In Such Poor Health Walking Was Impossible Until a Fellow Passenger Essentially Lifted Me to the Toilets.
During my 19 years old, my daily commute involved an packed public transport. It remained full and invariably became without any seats when I stepped aboard.
During a certain commute, I was feeling incredibly sick as the bus rocked around the bends. I repeatedly told myself to hold on just a little longer before the bus arrived at my stop, so I could then sprint quickly to the closest public toilet to vomit.
The bus was approaching the road leading to the destination as I understood I wasn’t going to hold on. Suddenly, it felt as if a veil came over me. My vision turned white and really quiet; like someone had muted everything. I said to myself, “I will lose consciousness”.
Thankfully, I was positioned close to the driver of the bus, so I managed several steps toward the driver and asked the driver to open the doors, informing him I needed to get ill. He promptly opened the entrance and I stumbled out out onto the street.
My intention was to avoid being sick in view of a busy multi-lane road, so I forced myself up and began attempting to walk to the park opposite the street, thinking I could it would allow me to discreetly hide near some foliage to throw up. But then I likely lost consciousness. I could feel my limbs, but I was unable to walk or see clearly, leading me to start crawling towards the park.
“You right, love?”
At that moment, I got scooped up. I felt someone holding me and a stranger inquired, “You right, love?” I managed to tell the mysterious stranger that I had to to vomit. So he virtually helped me walk over to an adjacent building and placed me in the ladies’ toilets. He asked me if I needed him to stay with me but I declined.
A few minutes later, I had recovered to the point of sitting on the restroom floor when from beyond the door came his voice asking, “Are you OK, love? Is there anything you require?” I could not to stand up at that moment but did manage to thank him and after a few more minutes regained the function of my feet. I got myself home passing the next few days getting over which was a nasty tummy bug.
I never glimpsed that man’s face – merely his legs and the big steelwork tools container he held – but he saved me, at a moment I was in my weakest state.
Often this world tends to make people guarded, hostile, and combative. What he did was the kind of action that reverses that emotional callousness. He demonstrated that people’s natural inclination is towards kindness, something I love about my fellow humans.