I took these two photographs over a year ago during a visit to the Port of Macagua, located on the Macagua Dam in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela. There, you can enjoy a magnificent sunset view with the entire city and its buildings silhouetted against the light. But beyond that, I actually associate these photographs with someone who sadly passed away suddenly and prematurely almost a month ago. He was a childhood friend with whom I had shared nearly 25 years of friendship, and honestly, it has left me thoughtful and filled with nostalgia for all the memories we shared.
I remember the first time I met him when we were going on a vacation. He sat next to me on the bus, and from that moment on, we started chatting about many things. From then on, we shared many common interests, such as music, sports, and other topics. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. We used to see each other often, and we even lived together for a while.
As a person, I considered him very hospitable, noble, and trustworthy. They were the kind of friendships that last forever and never change. Several years later, after I had graduated from university, I worked with him for a while at his fast-food business. I had to move to another city for work, and then I learned that my friend had left the country, like so many young Venezuelans who experienced the worst of the country's crisis.
Time passed, and we each had our own lives in different countries. At times, I thought I might never see him again, just like some of my other friends. But then, to my surprise, he told me he was returning to Venezuela and that he'd like to start a business with me. It was truly exciting. I hadn't seen any of my childhood friends in a long time, and seeing him made it even more thrilling. It brought back those feelings from years ago when I used to spend time with my friends.
Once my friend was back in the country, we spent a lot of time together, reminiscing about many things and memories, like those times we went to concerts, or when we visited natural spots among rivers and waterfalls in towns like Los Pijiguaos and Puerto Ayacucho. There were so many things we remembered; it was a whole book of stories. Eventually, we managed to start a fast-food business together, since it was what we could do best together. He had all the experience and had even studied cooking, and I contributed my photography skills, but of course, I also did anything related to food. At first, everything was going very well; we sold food every day, and people were becoming more and more well-known. But then the business had to close due to some problems.
From that moment on, we hardly saw each other anymore, as we were both busy with our jobs, but we always kept in touch by texting. However, I never imagined that the last time I saw him in person was at a market while I was buying food. We couldn't talk properly at that moment because he was in a hurry for work. Then I received the bad news of his death, and a whole world of memories flooded my mind. It's something no one expects from a family member or friend, such a premature death, but well, that's life, its constant cycle. As a child, I always thought that all my friends and family should live forever, but as one grows older, one becomes more aware of the reality of life, and as I see it, my friend fulfilled this cycle of life, just as I associate it with the fading of these images, which are born and die each day but remain constant, like the spirit and memories of my friend forever.
All photographs are my own.