José Maria de Miranda has not felt at home since he set foot in Recife airport.
He is 53 years old, a Brazilian truck driver, and traveled from São Paulo with a suitcase and a hope: to start a new life in Olinda, in Pernambuco, with a 26-year-old woman he had been talking to for about seven months. He said that during that time, she convinced him to send her money and sell his belongings so they could live together. But when he arrived, no one was waiting for him. Later, he received a message from someone claiming to be one of her relatives, who informed him that she had been in an accident. José could not confirm any of it.
With no money to pay for accommodation, food, or a trip back home, he spent six days at the airport, sleeping sitting up, while airport workers helped him get food. During that time, he fell in the bathroom and needed medical attention. Months earlier, he had suffered a stroke that affected his mobility and his ability to work.
Then Cilene Maria da Silva, 62, appeared. She heard his story and offered him a place to stay in her home. José suspects he was the victim of a romance scam, although no one has independently confirmed this. What is certain is that, amid his abandonment, a stranger decided to open her door to him.