No CP#22 on November 22

November 23 is my birthday. One month and one day shy of Chris' birthday. Yes, we're born on same year, year of the Rooster. A month before my birthday, I had planned everything. Fate's on my side that time.

The Plan
Me and my online friends will be watching PBA game at the Araneta Coliseum on November 21. The scheduled game were Game 1: Coca-Cola Tigers vs Purefoods TJ Giants and Game 2: Barangay Ginebra Kings vs Sta. Lucia Realtors. It was perfect, for me at least. Two of my favorite teams would be playing, PF and BGK. Months ago, it was planned. Me, Thania, AM, and Hanna would be watching the game live. It would be special to have Hanna seated beside me. We have lot of things in common. We both love PF and BGK.

My Wish
As a fan, I had this wonderful wish, that Chris Pacana be hailed as the game's Best Player of the Game that night, that he may have double-double figures, 22 big points, 10 big rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists, and 1 block shot. There, that'll be great. And it would be greater if Kerby Raymundo will be the BPG of Game 1. And definitely, after the game, I won't let the moment to pass me by without having a picture with Chris, with me wearing a shirt with his jersey number on.

The Reality
Too good to be true. Aside from the initial friends that would be beside me watching the game, Mark, Gwen, and Josephine will also be around. As early as Tuesday, we bought tickets, seven (7) tickets. But to my dismay, PBA just changed schedule. BGK's game was move on November 22 to be held at San Juan Arena. *sigh* I hate PBA. So we had to return the tickets and exchange it for November 22 game instead. Goodbye watching PF live. Well, it was not really a bad news since it allowed me to take a rest from my 8AM-8AM (Thursday - Friday) work. November 22. The date was nice. It was Chris' jersey number. But something went wrong. Hanna and Josephine won't be coming. I felt so sad. I even mentioned to Hanna that it won't be the same without her. And a sudden idea come to me, a worse one -- Chris, nursing an injury, might not show at all tonight's ballgame. And now I can be a fortune teller, there was really no CP#22 on November 22. It's not the usual me. The game was intense, someone from the SLR had been out of the playing court for a flagrant and a technical foul called on him. But I remained silent. I just can't cheer. All I can say was 'Nasaan si Chris?'. Everyone's cheering their hearts out. I had witnessed two (2) buzzer beaters. One was on the 2nd Quarter where JayJay Helterbrand chipped in a 3 pointer at the nick of time. The other one was Willie Wilson's basket, beating the buzzer on the 3rd Quarter. And yes, it was Sunday Salvacion's night. His 3 pointers kept the lead of BGK. SLR just can't get things right. The rebound always ends up to the hands of Billy Mamaril, Eric Menk, or Wilson. The team's great. Never say die attitude, that is. But am I happy? As the seconds are winding down on the pay-off period, I was still hoping that Chris might be there somewhere watching the game. But, no, there won't be CP#22 that night. Oh, sad birthday for me. Well, at least I got the consolation from Chris' teammates, ha ha. They won the ballgame.

The scores:

Ginebra 93 – Salvacion 22, Artadi 18, Tubid 17, Helterbrand 13, Wilson 8, Cabatu 7, Menk 4, Mamaril 2, Crisano 2, Escalona 0, Holper 0, Valenzuela 0.

Sta. Lucia 81 – Espino 19, Miranda 10, Yeo 9, Omolon 9, Williams 8, Gonzales 8, Aquino 7, Gregorio 5, Coronel 3, Mendoza 3.

Quarterscores: 24-15, 56-39, 74-65, 93-81