Man who lived in airport for four years returns home

A real-life, Tom Hanks-less version of "The Terminal" has come to a happy ending.

Rene Becker, 57, spent the last four years living at Palma de Mallorca Airport in Spain.

The German architect fled his home in Mainz four years ago after accusing his wife, Edith, of having an affair. With nowhere else to go, his journey ended at the airport.

A German newspaper featured his story two weeks ago, revealing that a local police station permitted the man to wash there, and that the airport canteen let him eat for just 2 Euros. He earned extra cash by doing odd jobs around the airport.

His wife and 24-year-old daughter, Patricia, saw the article and flew to the airport to attempt to persuade him to come home.

Becker, sporting a shaggy beard and lugging a grubby suitcase, burst into tears at the sight of his family.

The Austrian Times reports that, until they had seen the article, Becker's family had made no effort to contact him, assuming he left them for the high life, living in a luxury villa in Spain. They didn't know he'd spent all his money years ago.