球場再無「蔬」送者
總感覺我的第六感很強，自從近兩個月加入健身室當會員後，便冷落了打羽毛球的運動，連群聊也懶得去點開来，查看信息.
可這天卻鬼使神差點開了群聊，迎面紮紮實實撞上一條剛發出的壞消息，心口被狠狠地砸了一下：「安東尼今晨走了，安息主懷。」
這消息太突然！幾個月前，他還像個「場邊教練」，精神奕奕地來球場看我們「廝殺」。
每次見面，大夥兒都默契地亮出「杜特地式碰拳禮」，拳頭對拳頭，這樣的招呼方式，一來既適合疫情後的少直接接觸，二來也是無聲的喊話：「兄弟，頂住！」
安東尼的「抗癌賽」打了一年多了，當初因每年體檢而發現肺癌，馬上配合治療並進行手術，化療康復後，在醫生的允許下，又來和我們打球，但體力不如從前。
從外表看，一點也覺察不出他是個正在與癌癥奮戰的人，沒掉髮也沒消瘦。他和藹可親，跟他搭檔打球最舒坦，輸贏不計較，只有滿場飛奔和哈哈的憨笑聲。球友們堅信，他有個強壯的體魄，加上早發現，穩贏！
2024聖誕派對，大夥兒熱鬧聚餐，安東尼大手一揮：「這單，既慶聖誕，也慶戰勝病魔！」 歡聲笑語仿佛還在耳邊。哪想到2025初春，壞消息傳來：癌細胞已轉移到大腦。球友鴉雀無聲，每個人心裏都在默默發願：「安東尼，一定要接住這一拍！」
自看到安東尼過世的消息後，他的畫面就在腦海裏一一播放。他家農場就是我們的「蔬果補給站」！每次他拎著大袋新鮮蔬菜出現，相熟的球友定毫不客氣地一擁而上，「打劫」這直接來自農場的新鮮蔬菜。
點開群相冊，見到去年聖誕合照，放大，再放大，照片裏的他，笑得那麼自信，像個冠軍王。群裏靜得出奇，但誰心裏不在「丟分」？
這位慷慨的「買單大哥」，這位帶菜的「農場主」，這位從不埋怨輸贏的「神仙隊友」，這位鄰家大哥，此時球友們的「心場」皆在下雨。
Empty Court, Empty Baskets: In Memory of Anthony
By Yi Ping
I’ve always trusted my intuition. Since joining a gym two months ago, I’d grown distant from badminton—even neglecting to check our group chat. Yet that day, as if guided by some unseen force, I opened it only to be struck by devastating news freshly posted: "Anthony passed away this morning. Rest in peace with the Lord." The shock hit me like a physical blow.
Just months ago, he’d been our vibrant "sideline coach," watching us battle on the court. Every meeting began with our默契 unspoken ritual—a Duterte-style fist bump, knuckle to knuckle. It was our pandemic-era greeting, but also a silent battle cry: "Brother, hang in there!"
Anthony had fought cancer for over a year. Discovered during his annual checkup, he’d undergone immediate treatment and surgery. After chemotherapy, with his doctor’s blessing, he returned to play—though his stamina had faded. Outwardly, he showed no signs of his battle: no hair loss, no wasting away. Partnering with him was pure joy; he cared little for winning, filling the court instead with his tireless dives and warm, rumbling laughter. We’d all believed his strong physique and early diagnosis guaranteed victory.
At our 2024 Christmas gathering, amid the revelry, Anthony waved grandly to cover the bill: "This celebrates both Christmas and conquering cancer!" The echoes of our laughter still linger. Who could have imagined that come early spring 2025, the terrible update would arrive: the cancer had metastasized to his brain. We stood speechless, each silently pleading: "Anthony, you must hang in there!"
Since learning of his passing, memories of him replay in my mind. His family farm was our "produce supply station!" Whenever he appeared with bulging bags of fresh vegetables, we’d shamelessly swarm like bandits, "raiding" those field-fresh greens.
Clicking open the group album, I found last Christmas’s group photo. I zoomed in—and in again. There he was, radiating confidence like a champion king. The chat now lay eerily silent, yet whose heart wasn’t losing points? Our generous "bill-covering big brother," our "farmer" bearing vegetables, our "celestial teammate" who never complained about wins or losses—this neighborhood elder brother now has all our hearts showering with rain on this court of grief.
《球場再無「蔬」送者》刊于 06-26-2025菲律賓《世界日报》
