- Quote: ‘Mister, there is a cup of coffee by your front wheel, from me and my mum, to say thank you for carrying on delivering.’
By Andrew Atkinson
Truck driver Stephen Mather from Nottingham was taken aback by a small boy who delivered coffee and biscuits during his delivery run, amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Taking up the story, Stephen said: “I was sitting in my truck, finishing a driving break at Sutton Scotney Services, at the bottom of the A34.
“I was the only truck in the services, as the roads were very quiet. Had a chat with a work colleague on the ‘phone and shut my eyes for five minutes.
“Suddenly there was a bang on the cab door. I looked out, but couldn’t see anyone.
“Then, I looked down and saw a small boy backing away from the truck. I wound the window down and said ‘hello young man’.
“He answered ‘Mister, there is a cup of coffee by your front wheel for you, from me and my mum, to say thank you for carrying on delivering what you are delivering but I don’t know what you are delivering’
“He pointed his mum out – and I gave her a wave to say thank you. I then got out of the truck, to pick up the coffee, and found a packet of three custard cream biscuits next to the drink.
“His mum had taught him to social distance and he stayed about 10 feet away from me, as we chatted.
“I started to drink the coffee and opened the biscuits. I offered him one, but he said his mum had told him not to eat any, because they were for the lorry drivers.
“I said I wouldn’t tell her and placed the packet on the cab step, moved away, and he took one.
“He told me that he had already had six today – but his mum didn’t know. He also told me, that because he and his mum had nothing to do on the weekend they thought they would come out and buy the drivers a cup of coffee at the services.
“She was buying them at W H Smiths, and it was his job to deliver them. I thanked him very much, said goodbye and waved to his mum again, and left to continue on my way home.
“As I left the services two little girls jumped out of his mum’s car and waved a small handwritten poster that simply said “Thank you driver.”
“He did tell me his name, but I am not going to reveal it, to protect him.
“In ending, thank you little man and his mum and, I assume, his sisters for making the truck drivers world a better place for a short time.
“Stay safe little ‘fella’ – the world needs more just like you. What a great thing they did. I just wanted to give the cheeky little bugger a hug, but in these times, you can’t.”
