He Left A Note In A Strangers Van, 8 Years Later He Gets An Unexpected Phone Call



8 years after a teen left an innocent note in a stranger’s van, he received a surprising phone call…

Young Surfer Spots Something


Kyle Cropsey was 16 years old when he first set eyes on his dream car. The young surfer was headed to New York’s Rockaway Beach, when he first saw the parked vehicle. Although Kyle was not exactly a car enthusiast, he had always dreamed of owning a van just like this one.



Object Of His Desires


The teenager’s dream car was a classic blue and white 1971 Volkswagen Type 2 – also known in some quarters as a “microbus.” The Type 2 first went into production in the late fun-loving decade of the 1960s; and even though this make of the van is no longer made, it remains popular.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Strange Infatuation


Kyle told CBS New York in April 2018, “Ever since I was young, I had an infatuation with these Volkswagen buses.” So when the Lindenhurst, New York native spotted the vehicle on the way to the beach that fateful day, he decided that he would take a chance and leave the owner a note revealing that he would love to buy the car if ever it was on the market.

ADVERTISEMENT



Stop Right Now


In April 2018 Kyle’s mother Lorenza would describe the moment to Fox 5 New York, saying, “We were driving and he said, ‘Stop, turn around, go back, I need to see that van.” Lorenza hesitantly turned the car around so that Kyle could leave the folded note on the windshield.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Didn’t Go To Plan


But Kyle’s outlandish scheme didn’t go according to plan. He noticed that the passenger window of the van was slightly ajar, so he wrote a message for the owner and pushed the folded piece of paper through the gap. Instead of landing on the passenger seat, it fell to the floor.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Disappointed


Disappointed, Kyle suspected that there was probably no way that the vehicle’s owner would spot the small note now. Despite the mishap, Kyle asked one of his friends to take a photo of him in front of the van; the hopeful teen would also upload the snap to Facebook, optimistically adding the caption “My future car.” Little did he know then that an unforeseen turn of events would eventually help to fulfil his dreams…

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Never Been The Lucky Type


Kyle had a difficult childhood. When times were particularly tough, he never imagined he would be able to afford the luxurious things in life. He loved to fantasize about his future, often dreaming about the things he longed for, including the VW van but dreams have to come to an end at some point.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Years Later


Years passed but Kyle still dreamed of the day he would be able to buy himself the car he had always wanted. Kyle worked multiple jobs to put himself through college. he was a hard worker who was determined to have a better life than he did in his difficult youth.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

The Day Arrived


Kyle grew up to become a high school English teacher and eventually bought himself a 1976 Volkswagen Westfalia Camper. Over the years, he also left some 20 notes in other Volkswagen vans. But when he received a mysterious call eight years after the Facebook post he made as an unsuspecting 16-year-old, he somehow knew the phone call concerned the blue and white van he had seen all those years before.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Strange Caller


That caller was Oakland, California, resident Cris Mead. His father Cornelius Mead, a photographer who lived in Queens, had recently passed away at the age of 82. Cris was in charge of settling his late father’s estate, recalling all his assets, including Cornelius’ Type 2 van.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Matilda


According to Cris himself, his father had bought the vehicle in 1971 and had traveled across the country in it in his youth. He had even fondly given the van a name: Matilda. Cris shared that Cornelius had “treasured” Matilda and spent “more money than any reasonable person would have” just to keep her in running condition.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Fond Memories


There’s no way of knowing just how many miles Matilda has traveled with her first owner, since the odometer resets itself once it gets to 100,000. Regardless, Cris has many wonderful memories of being in the van along with his Dad as they ventured across the U.S.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Sad Times


After Cornelius passed, Cris and his siblings wanted Matilda to go to a new owner who would love her just as their father had. When Cornelius’ family was clearing out the Volkswagen Type 2, they happened upon a surprising discovery. Tucked away in a forgotten corner of the van was Kyle’s note.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Discovery


Cris later recalled that his sister was the one who discovered Kyle’s note. Acting on sheer intuition, Cris then decided to try Kyle’s number and see if he would still be interested in the van. Amazingly, Kyle answered, he was absolutely delighted. Cris told Fox 5 New York, “I’m just so happy the note was still in the van and [Kyle] was still at the same phone number. It worked out beautifully.”

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Crucial Decision


What’s more, Cornelius’ family made a startling decision about the price of the vehicle. Even though the van could have sold for an estimated $1,500, they knew that Kyle was the rightful new owner. Instead, they elected to give Matilda to Kyle absolutely free of charge.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Eight Years Later


Nearly eight years after he had first set eyes on Matilda, Kyle finally owned his dream ride. Though the van was in need of a new coat of pain the engine was still in good shape, as was the radio.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Fate Handed To Him


In addition, Kyle has said that he believes “fate” had handed him the van, adding to Fox 5 New York, “I’m a big believer in the law of attraction – when you put out good energy and good things come back to you. This bus came back and found me eight years later.”

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Refusing Payment On One Condition


While the Mead family refused to accept money for Matilda, they did make one request of Kyle. They requested that Kyle keep them up-to-date with all the wonderful adventures we would go on while using their beloved late father’s ride.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Initial Reservations


Kyle’s new van is now parked on his drive next to his lime green VW Westfalia. Despite Kyle’s dad, Robert’s, initial reservations about the car; Kyle’s father explained to Newsday, “I told him, I really don’t want these things in the driveway,” Robert would eventually encourage Kyle to accept the gift from the Meads.

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Paying It Forward


Kyle is determined to make the most out of his incredible new van. He revealed to CBS New York, “My friends will definitely be packed in here. We’ll have surf boards in here.” Reflecting on the selfless compassion that the Mead family had shown him, he also said that their action “will definitely be paid forward in one way or another.”

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Unexpected Occurance


Kyle is not the only person who has been unexpectedly gifted a vehicle in 2018. In May, Texas high school student Sionna Brenn also received a new car. One-time music manager Charlie Jabaley had heard Sionna’s touching story and taken it upon himself to give a generous present to the deserving teenager…

ADVERTISEMENT


ADVERTISEMENT

Kindness Of Strangers


Sionna had suffered through years of abuse and homelessness during her childhood; even so, she had always a well-behaved and diligent student. Charlie had thought that her efforts were well worth rewarding. It seems both she and Kyle are testament to the kindness of strangers.