This a love story for boys. I wrote this for my grandsons to balance the girlie love story I wrote for my granddaughters. It is quite different! I hope you enjoy it, Alex and Innes!
Grampa
You are too young to have ever played his first game, but you will recognise the little guy with the red cap and the big black moustache. Probably, but this is before he became famous as a racer of motorcars with his brother, Luigi. Everyone who is famous was once as unknown as you are; no-one (except Prince George of Cambridge) is ever born famous. The world's most famous people were all once little boys or girls. Until something happens to him or her. This is the tale of how Jumpman grew up to become Super Mario; its also about a very big monkey (OK, gorilla) and a pretty princess in pink.
Miyamato-san told his tale through a tiny hand-held game console. Its the normal story of monkey-captures-girl, boy-sees-girl, monkey-tries-to-stop-boy-rescuing-girl. This happens in every town and city every day. But, I'll allow Mario to tell his story ...
I first met Miyamoto-san in his small apartment in the Akihabara district of Tokyo. Its an area famous for its electronic stores selling boys' toys. Everywhere there, even today, you can buy electronic gadgets with RAM, ROM, pixels, speakers, ports and peripherals. Back in 1980 these were very different from today; Akihabara was always the world's place-to-be for boys looking for the latest gadgets to play with.
Shigeru had an idea for a new video game. At this time Shigeru was 28 years old. He loved creating art. Good art speaks to the heart through sound, movement, colour, characters and their setting. It doesn't use the brain first; just the heart. You can scientifically pick it apart into its component parts, but all you get are dead bits. Art is the whole living thing.
Shigeru had been thinking about life's puzzles and life's challenges. Somehow, a boy needs to face great challenges in order to become a man. Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly (don't believe Eric Carle; this is the hardest task that any living creature on earth can face.) Shigeru had an idea, but needed to add flesh to it. I was that idea-made-flesh: nameless, but very purposeful. I had to get the girl, but the big ape was in the way. And he wasn't going to say, "OK, Jumpman, you win. Just walk past me and have the princess." No way, José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix!
The game grew and developed. I began to appear, grew a big, black moustache, adopted a natty red flat cap, and entered the game. I had to get to Princess Peach - she was as Japanese as Miyamoto-san, with the name Pichi-hime, but all I knew was that she was beautiful, so beautiful. I was short, dark and very Italian, she was tall, blonde and blue-eyed. I had to get to her and rescue her from the cranky gorilla, Donkey Kong. This is my tale.
David sat on a bench in Brodick. Bored, as usual. Fourteen is an awful age. Too old for playgrounds, but too young for cars. His buddies, the twins Ralph and Jim, had been called back in order to meet ageing Aunt Grace who was visiting from Sheffield. He knew that right now they would be sitting in the family lounge, sipping sweet tea from the heirloom China cups, tinkling and balancing the teaspoon on the saucer, munching crustless egg-and-cress sandwiches and looking longingly at the Dundee cake. If their aunt was like his Uncle Frederick, they would be being numbed to death by tales of arthritis, 'personal problems', bunions, other ailments and 'foreigners'.
David liked to play games. He would estimate in advance how many times mum would say u-hu as Uncle Fred droned on, after what time his dad would nod off, and how often Fred would say, "Well, I must be going" before he actually did. (Last time the results were: 29, 1 hour 37 minutes, and 6; which was par for the course with Fred. Gran usually averaged: 37, 1h 13m, and 13; she was a great player!) Back in his room he kept a chart of visitors, a league table of boredom-made-interesting. Gran was still heading up the table as top scorer, and Fred was lying a poor 6th out of 9 visitors. Doubtless, Ralph and Jim would bring new numbers tomorrow to see how Aunt Grace had performed. She was unknown material, so there was a side bet of one Mars bar at stake between the three guys; worst loser buys for the winner.
Suddenly, as he sat musing - it was her. Jackie Forbes with a group of friends. David looked just a bit too long and was seen staring at her. The girls confabbed and giggled, staring back at him, putting their heads together, and Carol pointed at him. Sure, she fancied him, she had even sent Anne Tarbet out to tell him in front of his pals: Carol McRoss fancies you. But, since he didn't fancy her, he was cool about it. However, whenever Jackie appeared in class he simply couldn't concentrate. He even changed his seat in Geography to sit beside rancid-smelling no-friends Mick Harper, just to be directly behind Jackie Forbes. Geography - usually as dull as the Banda'd handouts on the European farming system - became a no-miss class.
His friends made lewd comments. But David's heart was lost to the girl with the blonde hair and the pretty pink bows. She had become everything to him, and he just wanted to get close to her.
The girls walked on. Would she look at him? He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his Nintendo Donkey Kong handheld. It had been a birthday present from his dad two weeks ago. The girls passed in front of him and chorused - too loud and too obviously - a hello, David. And, yes, she looked at him. Her blue eyes met his brown eyes. She smiled. Little could David know that this was going to be a long game, and not necessarily one he would win.
As he pressed the boot switch and waited for the game to get past the loading screen, his mind went to Hugh Livingstone. He would be a formidable opponent. Two years above him at Rothesay Academy, and always hanging about with the girls on the ferry to Bute and back to Arran. Fancied himself as a gigolo. Fancies himself more than the girls, David smiled and laughed out loud.
Mario lined up at the bottom of the platforms. He'd been ready for this task since last night at 8pm when David had been told by his mum to, put that game away and do your homework! Mario, Donkey Kong and Peach had retired to their respective dressing rooms with a shout of later! to each other.
Mario wondered if he'd ever get to Peach. There she was again, up at that top platform. 147 plays now and still he rarely got within two platforms of her. Once, last Monday, he had reached the same platform as Donkey Kong. Face-to-face with the brute between himself and the princess. Argh, he was ugly up close. He just had to get past him to reach and grab that girl. It had become his only game in life.
Mario pondered all that he had learned so far: there were eight standard platforms and two special ones, one holding Peach; several ladders, some broken!; something on the top platform which looked like a trap - he would only find out if he ever got near; and that brute holding the princess captive, rolling barrels and bombs at him. How long would it take to complete the task? Would David give up and find a new game to play? Would the handheld get lost or broken before Mario ever got to the girl?
David began to hit the buttons. Second platform and Mario was taken out by a barrel. Start again. Third platform; same outcome. He stopped and stared at the screen. The girl was blonde and dressed in pink. He hadn't noticed until now; he hadn't seen the girl; just the little guy and the gorilla. Now he was motivated - determined to win this tricky game of chance and skill. If it took him to his fifteenth birthday next year.
His Casio digital watch bleeped out The Yellow Rose of Texas tune as it reached 3.30pm. David mumbled, safe to go home now, pocketed the game, and headed home to the flat on Alma Road. He'd timed this to arrive just as dad was coming back on the MV Caledonian Isles. Another day, and still he hadn't won this tricky game. He'd check back with the twins after tea to see who had won - and lost - a Mars bar.
Donkey Kong sat in his dressing room. He unzipped the gorilla costume and out stepped a man clearly in his late forties; balding, slight paunch developing and a touch of white in his moustache. In the room next door Peach slid out of her princess costume and then dressed in a catchy pink shell suit. As she combed her hair in the dressing table mirror, the door chapped. Mr Kong spoke, can I come in, Peachy? The girl spoke, yes! Kong crossed the room, the girl stood up, smiled, and hugged him, accepting the kiss on her hair. They held each other then leaned back, looking admiringly at each other. The older man stroked her hair.
The boy's not even getting close, Peachy.
Yes, but Dad, I quite like him. Can't you give him a break? She smiled her bewitching young woman's smile, pre-designed to melt mens' hearts.
Not so easy, my girl. Let's see if he is willing to work to get you. You are many things to me, and I didn't work so hard raising you to make you an easy catch. Your late mother was worth fighting for, and you are so like her in so many ways. He's young yet.
How old were you when Mum and you met?, the girl asked, pulling on her Dr Scholl's. It was a trick question, designed to go to a dad’s heart.
Fifteen. I was. She was sixteen. Just a lad. He smiled at her.
The game went on for several more months. Once Mario got within a few pixels of the princess. So close! But he was getting ever closer to her. One day; one day, mused Mario.
David was sitting on the ferry alone coming back at the end of the school week from Rothesay. The end of term was coming up. Course choices were being made for the O Grade classes. Maths, Physics, Chemistry, French, Latin and, what else? Geography - it wasn't worth the risk. If Jackie wasn't in his class then he'd be stuck forever for years in what would be to him Dante's Fourth (at least) Circle of Hell. Modern Studies - what on earth was that? History - as dull to him as dead bones. Technical Drawing - in a class of pupils who each resemble Donkey Kong! Again, he laughed out loud.
She stopped in front of him.
Must be a great game you are playing. What is it? Jackie stood before him, captured by his laugh.
He cleared his throat and sat up properly, looking in her eyes. Its called Donkey Kong. Its about a wee guy running along platforms, avoiding barrels, being rolled down by a monkey, trying to reach a girl trapped in a cage.
Why is the girl trapped in the cage? Jackie asked, quite reasonably it seemed to her. David was non-plussed.
I don't know. Jackie was about to walk away. David found the words, Perhaps the monkey caught her and has her trapped. She needs to be rescued. But, I am having some bother winning the game.
Jackie sat beside him, her knee just touching his. Can you show me how it works, the game, that is, not the little brown box which the game is in?
David was suddenly back in boy mode. I've got two lives left.
What is a life? Jackie asked.
You start with three, and lose one every time you get hit by a barrel. Every time you lose a life you go back to the start. He started the game level.
Mario sprung into life. Donkey Kong resumed his barrel-rolling. Princess Peach waited, patiently. Perhaps this time, she thought. David pressed the buttons and Mario stayed alive. Across the room one of the girls held Hugh Livingstone's arm as she pointed out David and Jackie to her friends. Hugh hesitated. She's a peach, best one of the bunch, he thought to himself. But he felt the other girl's hand on his bare arm, hesitated, then turned his head round to engage with his captive harem.
A cheer crossed the room as Mario reached the Princess. David was fisting his left hand and Jackie was laughing and clapping. He remembered what his big brother, Robert, had once advised, girls like boys who make them laugh. An old man of eighteen; Bob knew everything.
The closing credits ran on the game. This time Mario came out of the game level to the dressing rooms on the same level with Princess Peach and Donkey Kong. Donkey rolled back his gorilla head to expose his middle-aged very human head. He shook Mario's hand, Well done, my boy. Well played.
Mario held the man's hand, surprised. Peach had gone into her dressing room, and Mr Kong took Mario into his dressing room. Mario sat as the older man unzipped the gorilla costume and appeared as an ordinary man, albeit quite a bit older. He walked across the small room and handed Mario a can of Pocari Swet. The man helped himself to a bottle of Asahi Super Dry. Here's to you, son, he said as he slaked his thirst. Tough rolling all these barrels, I'm telling you. Well done on winning level 1.
Mario stopped after the first sip. Level 1 - are there more levels? I thought I had won and the game was over.
No, my boy, getting the girl is just the beginning of the play. You'll see as you go onto the next levels that Peach is quite a character in her own right. You'll face challenges together; win some; lose some. Other characters will also come and go. New challenges will arise. Just don't give up and. don't stop playing! Campai!
There was knock on the door and Peach came in. She spoke to Mario, Come on, smelly, get these sweaty duds off and shower. You can use my room. Dad and I want to talk. Off you go. See you soon. She smiled and pecked his cheek.
Tha sgiboair. Tha sgiboair - this is the captain ... boomed the ship's tannoy. They were nearing Arran. David stood up and Jackie did too, still standing quite close to him. Can I take you to the school dance? he asked as she made to move away. Of course, David, she smiled as she spoke over her shoulder, heading back to the girls.
See you later, Jackie.
See you later, David.
He turned off the handheld. The screen flashed, Level 1 - game over! and twinkled a short piezo-electric tune. David pushed the game into his blazer pocket, pulled out the Mars Bar and grabbed his satchel. Must tell Bob, he laughed to himself.