Picture this: you're working a long shift in a McDonald's, fretting about the fact that you can't afford to buy a new car or repair your old one. Then your manager calls you in to speak with you privately. This can't possibly be good news can it? When Vicki Anderson was in this situation, she thought she was getting fired, but instead she found that a friend had given her the sweetest gift.
Chris Ellis, a businessman who regularly visits the McDonald's in south Hutchinson, frequently crossed paths with McDonald's employee Vicki. The two ended up even forming a friendship ever since she first served him at the drive-thru in mid-November, leading to her asking him if he knew anyone who was selling a car.
Her 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra had broken down in the autumn, and she found that the $500 fee for repairing it was more than the car was worth - and she was struggling to get the funds together anyhow. When Chris discovered she was looking for a replacement, he realised it provided the perfect opportunity to thank her for her friendship.
By coincidence, Chris' son Josh had recently purchased a new vehicle, and was looking to sell his 2009 Pontiac GS. According to the Wichita Eagle, his son told him he would give him a discounted price, considering it was going towards a good cause. After he bought it, Chris and Josh cleaned the car, changed its oil and had the tyres rotated, before they surprised Vicki with the vehicle on January 9 - free of charge.
Vicki's fears that she was in trouble soon dissipated when she realised her manager was filming her, catching her break down into tears when she hears the good news. "I didn’t know what to think," she told The Wichita Eagle. "I thought he was kidding again. Who just does that? I mean really. I don’t have that kind of luck."
She is reportedly planning to offer rides to any other employee at her work who don't have a car, which apparently she was doing with her last car before it broke down. "I believe that’s what God wants us to do," she said, "to help one another."
Chris was overjoyed at her response, telling the Wichita Eagle:
"She was so friendly at the drive-up window, I looked forward to it every time. Fate looked me in the eye when she told me that story [of the search for a new car]. I couldn’t stop thinking about it… I said, ‘I have to do something’.
"Maybe the best day of my life. It was amazing. It’s still amazing. I watched the video today and cried twice. I believe she’s going to make good with it. I really do."
Isn't this just the sweetest story? And good for Vicki, immediately using her new car to help others who are in the same position she was!
