I Was So Ill Walking Was Impossible When a Man Practically Supported Me to a Bathroom.
At the age of my late teens, my daily commute meant taking an packed public transport. It was perpetually jammed and was consistently completely full when I boarded.
One particular morning, I began feeling quite nauseous while the vehicle rocked around each corner. I kept telling myself to persevere another few kilometres until the bus got to my destination, and then I could rush hurriedly toward the most convenient public restroom to throw up.
As we neared the street towards the destination as it dawned on me I would not be to last. Suddenly, it was like a veil came over me. My vision turned blank and silent; as if someone turned off the audio. My mind raced, “I’m going to faint”.
Luckily I was toward the front of the bus, so I managed a few steps forward and told the operator to pull over, informing him I was going to be sick. He opened the doors and I weakly exited out onto the street.
My intention was to not get sick before multiple lanes of cars, so I gathered myself and began attempting to stumble to the park across the road, where I believed I’d at least be able to discreetly hide among some shrubs to vomit. Yet I must have blacked out. I sensed my body but I couldn’t walk or see properly, leading me to start dragging myself toward the park.
“Are you okay, dear?”
Right then, I got scooped up. There was someone holding me and heard a man say, “Are you okay, dear?” I told this mysterious stranger that I had to to be sick. So he virtually supported my weight over to a nearby building and guided me into the female bathroom. He inquired if I wanted him to wait for me but I said no.
Not long after, I had recovered sufficiently to sit down when from beyond the door came him ask, “Do you need anything, love? Can I get you something?” I wasn’t able to get up just then but I did succeed to thank him and after a few more minutes regained the function of my feet. I got myself home and spent the next few days recovering from what turned out to be a nasty tummy bug.
I did not see his features – just his lower half along with a sizable metal toolbox he was carrying – but he saved me, at a moment I was in my weakest state.
Frequently, society has a way of making you defensive, aggressive and competitive. What he did was the kind of action that undoes that emotional callousness. He served as evidence that our default setting is towards kindness, a trait I cherish in other people.
