Dear Luis,

We didn’t know how serious it was. And it sure was sudden. I wish we knew how serious it was. The way your head swelled up and swallowed you whole.

I don’t think your family ever appreciated you. I don’t know if anyone ever did, enough.

You were so generous with your time, your life, your everything. How you literally gave anyone the shirt off your back. How you showed up one day without a word, handed me a CD at the door and disappeared.

You were like that. Never asking for anything in return while all the vampires sucked you dry.

I’m glad you weren’t there at your funeral. How they carried on in their snake handling ways. Speaking in tongues and proselytizing, trying to convert the people, when we were just there to say goodbye to you.

I’m sorry for everyone.

And I’m sorry we never said how much we truly appreciated you when you were alive.