In Such Poor Health I Couldn’t Walk As a Stranger Virtually Carried Me to a Restroom.
Back when I was my late teens, my morning travel was on an express bus. It was perpetually crowded and would always be standing room only once I boarded.
One particular morning, I started experiencing quite nauseous while the vehicle rocked around the bends. I repeatedly told myself to hold on another few kilometres so the bus could got to my destination, and then I could sprint quickly to the closest washroom to vomit.
The bus was approaching the road leading to my stop and I understood I was unable to hold on. In an instant, it was like a curtain fell over me. Everything just went hazy and muffled; as if someone muted everything. My mind raced, “I’m going to faint”.
Thankfully, I was positioned close to the driver inside the vehicle, so I took several steps forward and requested that the driver to pull over, explaining to him that I was about to vomit. He promptly opened the bus doors and I weakly exited onto the sidewalk.
My intention was not to vomit in front of six lanes of traffic, so I picked myself up and began attempting to make my way across to the park across the road, where I thought I could at least discreetly hide among some shrubs to throw up. However I likely fainted. I could feel my limbs, but I was unable to walk or see clearly, leading me to start dragging myself toward the park.
“Everything alright, love?”
In that instant, I was lifted up. I sensed a strong arm supporting me and a man’s voice asked, “Everything alright, love?” I told this mysterious stranger that I had to to be sick. So he virtually carried me into an adjacent building and put me in the ladies’ toilets. He wanted to know if I wanted him to stay with me but I said no.
After a short while, I had recovered enough to sit down and from outside the stall I heard him inquire, “Are you feeling better, dear? Is there anything you require?” I wasn’t able to stand up just then but I did succeed to express my gratitude and shortly thereafter recovered the use of my feet. I made my way home and then spent the next few days recovering from what turned out to be a severe stomach virus.
I did not see his features – only his legs along with a sizable container for tools he had with him – yet he rescued me, at a moment I was completely helpless.
Many times, life has a way of making you self-protective, pushy, and rivalrous. What he did was the kind of action that melts away that emotional callousness. He served as evidence that our default setting is towards kindness, something I love in other people.