Never enough

Alex Eala winning Birmingham Open is her fault. It’s a low-tiered tournament just worth 125 points, does not even count as a WTA title. Some ungrateful Filipinos. Pretty much like a contestant in a noontime show who refused to say thank you even if she won treble her monthly salary.

Why, it is not enough to pay off her child’s education. Correct, the bigger problem is poverty, and why Filipinos have to pay for school when no less than the constitution envisions free education. But manners have nothing to do with status in life, a simple thank you does not prejudice her and her child.

Even if former Birmingham champions include tennis greats Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova and multiple slam champions Maria Sharapova and Ashleigh Barty, it’s her fault she joined them.

Eala broke the jinx against a dozen players whose surnames end in ova, by crossing out in the three-set final Czech player Nikola Bartunkova. It’s still her fault, although this superstition is the easiest to sell. Stupid, they believe in many things they cannot prove but refuse to believe what is proven.

Even if in Berlin Alex beat another top ten player, it’s still her fault. Elina Svitolina is already a mother and older. Even if Alex stunned and neutralized the taller and stronger Elena Rybakina, it’s still her fault. The world number two was not at her best. Even if thus far, Alex has beaten at least six top ten players, two of whom ranked number two, it’s still her fault. Just a fluke. How lucky, the freak accident keeps on repeating itself.

Focus instead on her semi-final loss to Linda Noskova. See, the curse is not yet ova. Superstition is gospel truth. Just as fakes news is. Still her fault. Damn if she wins, damn if she loses. Nothing satisfies, or more aptly, cures them. Yes, they are unwell. Why, let’s leave it to experts in human behavior. Common sense and logic gave up on them.

No matter how many truth bombs drop on them, they will survive. Pretty much like cockroaches that crawled the earth for millions and millions of years. Even if beheaded, they live for at least a week before they die, not because they are headless, but dehydrated. Not a surprise if empty heads are here to stay, multiply and slay wisdom and sanity.