Balls

CEBU, Philippines — The king of grass and the Princess of Wales joined the ball kids in learning how to signal correctly, change, roll, feed and catch the balls a week before the Wimbledon championships at the All-England Club.

A no-brainer it seems, kids of tender age in this country breeze through it. But not at the grand slams. When Kate Middleton tried the job of a ball girl and caught one, she did not ace the part. Roger Federer advised the princess of propriety about her impropriety. Roger that, the ball girl confidently echoed Federer’s tip, that catching the ball may be the way down under, but not in the slam of all slams where balls are retrieved only after they bounce.

The gym fit Middleton did not mind the correction and appeared pleasantly surprised by her misconception. Unthinkable for the dear departed queen of stringency. But obviously, Prince William married a pretty woman who is pretty much like her mum, the one who would continue to humanize royalty, a disturbing breakthrough left behind by his queen mother, without reference to the one who birthed to a local matinee idol who at least plays basketball better than he plays a role.

European men are raised to be independent, but William unconsciously refused to wean and found someone who is like the woman who first loved him, the same woman who advised him to marry his best friend. And so he did, but of late media fueled speculations of his infidelity. Well, only friends and family betray, never strangers. Almost always, someone the victim knew well premeditates murder, either by direct participation or induction.

Elsewhere, Filipino men grow old without growing up, boys who will always be boys. They just change their toys. They too subliminally marry a woman who is like their mom, then misbehave because their wives are just like their moms, ever forgiving and accepting. Conversely, the women they marry act maternally instinctive to raise an adult kid, virtually recycling discipline of an unrecyclable being.

But really, the special joint presence of Roger and Kate must have thrilled, inspired and validated the ball kids for their hard work and indispensable contribution to a fortnight of fierce competition. Royalty rewards loyalty. As opposed to ball boys and a few girls in this country who suffer the brunt of frustration of sore losers who cannot come to terms with their own folly.

These are kids used and abused, underpaid and exploited. While their minority incapacitates them to make a choice, their situation leaves them without a choice, forcing them to chase the balls because some of their leaders have no balls to alleviate their situation. Poverty punishes loyalty.