Game Seven

Pa never drinks. But when the Lakers went up on the Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, he was on the verge. I could tell. His friends were all screaming and shouting every time the ball moved, and then the game was over and his beloved Celtics, the Celtics he had once skipped school to see, had lost. For the first time, I saw resignation in Pa’s eyes, and he cracked open a cold one. The first swig went down slow like a tear from a lesser man. My shock was soon overcome by the commiseration we shared.