brother's plane through a door on the right side. Mikko followed suite and shut the door behind him. Once they were both seated, Mikko started the engine and carefully taxied to an open stretch where he could get enough speed for a takeoff. Once in the clear, Mikko started to build up speed. The takeoff was a success, and the plane lifted into the sky and gradually disappeared from sight.
Everyone who came out to say goodbye watched the plane disappear from view and stayed until it was completely out of sight.
Later that day, Balto was relaxing out on his boat. He was still downbeat following Mika's departure for the second time in less then three months. Boris was nearby doing some cleanup work with a mop and pail. Balto didn't really want to be disturbed right now, and Boris was making sure nobody did. Muk and Luk were playing on the beach at this time, knowing full well that Balto wanted to be alone for a while.
Eventually, Jenna approached the ship, wondering where Balto was. She looked everywhere else he was known to frequent without finding him anywhere. She quickly concluded that he must be on his boat.
"Muk? Luk?" Jenna asked. "Have you seen Balto?"
"He's up there," Muk answered, pointing up the ramp that lead onto the boat. "He said he wanted some time alone."
"Alright, I'll wait for him," said Jenna.
Balto had already been up there for about half an hour. A few minutes later, he came down. Seeing Jenna waiting for him did make him feel better, but only a little bit.
"Hi, Jenna," said Balto as he nuzzled her.
"Hello, Balto," said Jenna as she nuzzled her back. "You alright?"
"I could be better," Balto replied, sounding depressed.
"You miss Mika, right?" Jenna asked.
"Yeah," Balto answered back. "It just doesn't seem fair that he had to leave now, just when he was finally starting to fit in."
"Look, Balto," said Jenna in a comforting manner, "Mika's main dream was just too big for this town. If he stayed, he'd never get the chance to chase it."
"I know, Jenna," Balto added. "I just wish Detroit was closer to here. Then at least I'd know for sure he'd be able to
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