It's Friday, four days after the fact, and the three women in Ron Zavala's life are laughing. Lisa, 20, has been having a problem with the company computer, which proves she's Ron's kid, all right.
Patrice, 24, known as the cellphone queen in the family, gets the ringer on Dad's phone working, which means everyone in the small Glendora office at Purrfect Auto Service is now listening to the USC fight song.
"Obviously, we haven't turned the service off," wife Sandy says. "I guess I'm just waiting for him to call."
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THERE WERE only a couple of moments remaining Monday in the Rose Bowl, the Zavala family whooping it up because, for longtime USC season-ticket holders, there's nothing like a Trojans victory.
Ron bought a huge motor home in the summer so the family could really tailgate. They had gone together to Arizona for a game, and it's still a family joke.
Ron took the motor home to the Rose Bowl days before the game, and the family spent the weekend tailgating. They got dressed up for New Year's Eve, went into Pasadena for dinner, and as Patrice says, "We haven't had that much fun in a long time."
They returned to the Rose Bowl to party into the night, and Ron joined the girls' boyfriends the next morning to play football. "The way he was throwing the ball, I'm surprised he didn't throw his arm out," Sandy says.
When it came time to go into the stadium, it wasn't soon enough for Ron. Ron's idea of showing up for a noon start is to be on hand by 8. He's always been that way -- just eager to watch his USC football.
"You miss a kickoff and he's flaming," Sandy says. "So we go into the Rose Bowl, but he knows we're going to be late and he's complaining. Now the tunnel is clogged with people and they're stopping us from getting to our seats. And I'm praying to God, please don't let them kick off."
They make it in time, Ron, Sandy, Lisa and boyfriend Brady sitting behind the goal post at the Michigan end, while Patrice and boyfriend Noah sit three sections away because the family could not secure six seats together.
Lisa has a new camera, a Christmas gift from Dad, and she realizes the game is ending and she hasn't taken any pictures. Lisa is Daddy's little girl, working with him at the auto store every day, and so she asks someone to take their picture together.
Ten minutes later, just before the game ends, Ron falls on top of his daughter. He doesn't say a word, doesn't do anything, just collapses.
