Sometimes, complete strangers can turn out to be real lifesavers.
That was the case for a woman who found herself stranded on a highway with no gas, no money, and no way to get home.
Luckily, a kind gas station attendant came to her rescue.
This story of unexpected kindness is a beautiful reminder of the good in people.
Monet van Deventer from Cape Town, South Africa, was on her way to refuel when she realized she didn’t have any cash or cards on her.
She discovered this only after she arrived at the gas station, just before she could refuel her vehicle.
The attendant, Nkosikho Mbele, noticed that Monet was in a bit of a tough spot and immediately stepped in to help.
His instinctive response turned an ordinary moment into something extraordinary.
As Nkosikho approached Monet’s car to wash her windows, she tried to stop him, knowing she wouldn’t be able to pay for his service.
Monet explained to him that she had forgotten her card and wouldn’t be able to refuel.
However, Nkosikho noticed the red warning light on her fuel gauge and knew it wouldn’t be safe for her to drive off without gas.
His concern for her safety outweighed any worries about payment.
Monet recounted the incident, saying,
“I had this strange feeling that I forgot my card. I then started looking for it, and while I was searching, Nkosikho started washing my windows.”
She added,
“I said to him, thanks for washing my windows but I can’t put petrol in today.”
Nkosikho was clearly concerned and couldn’t let Monet drive off on the highway with an empty tank.
That’s when he made a generous offer: he offered to pay for her fuel out of his own pocket, about 100 rands (roughly seven USD), just so she could safely make her way across the N2 highway.
Without hesitation, Nkosikho grabbed his bank card and went to the register to pay for the gas.
Monet was taken aback by his kindness.
“He said to me, ‘ma’am, you can’t run out of petrol on the N2’. And he said, ‘I’ll pay R100 and whenever you are near again you can just give me back my R100’,” Monet recalled.
At that moment, she didn’t have time to think, and before she knew it, Nkosikho was already filling up her tank.
Initially, she thought it might be some service that Shell provided, but soon realized that Nkosikho was simply acting out of kindness.
It turns out that Nkosikho worked for minimum wage, and the 100 rand he spent was almost as much as he made in a single day.
Despite this, he didn’t think twice about helping Monet, even though he wasn’t sure he’d ever get his money back.
His selflessness was deeply moving.
A few days later, Monet returned to the gas station with Nkosikho’s money and a box of chocolates to thank him.
Nkosikho was overjoyed to see her again, saying,
“I was so grateful that she came back. I could see in her eyes that she appreciated my help, you know when someone sees that you have done something for them. I could see it in her eyes that she really appreciated that I had done something for her.”
But the story didn’t end there.
Monet shared the incident on her Facebook page, and it quickly went viral, with thousands of people praising Nkosikho’s kindness.
Touched by the outpouring of support, Monet decided to start a fundraiser for him.
The response was overwhelming, and they managed to raise around $94,000—an amount equivalent to about eight years of Nkosikho’s salary.
This act of kindness had a ripple effect, inspiring many others.
The story reached the higher-ups at Shell, who were so impressed by Nkosikho’s actions that they nominated him for the Regional Service Excellence Award.
Shell also pledged to donate $35,000 to a local charity of Nkosikho’s choice.
It’s truly amazing how one small act of kindness can have such a significant impact!
Watch the video below to learn more about this heartwarming story!
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