Many years ago, my brothers came back from a long trip, and they were eager to show me and our parents tons of photos of the places they had seen. They were also pretty eager to give us gifts they had as well, and I was excited to see what they were. One of those gifts was a stuffed Link doll, complete with a sword in his left fist and the Hero’s Shield sewn onto his back. He immediately got a space in my bed and I’d always fall asleep with my arm wrapped around him (while making sure my blanket wouldn’t cover his face so he could breathe because, as you must know, all dolls and stuffed animals need access to free air just as much as we do).
I loved my stuffed Link doll and I would bring him with me on trips and to unfamiliar dormitories so he would always stay close to me. But after all these trips over the years, he started to look a little worn out.
Link’s hair was no longer a bright shade of yellow, as though he had been running through Dragon Roost Island without wiping the soot from his face. The color of his boots was long gone, and the sword in his hand had been broken for years. My mind was made up: It was time for Link to take a bath.
I had been careful when taking care of Link when I first got him. I readjusted his green hat often and never spilled any food on him. He looked perfect for a while but when the shield on his back began to bend, I worried that it would get worse (it did), and I went to bed each night hoping the blade of his sword wouldn’t break off completely the next day (it hasn’t — yet). Link looked like he needed a fairy to fix him up, but the closest thing I had to fairy dust was washing detergent powder and I hesitated for a long time to wash him, much longer than I should have. I just didn’t want any seams to break or the fabric of his boots to crack while he tumbled around in the washing machine.
A washing machine wasn’t necessary, though, as I figured that I can wash Link by hand instead. I filled up a basin with warm water, dissolved the washing detergent, and dumped Link into the water. As I wrung the water out of his heavy body before dumping him back into the basin and scrubbing him good, I thought to myself that poor Link has never met such a ruthless and evil boss as myself while being so defenseless. There was nothing he could do but let me squish him mercilessly for at least half an hour.
I wrung out the water one last time before taking a good look at him. Unfortunately, he didn’t look much better on the surface; his hair and face were still slightly dirty, but I didn’t think that scrubbing him for another thirty minutes would make a bigger difference. I told myself that he, at least, must be cleaner on the inside.
I let him dry overnight before bringing him back to his reserved corner of my bed. He might look a little unpolished, but I know he’s got a pure heart so I tell myself that he’s just been very busy protecting me from bad dreams all these years. One day, I’ll have to thank him by taking him to a basin again and wash him clean(er).
