A mother in her late fifties was handed the key to a peaceful night's sleep for the first time in many years when she was gifted a brand-new vehicle in the nick of time.
Her current transport was "just about keeping her on the road" and the decades-long wear and tear had become a constant source of concern.
"I've been driving it for years and never thought I was going to get another one," said Michelle Barnard, who lives in Gqeberha, at the handover of her new wheels. "This is just such a blessing. The car is beautiful. I'm almost too scared to get into it."
She even confessed to having had to turn to a calming tablet before the big reveal as her emotions were threatening to get the better of her.
Michelle shared the moment with many of her colleagues from the truck hire business where she works, and they cheered loudly as she stepped into her vehicle for the first time. Tears flowed at the office when she told them she had won a Hyundai Grand i20.
Before she could enjoy the moment, the sceptic in her first had to be convinced not to look a gift horse in the mouth. When she was notified of her windfall — in a lucky draw no less — the perennially unlucky Michelle was convinced it was a scam.
"Nothing nice like this has ever happened to me."
It took a strong coffee and some sweet talk by Mike De St Pern, owner of KWIKSPAR on First in Walmer, to make her believe that the out-the-box vehicle would be hers for keeps.
"If I can win this, there's hope for everybody," an overwhelmed Michelle, who has been a customer for the best part of two decades, said.
David Elkonin, new vehicle sales manager at Hyundai in Gqeberha, was thrilled that Michelle would be driving an automatic for the first time in her life. “It’ll mean she would have more time to ‘enjoy the journey’ instead of fussing with gear changes and the like,” he says.
The beaming store owner said it was the first time one of his shoppers had been on the receiving end of the annual national competition.
(Picture: Leon Hugo).
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You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing.
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