Sweaty Palms

Waking of Saturday, April 15, 2017

Sweaty Palms

“I found Gorignak,” said David.

I just said, “Ah!” and we looked at each other for a moment, both of us knowing I was afraid of spoilers—from either end.

“It’s probably the same one you found,” David said, “I’m pretty sure.” The words were so confidently weighted.

I still didn’t say anything.

“Where did you find yours?” he pressed, “It’s fine.”

“....The South Dueling Peak,” I finally said, “Just below the frost line.”

“Yeah. That’s where I found it.”

“And it asploded into a million Ambers.”

“Yup.”

“You know,” I went on, “I remember coming upon that field, and thinking This just LOOKS like a place for a boss fight....”

David laughed.

He’s ahead of me in the game I think. Sometimes I’ll come in the door and hear things I know I shouldn’t be hearing, whereupon I’ll plug my ears and dash away to my room. Other times I have to occupy the same space out of necessity, making a lunch or something, and I’ll just refrain from looking at the TV, and he’ll keep from initiating any important cutscenes. It’s easy enough, until David starts reacting in blustering whattheheckitude at whatever he is seeing.

At one such time I stood where I could not see the TV, just David’s face. He’d just ascended some kind of big, bald, sand-stony mountain I think, and from the sounds he made and the faces he pulled, you’d think he’d just come upon a giant marble statue of Tingle.

“Gold, actually,” he said.

“Gold statue of Tingle?”

“Yes.”

It’s.... maddening.

“I really want to watch you play this part when you get here,” he told me.

Sometimes I’ll watch him play, but only when he’s in places I’ve already been.

I saw him climbing around Zora’s Domain. Ralis Pond, actually! He barely saw the Hinox in time before blundering into it (it was raining). He climbed all over until he paraglided down onto the bridge and into the Domain proper.

And Rivan and Dunma were the first Zoras he had ever laid eyes on.

“What?” I was incredulous. “HOW? How did you even—? Where did you even come from?”

“The south,” David said, “It took me a really.... REALLY long time.”

I told him I’d let him watch me play that other part, if some day he would show me just how in the world he made it all the way into the heart of Zora’s Domain without bumping into any Zora.

And he had to climb down to get to the Lanayru Tower, because he had never even been to the wetlands.

What in the.... just.... ?

One thing I was sad about for him though was that once he did climb Lanayru Tower, Gruve was not at the top. He didn’t get to see that little exchange. Pity.

Sometimes I’ll watch him play even when he’s just near enough to places I’ve already explored.

I saw him sail far out to an island off the coast near Hateno Village once.

(That was probably when I developed Korok Leaf Envy.)

But ah, what another charming animation we found there—have you ever tried to kick open a treasure chest when you have no shoes on your feet?

Oh dear me. Poor Link! X-)

Made us laugh something grand.

We try not to spoil each other, but we’re okay with giving each other little hints, I think. There were electric green chuchus on that island—the first I’d seen in the game—and I passed on Joseph’s warning that those kind blow up. David appreciated that. He also was glad for the tip I gave him on just setting bombs down beside those hidden land-bound octoroks, and then backing up and blowing them up once they show their ugly faces.

And of course I was happy for the extra brainstorming he offered when I was stuck inside Vah Ruta.... and a few shrines....

But there is one thing he always—

Actually there are probably a lot of things he makes fun of me for.

But there is one thing so constant, that his opportunities to poke fun at me for it are far more numerous than the rest, and that is that.... sometimes when I play the game, my palms sweat more profusely than they’ve ever done before in my LIFE.

As a matter of fact, after I started the game, my palms seemed to oversweat wherever I was—for like two weeks straight. Probably longer.

I did feel slightly vindicated once he started his game file, and said to me at one point as he scaled a giant cliff face, “I can see why your hands sweat.”

But he still digs me for it when I get it going bad.

Very occasionally, my father has seen me play this game. And simply due to the law of averages, he’s therefore seen my hands sweat too.

I’ll keep pausing and apologizing for no reason as I wipe my palms down on my sleeves or the front of my shirt....

And Dad will always say “We’ll have to get you some flight gloves.”

And I’ll laugh.

Or.... that’s how it used to go.

Because on this day, Dad made sure to watch me, and beckon me, as I came up and looked at the entertainment center cupboard where my WiiU lives. Because he wanted to see how I would react. Because there draped over the cupboard door were two long green flight gloves.

“What?” I laughed. :D

“Those are for you!” he smiled.

“What the heck??” I laughed some more.

“Try ‘em on! They’re brand new.”

I did.

“Oh they fit great. You look awesome.”

“Where did you even get these?”

“At the store where helicopter pilots know to look for flight gloves.”

“What the heck, Dad?” XD XD

We hugged.

The flight gloves happened to match the mud-green T-shirt I’d been wearing.

And they came halfway up my forearms.

I felt like a superhero.

He used to do a lot of search and rescue, Dad did.

Maybe that’s why.... I’d been trying so long.... so hard....

Had it somehow become.... a familial trait?

Was it just something in my blood?