In Such Poor Health I Was Unable to Walk Until a Fellow Passenger Virtually Carried Me to a Restroom.
During my nineteenth year, my daily commute meant taking an packed public transport. It was perpetually jammed and invariably became standing room only when I got on.
One particular morning, I was feeling terribly ill when the coach rocked around each corner. I continuously reassured myself to persevere another few kilometres before the bus arrived at my stop, and then I could rush hurriedly for the nearest washroom to vomit.
The bus was approaching the road leading to my stop and I realised I wasn’t going to make it. All of a sudden, it felt as if a veil came over me. Everything just went white and really quiet; like someone had cut the sound. My mind raced, “I will lose consciousness”.
Thankfully, I was positioned near the front inside the vehicle, so I took a few steps forward and told the operator to pull over, explaining to him I was going to vomit. The driver opened the entrance and I weakly exited out onto the street.
I was determined to avoid being sick before multiple lanes of cars, so I picked myself up and endeavored to make my way across to the park on the other side, where I thought I could at least discreetly hide among some shrubs to throw up. However I apparently blacked out. I could feel my physical self, yet I was unable to walk or see properly, leading me to start crawling towards the park.
“You right, love?”
In that instant, someone picked me up. I felt an arm around my waist and a man’s voice asked, “Are you okay, dear?” I managed to tell the unknown man that I required to get to a bathroom. Thus, he practically carried me over to an adjacent building and put me inside the women’s restroom. He inquired if I needed him to remain with me but I refused.
A few minutes later, I felt better to the point of sitting on the toilet and from outside the door I heard him inquire, “Are you feeling better, dear? Can I get you something?” I could not to rise right away but I was able to thank him and shortly thereafter regained the function of my feet. I returned home passing the next few days recovering from which was a severe stomach virus.
I did not see the stranger’s face – merely his legs and the big steelwork tools container he held – yet he rescued me, during a time when I was in my weakest state.
Often this world can make you defensive, aggressive and competitive. What he did was the kind of action that reverses that emotional callousness. He served as evidence that our default setting is to be kind, something I love about my fellow humans.
