A Basketball Game Worth Waiting

For those who have followed my blog, I have written not once how my nephew Alex Mallari had started as an amateur D League basketball player and has now transitioned to a  rookie for Petron Trailblazers. As what to be expected, it was not just I who wanted to watch him live together with the well known basketball players in the country but my other kids as well. So when they learned that we could ask for free tickets all of them got exited. That was  two weeks before October 21st , I sent him a message if we could watch the Petron vs Ginebra game at SM MOA Arena. As always, my nephew had replied telling me he can spare four tickets for free. My kids upon learning this did not give me a peaceful week especially Kookie and Sidney who both have special needs, always asking when they can get the tickets. I was almost tempted to rain on their parade upon learning I will not be able to go because of my work schedule, but then a mother is always a mother to her kids. So aside from having to work on a Sunday and watch the games at the office pantry's TV, I let my kids have a field day granting them their wish to have that first ever live PBA experience.

My 3 girls with Miakka Lim, Alex's girlfriend 

Though the Petron vs Ginebra game started at 6:30 pm, the kids arrived very early even before 6 pm so they can get their free tickets. The 4 girls were separated as two of them were at the lower boxes and the other two got the patron seats. My eldest daughter as always  took all the pictures at the hardcourt. I will just let the pictures tell their stories.

Warming Up 

 I could not help but feel a sense of pride watching this on TV

Petron and Ginebra fans ready to cheer for their teams 

Sam took a stolen shot at her sisters Kyle and Sidney 

It had always been known in Philippine Basketball that team Ginebra had thousands of fans owing it to the Filipino basketball legend Robert Jaworski who played and acted as coach during his last years before he retired. And his legacy had lived on until now. From my daughter's pictures, a cousin from CA commented that she could sense the tension among the crowd. My girls felt it as well but that did not stop them to cheer and root for their favorite player, Petron Jersey # 20.

                          

Go Mallari !

                              

                              


And despite the close fight, my girls got what they wanted when they saw the final score. It would be an understatement to say they had gone wild knowing Petron won. But that was just the icing on the cake. When the game finished they had rushed to the dug out, like any other fans so they can  get close to the reason why they had watched in the first place.

Excuse me. " Relatives first , " said my gutsy daughter Kyle .

Sam finally get to meet her cousin and favorite PBA player

                              

Seeing their happy faces made  me realize that I just did the right thing. It was indeed worth the wait after all.