Chapter 4: On the Road to Manila
The months leading up to that date were spent in a flurry of activity. The friends would take part-time jobs, save their pesos, and plan all the details of their trip. They’d play pick-up basketball, and watch the games of the Philippine Basketball Association, their routine taking on a new significance.
David Balderas tracked their monthly savings and spending. He checked the PBA schedule to make sure they didn’t book travel on the same week as a potential San Antonio Spurs playoff run. They knew what they wanted and the chase brought them closer.
The day had arrived at last. Armed with their luggage and high spirits, they hopped into a bus destined for Manila. Time flew by quickly as they played games, reminisced about their favourite plays in basketball, dreamed about what the trip would be like this year, and looked at the bucolic countryside.
On the road again. As we entered the outskirts of Manila, skyscrapers poked holes in the fading dusk like the points of a giant pincushion. Historic Spanish colonial structures nestled between the towering modern buildings of the metropolis. The energy was quickening from the easy island vibe in Bacolod, and the friends were eager to take in everything the city had to offer.
So their first stop is the hostel they’d already booked, a little hideaway in the urban jungle within the city’s centre. They quickly settle in, and before long are out on the streets. Things to see, people to meet, experiences to be had. From the manic throng of the street markets at Divisoria to the splendour of the San Agustin Church, a UNESCO Heritage site, Manila was a cornucopia of wonder.
Besides, the best was yet to come. On the day of the game, they walked their way to the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Gradually, the anticipation was mounting – everywhere they looked there were fans dressed up in team colours and souvenir sellers.
They entered the stadium and the enormity and electricity of the place overwhelmed them. They sat, in a seat low enough to the court to be able to see the gloves on the players’ hands and hear the sneakers shuffling across the hardwood. It was exactly as they had imagined it, and more.
It was the first time they saw the game live and commented it was as if they weren’t watching TV but a movie, because everyone was so much better in real life, the crowd was so different, the players couldn’t believe they could zoom and run so much and the adrenaline inside the stadium was really fascinating. They screamed and laughed and shared every second of live football and we could feel how much they started bonding; it was so nice to see their friendship getting stronger and cheerier.
When the final buzzer blew and the game was over, the friends slumped in their seats, but they were also smiling, knowing they had made it, to Manila, to that moment, and to each other.
Kabanata 4 Sa Daan Patungong Manila
Ang mga buwan bago dumating ang petsa na iyon ay inilaan sa isang serye ng mga aktibidad. Nagtrabaho ang mga kaibigan ng part-time, nag-ipon ng kanilang mga piso, at naghanda ng lahat ng detalye ng kanilang biyahe.
Naglaro sila ng pick-up basketball, at nanood ng mga laro ng Philippine Basketball Association, kung saan ang kanilang pang-araw-araw na gawain ay may bagong kahulugan.Si David Balderas ang nagtala ng kanilang buwanang ipon at gastusin.
Sinuri niya ang iskedyul ng PBA upang tiyakin na hindi sila magtatabi ng biyahe sa parehong linggo ng posibleng playoff run ng San Antonio Spurs. Alam nila ang kanilang gustong marating at ang paghabol ay nagdala sa kanila ng mas malapit sa isa't isa.Narating na ang araw na iyon. Armado ng kanilang mga bagahe at mataas na diwa, sumakay sila sa isang bus patungong Manila. Mabilis ang oras habang naglaro sila ng mga laro, nagbalik-tanaw sa kanilang paboritong laro sa basketball, naglaro ng mga pangarap kung paano magiging ang biyahe ngayong taon, at tinitigan ang maganda at maaliwalas na kabukiran.Sa daan muli.
Habang pumapasok sila sa labas ng Manila, ang mga matataas na gusali ay naglalabasan na parang mga butas sa humuhupa nang dilim ng gabi na parang mga puntos ng isang malaking pako. Ang mga makasaysayang Espanyol na kolonyal na istraktura ay nakatabi sa mga matataas at modernong gusali ng metropolis. Ang enerhiya ay bumilis mula sa magaan na vibe ng isla sa Bacolod, at ang mga kaibigan ay nagnanais na masaksihan ang lahat ng maiaalok ng lungsod.
Kaya ang kanilang unang destinasyon ay ang hostel na kanilang naka-book na, isang maliit na taguan sa urban na kagubatan sa mismong sentro ng lungsod. Agad silang nag-settle in, at hindi nagtagal ay nasa kalsada na sila. Marami silang nakita, mga taong nakilala, at mga karanasan na naranasan. Mula sa magulo at makulay na palengke sa Divisoria hanggang sa kagandahan ng Simbahan ng San Agustin, isang UNESCO Heritage site, ang Manila ay puno ng kagila-gilalas na bagay.
Bukod dito, ang pinakamaganda ay nasa hinaharap pa. Sa araw ng laro, naglakad sila patungo sa Smart Araneta Coliseum. Pabilis nang pabilis ang kanilang kaba – saanman sila tumingin, may mga manonood na nakadamit sa kulay ng kanilang koponan at nagtitinda ng mga souvenir.Pumasok sila sa coliseum at ang kadakilaan at kuryente ng lugar ay sumalubong sa kanila. Umupo sila, sa isang upuan na sapat na mababa sa court upang makita ang mga guwantes sa kamay ng mga manlalaro at marinig ang pagpapalit-palit ng kanilang mga sapatos sa loob ng court. Ito ay eksakto kung paano nila ito inaasahan, at higit pa.Ito ang unang pagkakataon na kanilang napanood ang laro nang live at sinabing para silang hindi nanonood ng TV kundi ng pelikula, dahil mas mahusay ang lahat sa totoong buhay, iba ang damdamin ng mga manonood, hindi makapaniwala ang mga manlalaro na kaya nilang tumakbo ng ganun kabilis at ang adrenaline sa loob ng coliseum ay tunay na nakakabighani.
Sumigaw at tumawa sila at ibinahagi ang bawat segundo ng live na laro, at mararamdaman mo kung paano sila lalong nagiging mas malapit sa isa't isa; napakasarap na makita ang kanilang pagkakaibigan na lumalakas at mas masaya.Nang tumunog ang huling buzzer at matapos ang laro, ang mga kaibigan ay yumuko sa kanilang mga upuan, ngunit kasabay ng ngiti, dahil alam nilang nagtagumpay sila, narating nila ang Manila, ang sandali na iyon, at ang isa't isa.
