Brothers Reunited by Fate After 53 Years

Link : http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041019/od_nm/odd_portugal_brothers_dc&e=1&ncid=757

LISBON (Reuters) - Two brothers from Australia and Argentina who lost contact for 53 years were reunited by chance after recognizing each other on a trip to their native Portugal.



They last saw each other in 1951 when Francisco Gregorio Silva, now 81, moved to Argentina, the daily newspaper Correio da Manha reported Tuesday. His younger brother, Mario Silva, 70, moved to Australia about 20 years later.


They were in Portugal this weekend as part of a program to bring migrants home for a visit and bumped into each other while boarding a tour bus at Lisbon airport Friday.


"I looked at him and saw the face of my father," Mario said. "The tears ran. For me, it was a very big shock."


"I was left speechless," added Francisco. "I wanted to say something, but the words would not come out."


The brothers said they would go to their hometown of Tunes, in the Algarve resort area in southern Portugal, to visit another brother, Antonio Joao.


Mario and Francisco said they now hoped to always keep in touch.