They waited for the garbage truck every Monday, and then everything changed.
Every Monday morning was a ritual in our house. My twins, Jesse and Lila, would race to the front yard the second they heard that familiar rumble down the street. Jesse in his dinosaur pajama bottoms, Lila in her sparkly tutu, both barefoot and grinning ear to ear.
Rashad and Theo, our sanitation crew, were like local celebrities to them. It started with a friendly wave and a quick honk. Then came the high fives, and eventually the day they let the twins pull the big lever on the truck. From that moment, Mondays became the most exciting day of the week.
Then came the Monday that changed everything.
I had been feeling off all weekend. Lightheaded, exhausted, trying to keep everything together while my husband was away for work. I remember taking out the trash and then… nothing. I must have blacked out in the kitchen.
What I didn’t know was that Jesse and Lila went outside as usual to wait for Rashad and Theo. Only this time, I never followed.
When the truck pulled up and they saw my little ones standing there alone and crying, those men didn’t waste a second. Theo stayed with the kids while Rashad ran to the door, pounded on it, and when no one answered, he went inside.
They found me unconscious on the floor and called 911 right away. They even managed to find my phone and call my husband. By the time the ambulance arrived, Lila was wrapped snug in Theo’s safety vest, and Jesse was sitting proudly in the truck, chatting with Rashad to stay calm.
When I woke up in the hospital, the first words out of my mouth were, “Where are my babies?”
The nurse smiled gently. “They’re safe,” she said. “They’re with their heroes.”
That’s when it hit me. Sometimes heroes don’t wear capes. Sometimes they wear safety vests and drive garbage trucks. 🚛❤️