Nathanial Pearson is back in the game.
Pearson re-opened Sporadic Games on Friday, four months after an illness that nearly killed him. It’s an opening that many of his customers had been eager to see.
“They’ve been stopping by and visiting and making sure, making sure I’m opening today,” Pearson said with a light chuckle.
There was no doubt about it on Friday. Within 11 minutes of the re-opening, 25 people had crowded into the store. Everyone was talking, or playing, or telling Pearson how glad they were to see him back.
“It’s like a holiday!” one teenage boy said as he walked into the store.
Sporadic Games has been a popular after-school and weekend hangout since its opening in 2004, with many Emporia teens and pre-teens playing card or video games in the store’s back room. But the store was closed in October when Pearson went into critical care in Topeka for a staphylococcal infection and bacterial meningitis.
For several days after Pearson’s admission to Stormont-Vail Hospital, he was kept on a respirator and placed on dialysis. Amputations became necessary. Among other things, Pearson lost some of his fingertips and all the toes on his left foot.
He finally returned home on Jan. 2. He still goes to Newman hospital three times a week for dialysis, but his walking has gotten a lot better — most of the time.
“I can go pretty good now, but my balance is still off,” Pearson said. “I went to the hospital today, and I almost fell into the elevator.”
All this week, Pearson and his parents have spent afternoons getting the store ready for its return to business. A lot of the TVs in the back have been pulled out, except for the big-screen, which has been hooked up to a Microsoft Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii. The extra space has been given over to tables for card games, so that the Friday night Magic tournaments don’t have to spill into the rest of the mall.
“I’ve got a lot of products I’ll have to put on discount,” Pearson said. “Right before I went into the hospital, I bought a lot of Christmas stuff. And card collectors want the newest stuff.”
For a lot of Sporadic’s regulars, it was like coming home.
“This is THE place,” said Josh Williams, 17. “I’m glad it’s back. ... A lot of kids who don’t fit in anywhere else have a place to go. They can be welcome here.”
For now, Sporadic Games will only be open two days a week, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday hours might be a possibility if Pearson can arrange to have someone work the day. And as he continues to recover, the store will gradually return to a more normal schedule.
Things aren’t going badly just now, Pearson said. He managed to walk around Wal-Mart unassisted the other day (though he did stop for a rest at every bench he passed). He’s even managed to nail down the copyright on a game he designed, a fast-moving party game that’s a variant of double solitaire. Publication is still a way off, though — he has to find the funding first.
But most of all, Pearson’s ready to get back to business. He’s been looking forward to this moment as much as any of his customers have.
“I’m really anxious to get to see everyone again,” he said. “It’s been so long.”
i_am_the_batman (anonymous) says...
I have been into Sporadic Games a few times, I enjoyed watching the kids play Halo 2 together in a mini-tournament. Nathanial is not only re-opening a business, he's re-opening a safe and fun place for kids to hang out at. I am glad he's back and doing ok. The Batman has spoken.
February 19, 2007 at 12:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mythoughts (anonymous) says...
Amen, Batman.
February 19, 2007 at 3:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )