The Tampa Terror

Part 11: Tuukka

About five years ago, the light that made my life brighter dimmed permanently. My best friend lost her brave battle against the horrible disease known as cancer. I believe there is a Heaven and that my best friend resides there now, but I still miss communicating with her. We lost connection for twelve years at one point, but the two months we spent together after reuniting were the best two months of my life. She made me laugh and smile like no one else had ever done before, and every day was a pleasant day if she was there to spend it with me.

Sinikka misses her too, which does not surprise me in the slightest. What child's world would not be shattered after the death of a mother who loved them dearly?

My mother is still alive and healthy, so I cannot even begin to imagine what it would have been like to lose her at eleven. Sinikka has recovered quite well from her traumatic experience. However, she still attends therapy once a month and often mentions how much she wishes her mother was still alive.

Anja told me she would be there to celebrate with me when the Blues, who had been my favorite team for nearly eighteen years by the time she passed away. She explained that she would be there as a spirit. Anja also told me she would give me a sign that she was there if I was not one of the few people in the world with the unique ability to see and talk to ghosts.

The Blues defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games in 2019, two years after Anja's death. But I play for the team that the Blues vanquished, so I never got to celebrate the Blues' victory, which I had dreamed of since I started cheering for them at the age of twelve. However, I did notice a feeling of someone being next to me as I sat frozen in shock in my crease. Someone else was there watching as a team of which I was not a member celebrated their victory. It was definitely someone, not something, for the warm sensation I felt in my stomach was something I only felt when Anja was by my side. Although I have never been able to confirm it, I am sure that she fulfilled the promise she made before passing away.
Anja was there with me even though I was not necessarily celebrating. I like to think she still cheered when the Blues won. Anja must have known that I could not be angry at my favorite team forever, especially after this team won its first Stanley Cup.

That is enough about me, though. I must explain how my little story relates to the situation going on with the ongoing Stanley Cup Finals and the ghost of Tom McAfee. Anja mentioned before she died that the ability to see ghosts was a rare ability with which only a select few people were blessed. However, I neglected to read between the lines and thoroughly analyze what Anja told me. She never said that the ability to communicate with spirits had no gray areas. It is entirely untrue that someone can interact with either all undead people or none at all. In fact, many people can communicate with some spirits but not all of them. After dealing with some fascinating experiences that could not be explained by natural phenomena, I inferred that I was able to do precisely this. I've never proved that my hypothesis is correct. Still, I firmly believe that I have been the recipient of several supernatural messages. All signs point to ghosts being the primary cause of many of the odd occurrences in my life.

I ponder this as I taste the bitterness of my second can of Sam Adams. The alcohol soothes the pangs of nervousness that continuously shoot through my stomach because of my worrying about Tom. As much as I despise how much I depend on it to solve my problems for me, it relaxes me enough that I can't resist it whenever I am feeling overwhelmed.

Game Five of the Finals is in one day and two hours. If the Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Montréal Canadiens tomorrow night, they will have won their fourth game of the round. Four victories in the fourth round is all a team needs to be declared Stanley Cup champions.

Carey Price is one of my closest friends, which is surprising because we play for two teams that positively loathe each other. But, as much as I despise the Canadiens, I can't help but hope for the impossible comeback. It will make Sinikka happy if it happens, and Anja would be satisfied, too, if she were still around. She'll smile down at the Habs from Heaven if they manage to win it all.

"They're not going to win," says a woman behind me. I freeze, but it is not because there is a strange woman in my house. My reaction is actually because I recognize that voice. It's the voice of someone who passed away almost five years ago.

I turn around slowly, and just as I expected, Anja Heikkinen hovers about a foot off the ground. It's been so long since I last looked into them, but her emerald green eyes still draw me in. Before I can control myself, I stand and take a few hesitant steps toward the spirit of my best friend.

"I told you, Tuukka," she floats forward. "The ability to see and communicate with ghosts is not black and white. Some people, like you, can only do this with some spirits. I told you back then that you would be able to communicate with me once I passed on to the next world."

I am still too dumbfounded to speak. Honestly, I cannot utter any sound at all. Anja notices this, so she adds more to her previous statement.

"Go to Tampa Bay if you can," Anja commands. "See if you can communicate with Tom McAfee. The other players have had great success in getting him to stop haunting their teams–in fact, from what I understand, he has expressed remorse for his actions. However, something important to consider is that this man is a Bruins fan. I hypothesize that since you play for his favorite team, you will probably be able to convince him to leave the other teams alone completely. And, if he suddenly experiences second thoughts about his decision, you can tell him that his original decision was the right one. He will likely listen to you. Even if Tom is too stubborn to follow the advice of a Bruin, I believe that talking to him is worth a shot."

As usual, Anja's idea is a respectable one. I choose that moment to begin researching the next flight to Tampa out of Boston Logan International Airport.

After finding a flight that departs at eleven o'clock tomorrow morning and booking myself a seat, I smile up at Anja. "I'm going to Tampa tomorrow to deal with this situation. I think your predictions will come true, Anja. I know I play for their rivals, but I hope the Canadiens complete an incredible comeback because you deserve to be happy."

Anja blushes and looks down. "You're very considerate, Tuukka, but I don't think that will happen. It's okay, though, because I'm proud of the Habs for even making the Finals. Anyway, I'm glad that you're following my advice. Good luck!"

I wave goodbye as she slowly fades away. "Thank you, Anja. I promise that things will be back to normal by tomorrow evening."