The MVP

In a little barrio in the mountains, there was a popular boy, who wasn’t exactly the best basketball player, but he had a noisy group of followers, who believe that he was going to become the MVP in the championship match of the annual summer league.

The boy wasn’t gifted athletically, but his mother was a very nice woman, who would always be happy to offer help to the others. His father was a good farmer and had also been a popular councilman in their barrio.

The boy thought that he had everything that he wanted in his grasp. He thinks that he can do whatever he wants while his fellow players, who may have skills and talents far better than him, would have no chance as he was the most popular based on a poll done by his supporters.

During their basketball game, the boy always asked for the ball, he wanted to play the game as he wished, but he could not shoot and had poor dribbling skills.

Another player wanted a piece of the action, he had been playing longer than the boy, but he was clumsy and often committed fouls.

A third player looked older than his playmates. It could be because at a young age he learned to enjoy tuba, the sweet wine that is extracted from the coconuts. He once was MVP of the league, but was later disqualified because he bet money on their games, which the rules did not allow.

Another player of the team is the quiet one. He did not ask the pointguard to pass him the ball even when he was open, but always managed to position himself well to help grab rebounds when the boy would miss. He also scored a lot on put backs that the crowd relished.

He was far better athletically, but there was no air in the way he moved around the court. At the end of the game, the kids from the barrio won their game after a buzzer-beating three pointer by the quiet one. He scored 25 of the team’s 80 points while the boy made only 18.

When it came to the point when the MVP was to be named, the boy was beaming looking like he wrapped everything up despite shooting only a mere 20 percent from the field and turning the ball over six times in four quarters.

But, the blow came quite hard when the committee announced that the quiet one was the winner of the MVP award. He did not only shoot well from the field converting 8 of 10 attempts including three triples, but also shot six of six from the freethrow line.

The boy got mad and he rushed home to look for his dad and asked that the tanods be summoned so that they would help him seize the MVP trophy.

He called his followers to say that he was cheated of the award, but they saw the game and believed the award was given fairly by the committee.

The game was played well, the referees at times had bad calls, but it did not exactly benefit one team or one player.

The game was played based on the rules and the people who understood, did not jeer when the award was handed along with the championship trophy.

The boy, who was emotionally hurt after the MVP snub, later realized that he needed to practice harder and become a better player for the next tournament. The crowd could not be fooled by the cheers of his followers and the people would not help him protest to lay claim on the award that he did not deserve.

The game is fun if everybody plays like a real sport. Maybe the boy can do better in the next tournament.

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MILESTONES: A very special girl in my life is turning eight years old today, my daughter Nina Andrea or Andi, who always manages to make me smile or laugh even in the lowest of times. 

Happy birthday greetings also go to May Christina ‘Mic-mic’ Bugash and Marciane May Dizon, who are also turning a year older today.

Tomorrow’s greetings go to my comare Mary Louise Laurel-Fernandez, my goddaughter Shelamay Montenegro, my cousin Mic-mic pace-Yu, and my friends Armi Lou Rovillos, May Estimo Viado, Gungun Gica and Kelly Cortes.

Tomorrow, we also commemorate my late father, Nonilon Frasco Quiñones’ birth anniversary.

More power to all of you!