Antonio Neves restored an elderly couple’s faith in humanity when he helped repair their car, free of charge, and had it driven 400km to where they were staying.
Cape Town, South Africa (17 September 2021) – Pippa Hudson reached out to share a story so filled with kindness; it brought tears to our eyes. Her elderly parents were the recipients of a kind deed that took place over 400km.
Pippa explained that her parents had been planning a road trip from Knysna to Kruger National Park, the Drakensberg and Eastern Cape, stopping at all their favourite holiday spots along the way. The couple worked on the trip for two years, and after a few Covid-19 setbacks, they set off with two close friends in August.
After two days on the road, they found themselves with some car trouble. This is where the elderly couple met the man who would deliver such a great gift of kindness.
“You can imagine their dismay when, just two days into the trip, their car suddenly rolled to a complete standstill on the highway just outside Trompsburg in the Free State. Thankfully they were able to catch a lift into Trompsburg – but it was a Sunday, and the town was deathly quiet. As they pondered what on earth they were going to do to get help, they spotted a mechanic at work under a vehicle, and stopped to ask him for advice.
Well, from under that car emerged one of the kindest people ever to cross their path. His name is Antonio Neves and he is a motor mechanic from Joburg who just happened to be in Trompsburg that weekend, helping out a friend whose car needed work.
Without a second thought Antonio took my parents back to their car, inspected the engine and identified the likely problem. Then he had to break the bad news to them that it could not be gotten back on the road, but would have to be towed away for repairs. He offered to do the work himself if they could get it to his workshop in southern Joburg, which they were thankfully able to arrange with their insurer. My parents then squeezed into their friends’ car with all their luggage and continued on their way, hoping that their guardian angel was as honest as he appeared and that they hadn’t just handed their vehicle into the hands of a scamster.”
Antonio kept the couple updated about their car. He sent photos and shared a better idea of what the mechanical fault was. The car appeared to be in good hands.
Antonio replaced the faulty part and got the car ready to deliver it back to the elderly couple.
“Antonio kept them updated regularly over the next few days, sending photos of their car arriving safely at his workshop in Joburg, updating them as the work was done and the faulty part replaced, and then arranging for one of his staff to deliver the car to them in Nelspruit so they could continue with their trip into Kruger. It arrived not just running beautifully, but washed and cleaned as well. To top it all off, when my parents asked for his bank details so they could pay him for the repairs and the delivery of the vehicle (a trip of nearly 400km) – he refused to accept a single cent in payment.”
Pippa reached out to Antonio to thank him for his extraordinary kindness. She hopes that sharing the story will bring Antonio good fortune. As a way to pay his kindness forward, she hopes to shine a little light on his business.
“I have written to thank Antonio for his extraordinary kindness to my parents, but I would love to let other people know that there is this incredible human being (and skilled mechanic!) working at his business – it’s called M&J Motor Repairs and is located at 19 Crucible Rd, Heriotdale.”
Antonio didn’t share this kindness for the acknowledgement; he did it to honour his own father, who passed away earlier this year. He shared a message with Pippa’s parents explaining his motives.
“Honestly it is the greatest of pleasure that I could help. Seeing you and your wife reminded me of my Dad that I lost in February. So I am just glad that you could continue on your trip and enjoy life. I am blessed to have an amazing family and a great business that was started off by my dad. So please, all I ask is that you have fun and spend every minute with your family – worth more than any money in the world.” – Antonio Neves
This story brought tears to our eyes; our hearts feel so full! Antonio, your kindness will touch so many lives today.
by 