BEDFORD, Va. – Friendships are always special, but a new and unlikely friendship between a Bedford trash-truck driver and a little girl is proving to be all the more so.
Landry Wills is three years old, and for no particular reason, she’s enthralled by the trash truck.
“When the trash truck got here, she was all about it. She wouldn’t take her eyes off of it. He saw her and gave her a little wave back,” Landry’s dad, Stacey, says. “That was the highlight of her morning. She was so happy and so excited. It made her feel real special.”
That window wave has transformed into an unlikely friendship between three-year-old Landry and the stranger behind the wheel of the trash truck, who took the time out of his day to leave a sweet surprise on her front porch.
Although, the Wills family still isn’t sure how he made it past the guard dog.
“With everything else going on in the world right now, it’s nice to have little moments like that,” Stacey says. “For it to happen to our little one, just a small gesture like that lets you know there’s still good people around whether you know them or not.”
The pink bag with a note, “from the trash truck” had a little, green toy truck inside for Landry. She picks up trash all around the house and says maybe someday she’ll do it around town, too.
Landry wanted to say thank you. So, WSLS found the mystery man, Noah Brooke, and asked him to come to the house to meet the family Thursday.
“I’ve seen her occasionally,” Noah says. “This was the first time she waved excitedly.”
Noah says he has been coming by the house on his Wednesday route for about a year. Now, the two have become the best of friends.
“The trash truck is not the most glamorous job, but I enjoy it. We’re out in the heat, rain and snow all the time,” Noah says. “It’s just nice when somebody acknowledges you and it excited to see you. I just wanted to do this as a simple act of kindness. I appreciate you, appreciating me doing my job.”
What started as a fascination with a big truck and a loud horn, has quickly changed to a fondness and admiration for the person inside.
Noah is becoming Bedford’s beloved trash truck driver. He says he left another truck for a little boy earlier this week, who waits for him each morning.