Eventually, Season 3 was finally in production on December 2016. But for Rafa and Alastair, it was inconsistent. According to reports, that was Rafa and Alastair's choice, as they allegedly refused to film with David, Aiden, Enrique, and Jason at all.
But fast forward to January 2017.
Alastair uploaded a video on his YouTube channel. But we don't see him. Instead, he is behind the camera, while we see Rafa and the title says "Goodbye For Now." As Rafa does not have social media anymore, and does not have a YouTube channel anymore, we haven't heard from him since the Season 2 reunion. And after David's unforgivable LATV interview, Rafa wiped away his online existence. So, "Goodbye For Now" was a shock, but a welcomed update on Rafa’s whereabouts.
In the video "Goodbye for Now," Rafa looks... calm... and well-rested... but definitely shy and introverted, and most importantly... tired. He's wearing a green and blue plaid flannel button-down shirt. He’s facing the camera and sitting in Alastair and Zach’s living room. And when he talks, he's soft-spoken.
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Rafa: Hi everyone. Rafael here. I know, it's a little shocking to see me after I've been gone all summer and fall. And now Alastair’s filming this vlog for me because... I felt ready to you guys to know what's been going on with me lately. This might be the last video I do for a long time. Um...so, where's my mindset right now? As you guys know, it’s been a very emotionally exhausting couple of years for me. And... I reacted in ways that I'm not proud of, and I consumed a lot of blame and negative opinions about me. And I wish that never happened. I keep swearing to people that I'm fine. But the truth is... I've had all that I could take... and... I think... the time is right... to leave the City of San Fernando. So, um... I've been packing up as much as I could, and I'll be out of town in a few more days. I'm really gonna miss my parents, and my friends. And I miss connecting with you guys. You all told me amazing stories about your experiences as immigrants, and experiences with being discriminated against. [tearful] It really made me emotional that I opened the door for a lot of you to share your stories. Life as an immigrant - young and old - is never easy. And, uh... for those who don't know, I was born and raised in Belo Horizonte, and later moved to the City of San Fernando in 2007 when I was 13 years old. And it was Hell for me. There were times where I felt alone, no matter how much I continued to just be myself and stand up for myself. [sighs] Maybe... maybe I'm a lot stronger than I realized, huh? And now, I'm questioning my future on Flaming Bros. Before I joined the show, the cast was already toxic. Nobody liked each other, and they wouldn't talk to each other until they found a common enemy. And I became the main target when I joined the show. But honestly, I wouldn't have made it this far without... [voice breaking] without you, Alastair. It was... quite an intense journey that even tested our friendship. [cries, takes a shaky breath] But we survived. And... now that I'm on this newest journey - whatever that entails [clears throat] - hopefully this will change my life for the better. Get in touch with myself, try new things... and whatever else. I wouldn't have made this decision without my brother Dominic. And I appreciate him and all of you for being patient with me.
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What we didn't see behind the camera (besides Alastair filming this video) is the front door opening the door to reveal Zachary.
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Rafa: [softly to Alastair] Oh, um, your fiancé's here, Al. [waves at Zach with a soft smile]
Alastair: [softly to Alastair] Hey babe.
Zachary: [whispers] Hey y'all. Don't mind me. [chuckles]
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What we do see in front is Rafa blushing.
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Rafa: Um... where was I? Oh yeah. Um... I just feel like I'm on a really long journey right now. Sorry, I, I know I'm rambling. [chuckles] But I just wanna thank you all for listening. I hope you guys had a great and safe Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and New Years. I am so grateful for you guys. I'm forever grateful for my friends and family who love me unconditionally. It really keeps me going. Alastair, Zach, Calvin, Christian, Ross, my brother, my parents, and everyone at Monteverde... [inhales sharply with shaky breath] ...I truly appreciate you all so much. Your love and support means the world to me, and... [whispery tone] I will never take that for granted. So with that being said, I will see you guys whenever I get back. And I wish you all a great... and safe... 2017. God bless and take care. [blows a kiss to the camera]
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And the video ends. It was great hearing from Rafa. You could feel the exhaustion, pain, fear, and anxiety in his voice. And it seems like he's bravely stepping away from the show. Indefinitely? Yes. Forever? We'll never know. What's important is that he knows what he has to do for himself: take care of himself FIRST.
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