When Saul returns to Manitouwadge, he is welcomed. How is he welcomed? What does this welcome mean to him? How is returning to Manitouwadge a part of Saul's healing process?
When Saul returns to Manitouwadge, he arrives an hour early, giving himself space to reenter the rink. The minute he skates onto the ice, he realizes how much he’s missed it, and how little anything else has worked to fill the hole the loss of the game left in his life. He finds a ball of tape on the ground and pretends it's a puck, like he did with the horse turds back at St. Germs. Focused, he looks up to Virgil entering the rink, teasing him for failing to use a real puck. He’s not alone. The remaining members of the Moose are with him, but so are a whole crowd of boys and girls from Manitouwadge. Everyone skates onto the ice, and they all play, together.
This is an important part of the healing process because for Saul, hockey is home.... and the team, their families, and the fans.... they are family.
GradeSaver
