Good deed gets thanks out of blue

This all started one evening a couple of years ago in Searcy.

David Farmer and his girlfriend, Ashley Johnson, both students at Harding University, were heading back to campus when a tire on David’s 2002 Toyota Avalon went flat.

They pulled into the parking lot of Colton’s Steakhouse and Grill, where David set about changing the tire. The problem was that he couldn’t find the special key he needed to remove the wheel’s lug nuts.

Mat and Shelley Faulkner were at Colton’s with their three children. As they were leaving, Mat saw David and offered to help.

He drove them to a few auto parts stores to buy a new key, but the search was fruitless. They returned to David’s car, and the Faulkners went on their way.

“We never gave it a second thought,” says Mat, owner of Think Idea Studio in Searcy.

But David remembered the kindness Mat and his family showed to a couple of strangers.

On Aug. 28, Mat, Shelley and their three sons had supper at Venezia’s Italian Grill in Searcy. After the meal, their waiter handed them the check and walked away.

Instead of a bill, though, there was a note.

“Not sure if you remember me, but you helped me with a flat a couple years back at Colton’s Steakhouse. I’ve always wanted to return the favor, but never had the chance. This one is on me. Have a great night!”

David had been their waiter, though neither Mat nor Shelley recognized him.

“I was like, no way,” Mat says, “It was such a sweet thing. I think it’s cool that this was something that stuck with him.”

He shared the note and story in a Facebook post that has received more than 500 likes and 70 comments.

David, who eventually managed to change that flat, is now a senior at Harding. He’s been married to fellow senior Ashley for a little more than a year and started working at Venezia’s in October.

When he saw the Faulkners come in last month, he seized the moment.

“I’d never really done anything like that before. It made me nervous, but it was something I’ve always wanted to do.”

The Facebook post has brought a fair bit of attention to David’s gesture.

“I didn’t want to make a big deal about it,” he says. “It’s been a long and difficult year for my wife and I, with covid and other stuff. It’s good to see stories like this. There is still good in the world, and there are always reasons to be thankful.”