A dedicated black attendant loved his job and performed it with passion. One day, he paid for a distressed woman’s fuel, and one week later, he received a surprising reward for his action.
Ncoso stood behind the gas meter with a nozzle in his right hand. There was a smile on his face as he performed his duties. He worked with Shell, one of the biggest stations in the city. His duties included filling gas tanks, checking for wear in vehicles, pumping tires, and changing the oil and other spare parts. It was a tasking job, but he loved it. He was always delighted by the smiles of people when their faulty vehicles started working.
At 28, Ncoso was married with two kids. However, it was difficult navigating through life in a third-world country with a low salary. Despite this, his love for the job outweighed everything else. He wasn’t concerned about himself but did everything possible to ensure his wife and kids never starved.
The Shell Gas and Oil Station was owned by one of the richest men in the city. It was located along the highway leading to another city, a road notorious for bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers. Every wanted criminal in the city wanted to hide in the woods beside the highway. At night, the entire expressway was usually deserted because these criminals would often step out to prey on unsuspecting victims. Most people knew better than to stay around the express lane during late hours. Every car passed at high speed because any delay could be fatal, as most of these criminals were armed. As a result, the gas station always closed quite early, before dusk.
Ncoso always looked forward to seeing his family in the evening. He would always buy chocolate bars to take home for his kids, as they loved them. Theo’s shifts were usually quite uneventful, but one evening in June 2019 would change everything.
That day, as usual, he was the first to arrive at work. By evening time, he had attended to many customers, most of whom were annoying, so he was quite spent. Usually, he liked to go home on an empty stomach so he could clear his plate. He enjoyed the look of satisfaction on his wife’s face whenever he finished the food she served him. But that evening, he was famished and couldn’t wait, so he decided to buy some snacks and drinks that would be enough to keep him going before he got home.
Just as he crossed to the other side of the road, he noticed a car. The car was parked across the station. The female driver was pacing around the vehicle. Ncoso couldn’t help but wonder what the issue was. People hardly parked their cars unless they needed to change a part or two. Perhaps her car was faulty. Ncoso immediately put aside his desire for food and walked over to the woman.
“Hello, I’m a car technician. Are you having trouble with your car?” Ncoso asked politely.
The woman just stared at him blankly and resumed pacing. Ncoso shrugged; perhaps it wasn’t a car issue. The woman seemed emotionally downtrodden, so he felt she was probably in the middle of a relationship crisis. He didn’t want to meddle, but the woman really looked like she needed help.
“Is everything okay, ma’am?” he asked again.
The woman barely spared him a glance. Ncoso sighed and walked away.
The woman was Sarah, a white woman. She was traveling to the next city for a student conference. She was an international delegate and had been in the country for six months. Her car had broken down because it had run out of fuel. Despite the car’s warning signal, she had managed to drive it close to the station before it finally stopped a few inches away. She stepped out and informed the attendants so they could tow her car into the station. But then she realized something shocking: her credit card had expired only two hours ago, so there was no way she could carry out a transaction. She groaned in anger and frustration. More so, her banking app was down and wouldn’t be working for the next 96 hours. It pretty much seemed as if the universe was simply out to frustrate her.
As she paced around, she was confused and scared. She was aware that this particular expressway was unsafe. It was extremely dangerous for a single lady to be stranded there at the mercy of any criminal lurking nearby. She could either be robbed, taken advantage of, or worse. She imagined various scenarios that could happen, each more frightening than the next. She needed to be in the next city for a career-changing conference, but right now there was no hope for that to happen. She was several miles away from home and couldn’t head back either. She was stuck in an unfamiliar community.
Sarah was scared to ask for help. She leaned over to the curb and watched other cars drive out of the gas station. After a few minutes of deliberation with no solution in sight, she decided to ask for help. It was a difficult decision, but it was her lifeline. Staying too late on the road was a bad choice, one she wasn’t ready to face. Sarah summoned her courage and walked into the gas station. She was stunned to see Ncoso. When he had approached her minutes ago, she had thought he was a scavenger because of the way he dressed and had quickly dismissed him. Ncoso’s clothes were torn and oil-stained as a result of working on cars for a while. Sarah thought about her troubles and watched Ncoso as he carried out his job. She could see he loved this job a lot. His smile was beautiful and contagious. Sarah knew he was the right person she could seek for help. She approached him, then managed to find her voice.
“Hello, I need your help.”
Ncoso was surprised to see her again. He immediately recognized her and walked closer to her. Sarah narrated the entire incident to him. She hadn’t realized her card was scheduled to expire that day and that her mobile banking app would be down for maintenance. As she explained the situation, Ncoso could see the fear in her eyes and felt pity for her. Although she tried to force back her tears, she still looked teary. He knew he needed to help. He was already preparing to leave, but he realized that if she didn’t leave that spot within the next 30 minutes, she would be the only one on the road, and that wasn’t a good position to be in.
Ncoso had seen her car earlier and knew it would need over 15 liters of gas to make the journey. Filling her tank would affect his daily records, and he would have to pay from his wages, which would seriously impact his monthly budget for family upkeep. However, her difficult situation was more important than anything else, and he couldn’t leave her stranded, so he offered to help her.
Sarah was shocked. She almost squealed in excitement. She couldn’t believe that a stranger would offer such help. With the help of the other attendants, Ncoso towed her vehicle to the gas station. He filled her tank and checked for any other faults. After 20 minutes, he handed the keys back to Sarah. It felt like a miracle to her, and she trembled with humility as she stared at her savior. Without Ncoso, she would have been stranded on the expressway and potentially become a victim of unscrupulous criminals.
“You can go. Your car is in perfect condition. You can pay back when you have the money,” he told her with a kind smile.
Sarah still couldn’t contain her excitement. This was too real to be true. She promised to pay back the money once she sorted out her bank issues. She kept on thanking Ncoso as she stepped into the car. She ignited her engine and drove out of the station. As Ncoso watched her leave, he felt a strong sense of fulfillment. He was glad to know that because of him, she was safe and would make it in time for the conference. These moments were some of the best parts of his life. He was happy he could help her despite racial and prejudicial barriers. This act of kindness, free from any bias, was the truest form of love, and it made him happy. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Ncoso knew there was a good chance he would never see the woman again and might never get his money back. However, something about her made him feel he could trust her, so he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. This sacrifice would cost him a lot. He would have to wake up very early to take the train, as he could no longer afford a cab for the month. He would also have to skip breakfast at work, as he could no longer afford it. Additionally, his plan to buy new work shoes would have to wait, as his current pair was in terrible condition. Despite all this, Ncoso didn’t regret his decision.
Just before closing time, Ncoso completed the routine accounting and paid for the woman’s fuel out of his daily wages, leaving him with nothing. With the little money he had left, he bought some noodles. His wife had asked him to buy some earlier so they could have it for dinner. However, the money he had left was only enough to buy for four people. Since they were a family of five, that meant Ncoso would have to skip dinner. He would tell his wife he had already eaten so she wouldn’t worry or share her portion. He didn’t mind anyway; his kind act had somehow filled him up. That night, he went to bed with a smile on his lips.
The next day, Ncoso arrived at work feeling energetic. His heartwarming smiles and graceful wishes made every driver want him to attend to their needs. He never tired of saying “have a safe trip” with a smile. This had become a part of him, and he took joy in offering these grateful wishes.
Three days later, Ncoso was at work when he heard
a honk. He thought it was just one impatient customer. He signaled to the driver to exercise a little patience. The honking continued, and he turned to see a woman smiling at him. He couldn’t ever forget her face, so he recognized her at once. It was the white woman he had helped. She stepped out of her car and hugged him. She didn’t even mind his oil-stained overalls and sweaty skin. Ncoso was glad to see her.
“UB kajani?” he asked in Zulu, one of South Africa’s languages, which means “How have you been?”
The white woman didn’t understand the language, but she rightly guessed he was asking after her, so she chuckled.
“I have been fine. I didn’t forget what you did for me. Thank you, Ncoso.”
Ncoso smiled, not knowing he was about to get a surprising reward for his kindness. Just then, she handed him a bag and asked him to open it. When he did, he screamed at the top of his lungs. The bag was filled with cash. He took one of the bundles to be sure it was real, and of course, it was. Ncoso couldn’t believe his luck. His eyes teared up as he stared at Sarah. She placed her hand on his shoulder and said, “You saved my life. I decided to pay you back.”
His voice shook with emotion as he tried to tell her that the cash was way too much. Tears flowed freely from his eyes. He had never made or seen this much money before. He stared at the kind-hearted Sarah in disbelief and kept thanking her. Sarah told him that a good turn deserves another. The funds were just her little way of saying thank you for his act of love. But to Ncoso, this wasn’t a little way. These funds represented almost a year’s worth of wages for him.
Ncoso placed the bag of money on his head and began to dance and sing. By then, the other attendants had come out and formed a circle around them as he danced. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Sarah found it so captivating that she immediately brought out her phone and began recording, wanting to share this joyous moment with others. Afterwards, she shared the video on her Facebook page alongside a beautiful caption:
“This man has a heart of gold. I ran out of gas, and without knowing me, he paid in full. He didn’t care about our racial differences. He didn’t care that I’m white and he is black. He just simply helped a human in need. If the world had more people like Ncoso, then it would be a better place.”
Sarah joined in the happy dance. When she was done, she promised to stay in touch and took her leave. Ncoso was utterly excited throughout the rest of the day. The money would be enough to take care of his family for a few months. He had debts to pay and his rent was due. He would definitely put the money to good use.
Meanwhile, the video Sarah posted had gone viral. Ncoso became a hero and a celebrity overnight. As he left for work that day to catch a cab, people on the road chanted his name, calling him a selfless hero who went out of his way to help. Ncoso was overwhelmed by the show of love. He had always loved helping people and making them smile. Growing up, his biggest wish was to start a charity organization, but he never had the funds to do so. Instead, he used his current job as an opportunity to bring smiles to people’s faces.
Three days later, Ncoso’s boss, the chairman of the gas station, drove over to congratulate him. Even before this act, he had always seen Ncoso as a hardworking person who loved making people smile. A lot of drivers had always talked good about him. The chairman proposed to promote him to the role of site manager. His pay was quadrupled, with a house grant and a new ride to his name. More so, the chairman pledged to donate $28,000 to a charity of Ncoso’s choice. He was also nominated for Shell’s Excellence Award.
It didn’t end there. Sarah went ahead and opened a Backa Buddy account for Ncoso, a crowdfund site. Within days, the fund amassed more than $25,000. Given that the minimum wage in South Africa is around $1.45, Ncoso had never dreamed of seeing this much money. With this money, Ncoso planned to start a shoemaking company, a dream he had since childhood.
Sarah had one more surprise for Ncoso. She wanted to sponsor a fully paid trip for him and his family. This came as a shock to the family, who had never been out of South Africa. However, Ncoso couldn’t accept the offer at that moment, as he needed to focus on his business. In the span of four months, he was able to start a sizable shoe-producing company. After a year, his shoe company became well-known and successful. Once he was confident that everything was running smoothly, he accepted Sarah’s offer. It took a few months to prepare the necessary paperwork, and then he left the country with his wife and kids. The trip was an interesting tour, and he made many new connections.
All of this happened because Ncoso chose to offer help. His compassionate heart gave him a lifetime reward.
What do you think about Ncoso’s kind act? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section. Thank you for watching. See you in the next video.
