He's Love

#2

15 June 2003

George hurries down the stairs to see her father tucking Gian's shirt and her mother tying his shoelaces. Her brother's sitting on his bench sleeping soundly.

She runs to them and grins unable to contain the excitement burning within her. She jumps up and down, sways herself side to side - she can't calm herself. They'll be going to the SBC Center to see NBA live! Her father granted her wish a month ago, surprising her and her mother with plane tickets to Texas and front row tickets for the game.

Of course, she just wants to see how the big guys play in person, but she doesn't expect her father to let her watch the basketball game in the bleachers that are closest to the court itself.

She feels like she's in a sugar rush. She feels energetic and happy even though it's still 3 PM.

"Hi, hon," her father greets her and carries her. "You look lovely in your jersey!"

She hugs her father and wiggles him which makes him laugh a little. She replies, "I have pigtails to match it, daddy! Do you like it?"

She woke up early in the afternoon, took a shower, brushed her teeth and combed her hair. It's longer now as it rests on her waist. She decided to wear it up in pigtails and added a black and white ribbon on each tail.

"Of course, hon," her father kisses her cheek. "We all match, right?"

At that, she realizes they were all wearing jerseys. However, she and her father has the same number 21 printed on their Spurs jersey, while Gian and her mother has the same jersey number 9 on theirs.

"Are you ready, George?" Her mom asks her as she carries her sleeping brother and slings the family bag on her other arm.

She smiles sweetly at her and nods. "Yes, mommy."

Her mother grins at her and looks at her father, "Come on, dear. We can't miss this appointment."

She's fighting her urge to sleep on their drive to the airport. She keeps on pinching her arm to wake herself up. The excitement is still there, in fact, she can feel it build itself more and more inside her. The stadium, the lights, the referees and even the scent of sweat from the players and maybe from other people in the bleachers with them excite her! It's her first time to witness a basketball game up close.

She's swept away from her thoughts when her father turns off the car's engine and shouts, "Go San Antonio Spurs!"

Her mother hits his shoulder, shushing him. She sways sleeping Gian back and forth when he flinches.

But then, George shouts, too, and her mother sighs before shouting with her which results to her brother's loud cries. Her father laughs before he carries their bags and gets them ready for her birthday gift.

She wishes her mother brought her pink unicorn notebook with her so she can ask for an autograph of Tim Duncan.

The flight to Texas makes her more giddy. The old lady sitting beside her looks at her and chuckles to herself. She asks why, thinking it is somehow rude of people to laugh at someone out of the blue.

"You're just adorable," she says. "You remind me of my boy when he was your age."

"Where is he now?"

The old lady looks away, sadness clouds her eyes as she speaks, "Oh, he's in heaven now, I hope."

George leans to her smiling and tries to hold her hand, "Finney, our dog, is in heaven, too. Maybe they're playing together!"

"Oh, honey," the old lady laughs, "George likes dogs. I think you're right."

She narrows her eyes at the old lady and replies, "I'm George."

"What?"

"My name's George. How do you know my name?"

George doesn't want to be mean. She's confused, yes, of how the old lady knows her name when she can't remember telling her.

The old lady stares at her amazed, "My boy's name is George, too. He's supposed to be 17 by now."

She nods. She can't help but feel proud. It really is a boy's name, she thinks, and inwardly laughs. But she also feels sad for the lady. She knows how sad it is when the one they love goes to heaven. She remembers crying every night missing the licks and barks of Finney.

"Mommy says Finney watches over me sometimes. She says I should smile often even though he's not around so that he won't worry about me up there," she tries to console her. She smiles at her before she starts eating the peanuts the flight attendant gave her earlier.

"You know your way to the hearts of the people you come across," the lady says as she tucks a stray hair in George's right ear.

George smiles genuinely at the lady even if she doesn't know what she meant. She looks at her napping father on her opposite side and pokes him.

"Daddy," she says and yawns, "Are we there yet?"

Her father lowly chuckles, "We're close. I can already hear the cheers of the audience."

She leans on to her seat and fidgets with her hands excitedly, "Are the players really tall, daddy?"

"Yes."

"Do they really chunk energy drinks before they play?"

"Sometimes."

"Do they stop for autograph signing?"

"Depends on their mood, hon. Maybe they will later, if our team wins the championship."

She giggles, "Will they give the championship ball to me?"

Her father laughs and she can see that her mother who sits beside her father chuckles. Her father looks at her in amusement and caresses her cheeks. She closes her eyes and smiles.

"Hon," her mother calls her, "they'll probably put that ball into auction after. Don't hope to get the ball, okay?"

She nods, "Okay, mommy. I'll just wait until daddy buy that ball, then."