Take A Chance On Me | A Juan GDL Epistolary (Completed)

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It was the 4th quarter with 8 minutes left in the game. Juan hit the three ball that fired up the UP crowd, cutting La Salle's lead to only 2 points. Kobe was fouled and just as he was about to go to the freethrow line, Juan ran straight up to the bench and tapped Ricci for the substitution.

He took off his shoes and socks, wincing in pain as he tweaked his left ankle. That three-point landing from earlier was the culprit. I was at the UP baseline squinting my eyes to get a good glimpse of how Juan was being treated at the sideline by the medical staff. But when he was brought to the locker room, my heart almost dropped. Something's definitely not right.

I ran as quickly as I can, heartbeat pacing to the beat of the cheerer's drums. When I reached the locker room, a distressed and frustrated Juan greeted me with curses and flinching of pain. He kept on reiterating,

"I want to go back to the game. I want to play. I need to play."

But the medical staff just shook their heads. I went to his side, bent my knees and knelt in front of him, keeping myself at his eye level as he sat.

"Juan, the medical staff said that if you continue to play, it might get worse. Are you sure you want to go back?" I told him with overflowing worry.

"Hindi ko na alam, Pen. I'm scared. What should I do?"

Then, I remember what Tita Anna told me. I'm on his side. Who am I to separate him from doing what he loves?

I took his hand and placed it firm against his chest, aligning it to where his heart was.

"Listen to your heart. If it says, I want to play. Then...

play on, Maroon."

Tita Anna and Tito Bert just came in rushing to the locker room but Juan was already decided. With only 3 minutes left in the game, he went back to the floor and we await if he made the right decision.