A dark room, colorful lights just enough to distinguish between faces, a suffocating atmosphere, loud music that could keep on fire those souls,  empty glasses all around the place, a big bottle of that Russian drink and its scent filling the lungs of four half-naked girls, dancing like their lives depended on it, having the time of their lives and making a long-lasting memory. 

Do you know how you feel in those moments? You are sweating, the air feels heavy and warm, you feel the need to take off all your clothes, your organs are craving something other than alcohol, your eyes hurt, you feel numb but you keep going and the list can go on. 

But other than that I felt like something was hard on my chest. I had too many thoughts before coming and they decided to make their presence felt. All the time I thought " I should remember this. I should cherish this. " 

I think I've been blessed by the heavens so I didn't have any of my friends drop dead. At least, not close ones. Someone I know ( I will speak about him in the present tense, because for me, he is still alive, somewhere, looking at us, even if I can't see him ) died, and as they say " One's fortune is someone else's misfortune ", I came to realize how precious life was. I admit I didn't know before. But this tragic incident cleaned my path, and for that I am grateful. To be honest, around the time of his death I thought about writing about him because he was like an angel. Really. If in this world, things like the Grim Reaper or devils who make contracts with humans for their soul exist, I think his purpose was an angel. 

And in that dark and warm room, I decided that I will live on and be his eyes in this world, that I will travel and will live well, just like would want, because he was so pure that couldn't wish someone bad. It's a hard thing to do but my advice to those who recently lost someone: live on, be his eyes in this world, because he is surely watching you from up here, and laugh more than you cry. This is the consideration you need to show. You need to live confidently, so you can return the love you received. 

I felt the need to write about this because this incident motivated me to write in the first place, and as thank you for him, for lightening up our lives with presence. For being always smiling brightly even if you were hurting, and for taking care of my brother, and for seeing me when no one else was. This is for you. Promise, one day I'll go to Greece and be your eyes because, in my memory, this serves as a will. 

Now, wipe your tears, because this was the first moment  I thought about doing the previous exercise. Maybe because it was recent. Maybe because they were here. Maybe something else. But that day was truly something I'll never forget.