Open Your Eyes to Reality

Juan Carlos Davila was born September 5, 1994. He was a great person that fell in horrible footsteps. Growing up him and I would always be together like two peas in a pot. We where inseparable. I was born September 11, 1996. Many of you might not believe in horoscope signs but Carlos and I did. We both knew our attitudes were similar and no one would win a fight against us.

When he was seven and I was five, we took a trip to Mexico. Our parents knew that it was a bad idea but they still decided to go through the plan. When we arrived we both went wild. We ran through the city like no other. Pushing and shoving people in huge crowds trying to get to the top of the hill. Our dreams had come true. That year we created a bucket list. One that we both promised to complete together in less one of us was gone.

As the years went by the bucket list began to grow. We had twenty things down and kept on taking some off and adding others. Carlos was the motivation to our madness. We were alone in this world but with the only thought of having each other everything was perfect. Carlos was not a bad person, on the other had he was a great cousin that turned into my brother but most importantly my best friend.

Our bucket list was the one thing that we had between both us. The one thing that determined who was the better person or who was the scary cat. One thing I can say I was the scary cat and he was the brave one. Carlos taught me to fight not for anger but for self-defense. He wanted me to be able to take care of myself when he wasn’t around. This was something I was not good at. He had to save me more than once, especially in my moments of depression.

One new years eve, we had made a cheap bet. It was Carlos idea that we would go running up and down the neighborhood shirtless. The one who chicken out got to wear a Mexicana sombrero. I thought how bad could this be, and went along with it. Carlos knew deep inside that I wasn’t going to do it. But then on the other hand he knew he was their to support me.

So he did the honors and went first. And then I went. As soon as we started to run a car passed by and started to scream sexual words to me. And Carlos as the over protected cousin he is, he started to yell back. Which brought him to get into a fist fight with the guy in the car. I was scream and made Carlos stop. We then ran home and he let me win. But he didn’t give in the bet, so I had to wear the sombrero that weekend long.

December 12, 2009 was one of the last days I got to fully be with Carlos. He went over to Riverside and spent the day with me. We were looking at pictures on the internet and quote, when he showed me this one. “In the end we only regret the chanced we didn’t take.” When he told me that he didn’t say it in a positive way he said it as if he was saying goodbye. Carlos was the type of person that didn’t show his emotions to anyone, and the only time he showed me was when he was at the point of breaking. After he read the quote and told me that no matter what happens between us I always have to move forward and keep on trying.

After that day, seeing him became harder and harder every time. I was in middle school and he in high school. We where starting to drift apart,something we both where not ready for. As the new year entered and summer was around the corner the worst started to happen.

Carlos and I both created a horrible mistake one that he made me fall back on but one that he took for himself. He though it was a great idea that he hung out with the bad crowd and was being someone tough. On May 21, 2010 he got shot in the head twice by an explosive bullet. He was found three hours later after the shooting. No one knew why or cared to even figure it out. Carlos was sent to the emergency room in critical condition, he was done. His brain had given up but hope was still there.

I arrived to the hospital that evening and saw my best friend laying in a hospital bed with tubing all over his body. And all I could think of was why?!! Why him, why now!! Our future together was coming to am end. I had to be strong for the both of us, but deep inside I couldn’t. I couldn’t bear to look at my other half in his death bed. After a week of keeping him in life support his parents decided it was time for him to go. He passed away May 28, 2010.

As the years went by I was faced with many challenge. One was completing the bucket list. And I can tell you I am not nearly done but I will not give up. He is heaven looking after me and I know that he is with me everyday. He follows me as my angel! Because Juan Carlos Davila will always be my cousin, brother and best friend!!

That is why I got a specific tattoo for him! “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, Love leaves a memory no one can steal!”