Dad

May 5, 2021 By: Diana Avila Gutierrez

The subject of this weeks blog post is my Dad! My Dad is Efrain Avila he was born on January in Calvillo Aguascalientes, Mexico to Elias and Graciela. My Dad is the oldest of his 8. Dad has two sisters, Lorena and Veronica and three brothers, Elias, Oscar, and Miguel. Two of Dad’s brothers died, one of them when he was a baby and his other brother, Israel from cancer at age 13.

My Dad’s childhood was not the best, the most education he got was 3rd grade. Dad told me after school he always had to go pick up wood for his father miles away. Dad’s first job was when he was 9, he worked picking up guavas in Mexico, he would make about a dollar a day.

In my Dad’s first job he had to water the guava and once he encountered a huge snake. The water would not come out and the dog that was by my Dad’s side was barking madly at the water pipe. Dad went to check it out and found a gigantic snake. The snake was irritated that Dad and the dog disrupted it so it slithered towards them. Dad was terrified he was just a small boy so he ran and he thought he lost the snake when he saw it watching him. Dad hid in a tree but he knew the snake was tall so it could reach him with ease. The snake was about to approach my Dad but instead it went towards the dog.

My Dad’s favorite sport is baseball and his favorite team is San Diego. Dad loves baseball, since he was a little boy he played it. When Dad was a young boy a member from a baseball team in Aguascalientes saw him play and guaranteed him that he would help him become a pro and play for the major league. Dad was fascinated, that was his dream, his only obstacle was that he had to buy proper cleats. Dad had no money, all he had he gave to his parents, my grandfather did not buy my Dad his cleats. His opportunity to become a pro had been wasted. I know that if my Dad would have left he probably would not have met my Mom so I would not be born but it makes me so sad that just because he did not have cleats he could not accomplish his dream.

One of Dad’s most creepiest experiences was when he saw the devil. Dad was driving from seeing my Mom when they were dating. It was about 11 pm, very dark and Dad was almost home, to get where my Dad lived there was a long curvy road. Dad had nearly arrived when something made him turn left, he got the feeling that something was watching him. He saw a man standing very well dressed in the middle of the street. The man had a black tuxedo and a hat on. Dad said it reminded him of the catrin in the loteria. Where Dad’s family in Mexico lives it used to be a cemetery. Countless people there have seen what Dad saw including Dad’s Mom, my grandmother.

Dad came to the US when he was 16. Dad has worked hard ever since he was 5 for what he has today. Dad is an example of a determined and hard worker. 6 years ago he passed the Citizenship and became a US citizen. Dad is my role model, he is the best Dad I could ever ask for. He teaches me everyday to not give up and work for what I want. You are funny, extremely intelligent, and I am thankful that you are my Dad. I love you pa.