I Was So Ill I Couldn’t Walk When a Man Essentially Lifted Me to a Restroom.

Back when I was nineteenth year, my morning travel meant taking an packed public transport. It was perpetually jammed and was consistently standing room only once I stepped aboard.

During a certain commute, I was feeling terribly ill as the bus lurched around the bends. I continuously reassured myself to endure another few kilometres so the bus could arrived at my stop, and then I could make a mad dash to the closest washroom to vomit.

The bus was approaching the street towards the destination as it dawned on me I was unable to make it. Suddenly, it felt as if a veil came over me. Everything just went blank and silent; like someone had cut the sound. I said to myself, “I’m going to faint”.

Thankfully, I was positioned close to the driver on the bus, so I took several steps to ask the driver and asked the driver to open the doors, explaining to him that I was about to get ill. The driver opened the bus doors and I stumbled out onto the sidewalk.

I was resolved to not get sick in view of multiple lanes of cars, so I forced myself up and started trying to make my way to the park opposite the street, thinking I could I’d at least be able to secretly conceal myself among some shrubs to vomit. Yet I must have lost consciousness. I sensed my limbs, but walking was impossible or see properly, so I started crawling towards the grassy area.

“You right, love?”

Right then, I got scooped up. I sensed a strong arm supporting me and a stranger inquired, “Are you okay, dear?” I told this kind passerby that I had to to vomit. Therefore, he almost carried me down into an adjacent building and placed me into the female bathroom. He inquired if I needed him to stay with me but I declined.

Not long after, I had recovered sufficiently to sit down when from beyond the door I heard his voice asking, “Do you need anything, love? Can I get you something?” I wasn’t able to get up at that moment but did manage to say thank you and shortly thereafter recovered the use of my legs. I returned home and then spent the next few days recovering from what turned out to be a horrible case of gastroenteritis.

I never glimpsed that man’s face – just his lower half and the big metal toolbox he had with him – but he helped me, when I was at my most vulnerable.

Often this world has a way of making you defensive, aggressive and competitive. His was the sort of gesture that undoes that protective shell. He served as evidence that people’s natural inclination is to be kind, something I love about my fellow humans.