Eventually, Season 3 was finally in production on December 2016. But for Rafa and Alastair, it was inconsistent. According reports, that was their choice, as they allegedly refused to film with David, Aiden, Enrique, and Jason.
But fast forward to January 2017.
Alastair uploaded a video on his YouTube channel. But we don't see him. Instead, we see Rafa and the title says "Goodbye For Now." As Rafa does not have social media, 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 this was a shock, but a much-needed update on Rafa’s whereabouts.
In the video "Goodbye for Now," Rafa looks... calm... and well-rested... but definitely shy and introverted. 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.
Rafa: Hi everyone. Rafa here. I know, it's a little shocking to me after I've been gone all summer and fall. And now Alastair’s filming this video blog for me because I felt like I owed it 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 can't believe I'm admitting this, but... I took it out on a lot of people; my friends... my family... people that I don't know... And I felt so bad and so remorseful. I keep swearing to people that I'm fine. But the truth is... I don't like the person I've become... and... I think... the time is right... to leave San Fernando. So... I've been packing up as much as I could, and I'll be going back to Belo Horizonte with my brother 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 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 when I was 13 years old. And it was Hell for me. There were times where I felt alone, no matter how much 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 joined the show. But honestly, I wouldn't have made it this far without... *voice breaking* without you, Alastair. It was... quite a intense journey that tested our friendship, but we survived. And now that I'm on this journey - whatever that entails - hopefully this will change my life for the better. Get in touch with my roots, try new things when I get to Brazil, and whatever else. I wouldn't have made thhis decision without my brother Dominic. And I appreciate him and all of you for being patient with me.
What we didn't see behind the camera (besides Alastair filming this video) is the front door opening the door to reveal Zachary.
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*
What we do see in front is Rafa blushing. 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, and Hanukkah. 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, and... 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 happy 2017. God bless and take care.
And the video ends. It was great hearing from Rafa. You could feel the pain, fear, and anxiety in his voice. But it seems like he's stepping away from the show. Indefinitely? Forever? We'll never know. What's important is that he knows what he has to do for myself: take care of himself FIRST.
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