An early X’Mas gift

Christmas came early for San Beda College basketball player Riego Meinardo (Bam-Bam) Gamalinda this year.

Gamalinda, 19, was one of four San Beda players who flew to Portland to visit the Adidas headquarters, hang out with Trail Blazers sophomore guard Sebastian Telfair and watch a National Basketball Association regular season game during a recent whirlwind three-day trip.

The other cagers were Eduardo Tecson, Jay-R (Shaq) Taganas and Borgie Hermida. They comprised the San Beda squad that won the Adidas Asian Streetball Finals for 18-and-under boys at the Araneta Colsieum last September. Part of their reward was the US trip.

The players were accompanied by San Beda juniors coach Rene Baena, Adidas marketing services manager Goody Custodio, Adidas assistant manager for marketing communications Odette Velarde, Solar Sports vice president for marketing Jude Turcuato and Los Angeles-based sports broadcaster Janelle So.

The group returned home last Tuesday night.

It was an unforgettable trip for the Filipino teenagers, especially Gamalinda who had a tearful reunion with his mother Marilou. Mother and son hadn’t seen each other since she migrated to the US four years ago, leaving behind four children.

Seeing his mother again was the best gift that Gamalinda could hope to receive this Christmas.

Gamalinda, the youngest in the family, burst into tears when he saw his mother the day after he arrived in Portland. His father Dario died in Iligan City three years ago and his mother has remarried. An older sister Roxanne passed away due to cancer a year before his father died. Because of his mother’s unstable status in the US, she couldn’t return home for the funeral of both her daughter and husband.

Gamalinda has two other sisters — Christianne, 20, a graduating student at Faith Christian and Sheila, 26, an office worker in Iligan City.

Gamalinda, a 6-3 center, attended National High School in Iligan City and ACSAT, a computer school in Cagayan de Oro, before transferring to San Beda College. He wasn’t in San Beda’s original lineup in the Adidas Streetball Championships but after star Ogie Menor backed out, a spot opened up. Gamalinda moved in to play at the National Finals and the Asian Championships where he was voted MVP.

His mother married Warren Ave-Lallemant, an American, in Sacramento last year. He is a programmer and analyst for Administrative Systems, Inc. which has served the employee benefits industry since 1972. She works in a school for those stricken with cerebral palsy.

"I’m just new in my job but I begged my supervisor to allow me a few days to see my son," said Gamalinda’s mother who started working in Sacramento as a care giver in 2001. ’I’m proud of Bam-Bam. My husband and I were able to watch some of his NCAA games on the Filipino channel. I told him to take his education seriously. That will be his fallback to his playing career."

His stepfather said he, too, is proud.

’I’ll support whatever he wants to do," said Ave-Lallemant. ’We could petition him and his sisters to live with us in the US. It’s really up to him. I don’t want to influence his decision. I’ll do anything for him and his sisters because I love my wife so much and her children are my children, too."

Marilou, 48, and Warren, 55, met via the internet. Friends matched them together after they seemed compatible in listing their interests on the computer. Warren is divorced with six children but was single for eight years before meeting Gamalinda’s mother.

’I was told Filipinas make wonderful wives," said Ave-Lallemant. ’I can believe that. Marilou is everything I’ve always wanted in a wife."

Gamalinda’s mother and her husband flew in from Sacramento to be with the team for the weekend. The couple plans to visit the Philippines next year when Gamalinda’s sister graduates from Faith Christian.

’I’m looking forward to seeing the Philippines," said Ave-Lallemant. ’I know the people are warm, friendly and hospitable. I know that from my wife."

For Gamalinda’s mother, it was also the best Christmas gift she could receive. Seeing her only son and youngest child once more after four years, embracing him and telling him how much she loves and misses him was a gift she’ll cherish forever.