AS I got into the Cebu City Sports Center -- or Abellana as it is commonly known -- one cop was berating a few fellow cops.

"Bag-o pa lang gani mo, gahi na mo'g ulo" he said, while berating them as they tried to leave the compound without signing the blue book.

I passed the swimming pool and took a glance at the stands, a place where noisy parents and family used to stay while watching kids compete, and all I saw was the belongings of the policemen who stay there off duty.

I got to the corridor going to the various offices under the main grandstand and saw sandbags just before the dance sports area. Sand bags mind you and it was obvious they were put there to prevent floodwaters from going in.

The dance sports studio, of course, was empty, so was the gym. And the area where belly dancers used to sweat it out? Now an area where I think The Bold one wishes his belly dancers would use to shed an ounce or two.

I got to the sports commission office and knocked but a cop in the corridor asked, "Asa ka, boss?" "Sa sports commission office," I said. "Dili na man na sports commission office. Kinsa imo gipangita?"

It was still the sports commission office and after finishing my business there, I took a quick glance of the field. It was green, greener than it has ever been. But not that football-field green, more of like a "basakan" green, a field I played with two decades ago.

I got to the parking lot, now free and free of that piss stink, and I realized there were times I really hated going to Abellana. Parking is difficult. There were too many people doing too many things and there are just too many events taking place simultaneously. But I'd give an arm and a leg to be back to those times again, when joggers complain about being hit by an errant football or volleyball. Or when you see barefoot guys and gals running alongside runners of all ages clad in running equipment of all sorts. (Of course, that goes without saying that I know the cops staying there would give an arm and a leg, too, to be back where they were 18 months ago.

Will we ever find ourselves back in such situation? I don't know. Right now, it seems very unlikely. But I hope to see Abellana again as that beehive of sports in Cebu because that would mean we have beaten Covid-19.

I hope.