It was the night before Christmas and a group of friends were cozying up by the fireplace in a mountain hut in a snow covered Norway. They had enjoyed a week of skiing, snowboarding and walking in the beautiful nature. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time, so they had a lot to catch up on. They laughed about old memories, made plans for the future and exchanged gifts.

Suddenly they heard a loud knock on the door. They looked at each other in surprise. Who could that be? They hadn’t seen anyone else around. They weren’t expecting any visitors either. They decided to open the door, maybe it was someone who needed help?

They opened the door and saw a man standing there with a large backpack and a red beanie. He had a beard and glasses and wore a thick winter coat. He looked at them with a wide grin.
“Hey guys! Long time no see!” he shouted.
The friends recognized him immediately. It was Erik, their old high school classmate. They hadn’t spoken to him in years. He had always been a bit of an outsider, but also the adventurer. He had traveled the world and done all kinds of exciting things.

“What are you doing here?” they asked in surprise.
“I just happen to be in the area. I am working on a documentary about Norwegian culture and nature. I saw your cabin and thought: let me say hello. Can I come in?” Erik asked.
The friends were a bit overwhelmed, but also curious. Of course they invited him in. He was their friend! They gave him a cup of hot chocolate and asked him about his stories.

Erik told them about everything he had experienced in recent years. He told them a lot of wise words about his many travels around the world. He seemed to have the right answer to all life’s questions. At one point, the chocolate milk was replaced by several bottles of wine, and everyone shared their own life lessons.

The next morning no one knew what time it had become that night. As in a Christmas miracle, no one had a hangover from the many bottles of wine that had been consumed. Only the television, still broadcasting the news without sound, and the empty bottles of wine gave evidence of a drunken night.

When Rachella looked at the television screen, she was shocked and looked for the remote control to turn up the volume. An image of Erik was shown on the screen. While looking for the remote control, she called everyone to the television. They could just hear that the presenter said that a man from the Netherlands had died yesterday afternoon while recording in the mountains of Norway. They looked at each other in disbelief.