The Last Rule

Chapter 28 - Ligaya

"Travelling violation by Jersey Number 99, Fuentes!"

Papa immediately called a timeout, and the players huddled together, sweating like crazy, wiping the exhaustion off their faces. Ang lakas ng tension sa court, I swear, parang lahat ng energy ko nakafocus sa kanila. Meanwhile, sa kabilang side, super noisy ng crowd nila. Cheer after cheer, hindi mo ma-ignore. And then, when I looked at our side... silent. Ang tahimik. Nakaka-stress.

The lineup changed. All the fresh players came in, and I felt a spark of hope. Baka pwede pa. The scoreboard was not in our favor, twelve points behind, but seeing Jan-Jan, Kuya Bry, Gab, my brother Astro, at siyempre... Dos. There's just something about him on the court, he's... unstoppable. Ang focus niya, parang nothing else matters. Parang the world can wait, and this is all he has to give.

Dos stole the ball. My eyes widened. Parang slow-mo ang view ko. He dribbled, zigzagged through the defenders, and passed it to Kuya Gab. Ang saya ng crowd! I literally jumped, shouting, "Gooo!" Hindi ko akalain na ganito ko ka-invest emotionally sa game. 

"3 points by Number 9, De Leon!"

Yes! I couldn't contain myself. I jumped to my feet, shouting along with the rest of the crowd.  My hands flew into the air, my body moving with the rhythm of the game. And then I froze, the reality of what I had done hitting me. Did I just scream that loud? Did I just lose myself entirely in a basketball game? Normally, I was composed, observing quietly from a distance, but now I felt like part of the court itself. 

Yes!!! I punched that air not until i realized what I did. I froze. Did that really just happen? I had always enjoyed watching basketball, but I had never been this emotionally invested before. Dati ay nanonood lang ako at nag-oobserve, now i feel na parang I was inside the court na rin, not just watching.

"Another 3 points for the Nova Hawks by Number 7, Manuel," the announcer called, but I barely heard the next plays. My attention was fixed on Dos. I watched as he dribbled, pivoted, and sprinted, his movements a blur. He was fast, impossibly fast.  My mind raced with every possible outcome. What if someone tripped him? What if he fell? 

"Go Kuya, Bry!" I cheered and jumped along with the crowd.

"Steal by Hernandez." I sat back down when Dos is swiftly running while dribbling the ball, hindi makapagsalita dahil sa kaba. He's running so fast na parang walang kalaban na handang humarang sa kanya. 

He approached the basket, and everything seemed to slow down. He focused on the ball na parang no one could stop him from aiming for the ring. At kagaya ng madalas niyang gawin, kahit na malayo pa siya sa basket ay tumalon na siya as if kaya niyang lumipad. For a moment, the entire court seemed to be holding its breath. And kahit malayo pa, we watched the ball leave his hand and spun through the air, heading straight for the basket. Someone even tried to block and in the end, kamay ni Dos and natamaan.

PRRRT!

"COUNTED FOUL!"

I leapt again, shouting at the top of my lungs. My voice cracked, but I didn't care. I couldn't stop smiling. I was amazed at how he managed to do that. Damn, my Dos can fly?!!

Everyone remained standing. Kapag na-shoot niya ang free throw ay tatlo nalang ang lamang ng kalaban. And one three-pointer from Kuya Gab ay tie na. I looked at the timer, last 57 seconds. Kaya yan!

Dos positioned himself for the free throw, dribbling with calm precision, performing the ritual he always did before shooting. I couldn't breathe. My entire body tensed with anticipation. Please, I silently begged. Dapat pumasok 'yan. Sana pumasok yan. Kaya nila yan! Kaya yan! Sana ma-shoot. Dossss!