Family, Friends, Futebol

“Your Portuguese is 99%. How did you learn to speak it?”

I can’t get enough of these compliments, even if it came from the husband of my AirBnB host who was finishing several glasses of wine at the time.

His question led to me telling the story of meeting Pércio and Alex soon after I moved to Porto Alegre 32 years ago. Little did I know that asking a kid for help carrying my groceries home would lead to a decades-long friendship with a most incredible family. You can read that story here, and see lots of photos from over the years.

Each time I visit, I am welcomed with open arms.

We mourn the loss of family members who have passed away, including the mothers of Pércio and Alex, two strong women who lived by example and who are very much alive in the hearts of each family member. I was moved to hold Maria Luíza’s Bible with my photo still in it.

And I was fortunate to meet the newest members of the family, born since my last visit fourteen years ago. I was treated to a lovely piano concert by one of the granddaughters (wish I had a photo), and had a great time taking Davi, Luriana’s son, to a women’s soccer match thanks to my AirBnB host who is a super fan of the local team. I enjoyed a hike along the river with Alex’s kids.

Each person has inspired me with their stories of hard work. Studying long hours at school, working twelve-hour days, learning to play the piano, making great sacrifices to achieve a futebol dream, picking up as much English as possible, taking night classes to get the high school diploma that was never attained due to needing to work as a child, helping each other with homework, going to law school after long days of work, raising their children and grandchildren, and so much more.

What really stands out, though, is how close this family is. They share homes, vehicles, meals, and spend so much time together despite their busy lives. And they take great care of each other, including the patriarch, Pércio’s father.

One day, caught in an intense rain storm with Alex and his kids, we gave up on catching our second bus home (Uber would not drive us to the favela), and called one of the brothers. Adelmo magically appeared within a minute and we piled into his car for the ride home. That’s just the way it is here.

On my last night, I was treated to a dinner at Pércio’s house where I saw even more faces from the past and met new members of the family. It was great to reminisce about the past, remember even more stories of Maria Luíza, and answer lots of questions about life in the US. Pércio’s sisters remember coming to my home to help their mom clean. We discussed everything from insurance and taxes in each country to memories of my late friend “Patricia” who taught with me in Brazil. We all recognized the inequality that keeps many Brazilians from ever having a chance to get a visa to travel to the US.

And I had a good laugh when nine-year-old Pablo, after talking with me all night (in Portuguese), learning how to use my camera and take great pictures, and considering leaving his family and coming to the US with me, turned to me and said, “Why don’t you speak Portuguese?”

I left after midnight with many heartfelt gifts that I will cherish.

Sometimes I wish the world was smaller so we could spend more time together. But I know this family’s love is so strong that no distance can diminish it. I’m grateful to them for sharing their lives with me.