The Last Rule

Chapter 1- Normal

Eeeennggggg!

"End of the second quarter!" lakad-takbo ako papasok sa court dahil dala ko ang energy drink ng mga players. We are all surprised when the news was announced to us 3 hours before the game that the last game for semis would be today. It is a do or die game para sa team nila papa because once that they lose here, malalaglag na ang team nila.

"Excuse me! Sorry!" the court was super crowded that you can't even see what's happening inside kapag nasa bungad ka. Kailangan ko pang ipagsiksikan ang sarili ko and slightly push some people, I even stepped on someone's foot.

"Wag niyong pinapanood si Wil! Ayan dito ka, Kalo dito ang pwesto mo. Ang ayos-ayos ng set kanina eh libre pa!"  Obviously, mainit ang ulo ni Papa kanina pa when he heard about the news at mukhang hindi maganda ang laro nila ngayon, the opponent is 10 points ahead from Papa's team. But still, Rule No. 1, Coach!

Usually, the schedule for games are only during weekends and today is Friday. It was unexpected and the other players had some errands today. Some of them are at school and some of them are at work and Papa can't force them to go home just to play even though this game would be their last game in this league. Not even half the number of the Papa's players are in the court today.

"Thanks Nana" inabot ko kay Kuya Pete ang mga pinabiling energy drink ni Papa, since everyone's on rush earlier, wala nang nakaalalang mag-ready ng energy drink nila.

"JUAN ON JUAN! JUAN ON JUAN!"

The crowd in the other side of the court is roaring because their team is winning, they even have their own plastic bottles with pebbles inside saka nila ito iwina-wagayway ng mabilis.

"NOVARINO! NOVARINO!"

At hindi rin nagpapatalo ang mga nasa side ko and because of the crowd, loud sounds, and hot temperature in the place I can feel na nati-trigger ang migraine ko so I decided to go out for a while because i'm not feeling well. Thank goodness I always have my medicine in my wallet but I still stayed outside para magpahangin na muna. Kahit dito sa labas ay rinig ang mga sigawan sa loob.

"Ano na? Tapos na ba?" it was Kuya Kris, one of the eldest players. Na nagmamadaling bumaba mula sa sasakyan niya.

"Kuya, nasa loob dali tambak na" He's probably from work dahil naka work attire pa siya ng top pero pang basketball na yung shorts niya. He unshamelessly removed his polo in front of me, ako pa ang nahiya kaya tumalikod nalang ako and guess what, paglingon ko wala na siya.

I decided to stay here and just wait for Papa at sakanya na ako sasabay pag-uwi. I really want to go home already pero wala akong masakyan. After how many minutes nag-aalisan na ang mga taong nanonood and after the huge crowd ay mga naka-uniporme na ang naglalakad palabas. Bagsak ang balikat ng team ni Papa nang makita ko sila.

"Go ahead and ride with your brother kakausapin pa namin yung pagpapagawan ng jersey" I stopped, hindi pa ako nakakarating sa harap ni Papa when he told me that.

I really don't want to have a ride with my brother, walang time na magkasama kami na hindi niya ako inasar o inaway. I am a very patient person pero pagdating sa ikalawa kong kapatid ay bigla kong nakakalimutan ang salitang patience.

"Lil sis!" I rolled my eyes and turned around to see the face of my annoying brother. By the look on his face alam ko na agad that we will bicker hanggang  makarating kami sa bahay and the ride will take for approximately 15 minutes.

"Nope" i said while shaking my head and popped the 'p' decided that i will not be able to survive that 15 minutes ride.

"Ibig sabihin ba tanggal na sila?" Cleo asked, kaibigan ko. Andito kami ngayon sa food stall na nasa tapat ng court ng barangay namin.

"Edi hihintayin nanaman nila yung bagong season bago ulit maglaro?" Jeirlyn another friend of mine.

Mahilig talaga silang manood ng basketball. For them it's fun pero kung ako, mas pipiliin ko nalang na manood ng K-drama instead of watching basketball dahil hindi nakakabuti sa akin ang ingay, init, at crowd. Pero pumupunta parin ako to support Papa and of course my brothers.

"May bago silang sasalihan, nagpagawa sila ng bagong jersey" It would be a very sad thing kila Papa dahil ang team nila ang inaabangan ng marami because they are the defending champion last time pero nahulog na sila sa semis ngayon.

"Uy pagawa din kami, pasabi kay Tito" Raela, my other friend. When I say na mahilig ang mga kaibigan ko sa basketball, what I mean is they want to watch every game and may jersey din sila every league, gano'n sila sumoporta sa team nila Papa though hindi sila nakapunta kanina kasi biglaan nga.

"Sariling sikap nalang talaga 'no, madami naman kasing players ba't di nalang tayo mamili sa kanila para hindi na natin kailangang bumili ng jersey. Sola, tara tambay sa inyo"  Teby, another friend of mine.

Everyone knows na kapag tapos na ang game at wala nang tao sa court malamang ay nasa bahay na namin ang mga players. That's why i'm here right now instead of watching k-drama in my room. Marami sila, maingay at feel at home sila kapag nasa bahay. Pinapasok nila lahat maliban nalang sa kwarto ko at sa kwarto nila Papa.

"Sorry, can't relate" inirapan ni Teby ang pinsan niyang si Nixie palibhasa may boyfriend na player.

I spent another minutes with my friends pero nang dumidilim na ay naisipan na naming maghiwa-hiwalay.

"HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Ang hina naman!"

"Anyare Ayan!"

"Huy may hangover ako"

Nasa gate palang ako ay 'yan na ang mga naririnig ko. I wasn't annoyed dahil tawang-tawa din ako minsan sa humor nila. Actually gustong-gusto ko'ng nakikinig sa mga pando-dog show nila sa isa't isa.

I walked straightly sa harap at ang iba pa sa kanila ay nakipag-apiran sa akin. Sanay na kami, ganito ang set-up every after game.

"Hulog" i jokingly said and some of them just scratched their head and some of them laughed.

"Siyempre wala ako kanina eh" Kuya Bry said. He's one of my favorite and definitely the funniest.

"Minalas" it was Wil, one of the young members

"Ayos lang yun, yung kapatid ko talaga yung malas" I tried cheering him up, maybe he was pressured. Bago palang kasi siya, it's his first season and sometimes hindi pa siya nakakasabay sa mga jokes ng team.

"Oo nga kasi, kasalanan ni Kuya kung ba't tayo natalo." pagpapapansin ng kapatid ko na akala mo naman talaga.

"Sinisi mo pa yung wala, ikaw yung binabanggit ni Sola tuleg!" banat ni Kuya Bry at natawa ako, sinamaan pa nga ako ng tingin ng kapatid ko nang lahat sila ay tumawa.

"Nasaan si Papa?" i asked him

"Sinundo si Mama sa Resto"

Nagpaalam na akong papasok sa kwarto ko. Sa terrace palang 'yon dahil pagpasok ko ay may mga naka-upo sa sofa na nanonood ng TV at tanaw rin sa kusina ang iba na nagluluto. I walked into my room na hindi naba-bother, nag-ngitian pa kami. This is normal, i'm definitely the only girl in this house right now and my parents just left me with this dozen of boys, though I have my brother here but yeah, this is normal.