In Such Poor Health I Was Unable to Walk When a Man Practically Supported Me to a Restroom.
Back when I was 19 years old, my morning travel involved an packed public transport. It remained full and was consistently standing room only by the time I got on.
On one specific day, I started experiencing terribly ill while the vehicle rocked around the bends. I continuously reassured myself to hold on just a little longer until the bus reached my stop, so I could then sprint quickly for the nearest public restroom to vomit.
As we neared the road leading to my stop and it dawned on me I was unable to make it. All of a sudden, it seemed a veil came over me. My vision turned white and really quiet; like someone had cut the sound. I said to myself, “I am about to pass out”.
Thankfully, I was positioned near the front inside the vehicle, so I took a couple of steps forward and told the operator to open the doors, explaining to him that I was about to be sick. The driver opened the doors and I stumbled out on to the pavement.
I was determined not to vomit in front of multiple lanes of cars, so I gathered myself and started trying to make my way to the park opposite the street, where I thought I could at least discreetly hide near some foliage to throw up. However I apparently lost consciousness. I sensed my limbs, but walking was impossible or see clearly, leading me to start crawling towards my intended destination.
“You right, love?”
Right then, I was lifted up. There was an arm around my waist and a stranger inquired, “Everything alright, love?” I explained to this kind passerby that I needed to be sick. So he virtually helped me walk down into an adjacent building and put me into the female bathroom. He wanted to know if I needed him to stay with me but I said no.
A few minutes later, I regained my composure enough to sit on the toilet and from the other side of the door I heard him ask, “Are you feeling better, dear? Can I get you something?” I could not to stand up just then but did manage to say thank you and shortly thereafter regained the function of my feet. I got myself home and then spent the following days recovering from what turned out to be a nasty tummy bug.
I did not see the stranger’s face – merely his legs along with a sizable metal toolbox he held – but he helped me, when I was at my most vulnerable.
Frequently, society tends to make people self-protective, pushy, and rivalrous. His act was the type of kindness that undoes that emotional callousness. He demonstrated that our default setting is to be kind, something I love about humanity.
