I Was So Ill I Was Unable to Walk When a Man Essentially Lifted Me to a Bathroom.
At the age of 19 years old, my morning travel was on an crowded coach. The vehicle was always jammed and would always be completely full once I got on.
During a certain commute, I started experiencing quite nauseous while the vehicle lurched around the bends. I continuously reassured myself to endure another few kilometres so the bus could reached my destination, and then I could sprint quickly toward the most convenient public toilet to throw up.
As we neared the street towards the stop when I understood I would not be to hold on. Suddenly, it felt as if a veil came over me. Everything just went hazy and muffled; like someone had cut the sound. I said to myself, “I am about to pass out”.
Fortunately, I stood near the front of the bus, allowing me to take a couple of steps to ask the driver and requested that the driver to stop, telling him I needed to be sick. The driver opened the doors and I weakly exited out onto the street.
I was determined not to vomit in front of multiple lanes of cars, so I picked myself up and endeavored to stumble across to the park across the road, where I thought I could at least secretly conceal myself behind a bush to vomit. Yet I must have lost consciousness. I could feel my limbs, but walking was impossible or see properly, so I began crawling towards the grassy area.
“Everything alright, love?”
Right then, someone picked me up. I felt someone holding me and heard a man say, “Everything alright, love?” I managed to tell the mysterious stranger that I needed to be sick. So he virtually helped me walk over to a nearby building and guided me in the ladies’ toilets. He inquired if I wanted him to stay with me but I declined.
Not long after, I felt better enough to sit down when from beyond the stall I heard him ask, “Are you OK, love? Can I get you something?” I was incapable to get up just then but I did succeed to say thank you and shortly thereafter was able to move my feet. I made my way home and spent several days healing from what turned out to be a severe stomach virus.
I never saw that man’s face – only his legs and a large steelwork tools container he had with him – but he helped me, at a moment I was completely helpless.
Many times, life tends to make people guarded, hostile, and combative. His act was the type of kindness that undoes that emotional callousness. He was proof that our default setting leans toward compassion, a quality I adore about humanity.
