In Such Poor Health Walking Was Impossible As a Stranger Essentially Lifted Me to the Toilets.
During my 19 years old, my regular journey to work was on an express bus. The vehicle was always full and would always be standing room only by the time I stepped aboard.
On one specific day, I was feeling incredibly sick while the vehicle rocked around every turn. I kept telling myself to endure just a little longer until the bus got to my stop, at which point I could sprint quickly toward the most convenient public toilet to throw up.
As we neared the road leading to the stop when I understood I wasn’t going to last. All of a sudden, it felt as if a veil came over me. The world became hazy and muffled; as if someone muted everything. I thought, “I am about to pass out”.
Thankfully, I was positioned close to the driver of the bus, so I managed a few steps to ask the driver and told the operator to stop, explaining to him that I was about to be sick. The driver opened the entrance and I hurriedly stepped on to the pavement.
I was determined not to vomit in view of six lanes of traffic, so I picked myself up and endeavored to stumble to the park opposite the street, where I believed it would allow me to discreetly hide behind a bush to throw up. However I apparently blacked out. I could feel my limbs, but I couldn’t walk and my vision was blurry, so I started crawling towards the grassy area.
“You right, love?”
Right then, I got scooped up. I felt a strong arm supporting me and heard a man say, “You right, love?” I managed to tell the unknown man that I required to vomit. So he virtually helped me walk down into a close-by structure and guided me inside the women’s restroom. He asked me whether I required him to stay with me but I said no.
After a short while, I felt better enough to sit on the toilet when from beyond the door came him ask, “Do you need anything, love? Do you need anything?” I could not to get up at that moment but I was able to say thank you and following a brief period recovered the use of my legs. I got myself home passing several days getting over what was later diagnosed as a horrible case of gastroenteritis.
I never saw the stranger’s face – just his lower half along with a sizable container for tools he held – but he helped me, when I was at my most vulnerable.
Many times, life has a way of making you defensive, aggressive and competitive. His act was the type of kindness that undoes that emotional callousness. He demonstrated that our default setting leans toward compassion, a quality I adore about humanity.
