I Was So Ill Walking Was Impossible Until a Fellow Passenger Practically Supported Me to a Bathroom.
At the age of 19 years old, my daily commute was on an packed public transport. It was perpetually full and invariably became standing room only by the time I got on.
One particular morning, I began feeling incredibly sick while the vehicle swayed around the bends. I repeatedly told myself to hold on just a little longer until the bus reached where I needed to get off, and then I could rush hurriedly toward the most convenient public toilet to vomit.
As we neared the street towards the stop when I understood I was unable to hold on. All of a sudden, it was like a curtain fell over me. The world became hazy and muffled; like someone had cut the sound. My mind raced, “I am about to pass out”.
Luckily I was close to the driver inside the vehicle, allowing me to take a couple of steps to ask the driver and told the operator to pull over, explaining to him I needed to be sick. He promptly opened the entrance and I weakly exited on to the pavement.
My intention was to avoid being sick in view of multiple lanes of cars, so I gathered myself and began attempting to make my way to the park on the other side, thinking I could I could at least discreetly hide behind a bush to be sick. Yet I apparently fainted. I sensed my physical self, yet I was unable to walk and my vision was blurry, so I started dragging myself toward the grassy area.
“Are you okay, dear?”
At that moment, I got scooped up. I felt a strong arm supporting me and heard a man say, “Everything alright, love?” I told this kind passerby that I required to vomit. Thus, he practically helped me walk into a nearby building and placed me inside the women’s restroom. He asked me if I needed him to wait for me but I said no.
Not long after, I regained my composure to the point of sitting on the restroom floor and from outside the door I heard his voice asking, “Are you OK, love? Can I get you something?” I could not to get up at that moment but I did succeed to express my gratitude and after a few more minutes regained the function of my limbs. I returned home passing the next few days healing from what was later diagnosed as a nasty tummy bug.
I did not see his features – merely his legs and a large container for tools he held – but he helped me, at a moment I was completely helpless.
Many times, life tends to make people defensive, aggressive and competitive. His act was the type of kindness that undoes that hardening of the heart. He demonstrated that humanity’s innate tendency is to be kind, something I love about my fellow humans.
