Feeling So Sick I Was Unable to Walk As a Stranger Essentially Lifted Me to a Bathroom.
During my 19 years old, my morning travel involved an express bus. It was perpetually full and would always be completely full by the time I boarded.
On one specific day, I started experiencing incredibly sick while the vehicle rocked around every turn. I continuously reassured myself to hold on just a little longer before the bus got to my destination, so I could then rush hurriedly toward the most convenient public toilet to throw up.
As we neared the street towards the stop when I realised I would not be to last. All of a sudden, it seemed a veil came over me. Everything just went blank and silent; similar to when one muted everything. I said to myself, “I’m going to faint”.
Thankfully, I was positioned near the front on the bus, so I managed a few steps toward the driver and asked the driver to stop, telling him I needed to vomit. The driver opened the doors and I weakly exited onto the sidewalk.
My intention was not to vomit before multiple lanes of cars, so I forced myself up and endeavored to stumble toward the green space on the other side, where I thought it would allow me to discreetly hide near some foliage to be sick. However I likely blacked out. I sensed my physical self, yet walking was impossible and my vision was blurry, so I began crawling towards my intended destination.
“You right, love?”
In that instant, someone picked me up. I felt a strong arm supporting me and a stranger inquired, “Are you okay, dear?” I explained to this mysterious stranger that I needed to be sick. So he virtually helped me walk over to a close-by structure and put me inside the women’s restroom. He wanted to know if I wanted him to remain with me but I refused.
A few minutes later, I had recovered enough to sit down and from the other side of the stall I heard him ask, “Are you feeling better, dear? Is there anything you require?” I could not to stand up just then but did manage to thank him and following a brief period regained the function of my limbs. I made my way home and then spent the next few days getting over what was later diagnosed as a nasty tummy bug.
I never saw his features – just his lower half and the big steelwork tools container he had with him – but he helped me, when I was at my most vulnerable.
Often this world tends to make people guarded, hostile, and combative. What he did was the kind of action that melts away that emotional callousness. He served as evidence that humanity’s innate tendency is towards kindness, something I love about my fellow humans.