I Was So Ill I Couldn’t Walk Until a Fellow Passenger Essentially Lifted Me to a Bathroom.

Back when I was my late teens, my regular journey to work involved an express bus. It remained full and invariably became completely full by the time I stepped aboard.

One particular morning, I started experiencing incredibly sick while the vehicle rocked around the bends. I continuously reassured myself to hold on another few kilometres until the bus got to where I needed to get off, and then I could rush hurriedly for the nearest public toilet to vomit.

As we neared the road leading to the destination as it dawned on me I was unable to last. Suddenly, it seemed a fog descended upon me. My vision turned hazy and muffled; as if someone cut the sound. I thought, “I will lose consciousness”.

Thankfully, I was positioned close to the driver on the bus, so I took several steps to ask the driver and requested that the driver to open the doors, telling him I needed to vomit. The driver opened the entrance and I weakly exited onto the sidewalk.

My intention was not to vomit in view of multiple lanes of cars, so I picked myself up and endeavored to make my way toward the green space across the road, thinking I could I could at least discreetly hide among some shrubs to throw up. Yet I apparently lost consciousness. I was aware of my body but I couldn’t walk and my vision was blurry, so I started crawling towards my intended destination.

“Are you okay, dear?”

At that moment, I got scooped up. There was an arm around my waist and heard a man say, “You right, love?” I told this mysterious stranger that I had to to be sick. Therefore, he almost supported my weight over to an adjacent building and guided me into the female bathroom. He inquired if I needed him to remain with me but I refused.

A few minutes later, I regained my composure to the point of sitting on the toilet and from outside the door came his voice asking, “Are you feeling better, dear? Can I get you something?” I was incapable to stand up at that moment but I was able to express my gratitude and shortly thereafter was able to move my legs. I got myself home and spent several days healing from what was later diagnosed as a nasty tummy bug.

I never glimpsed that man’s face – just his lower half along with a sizable metal toolbox he held – yet he rescued me, when I was at my most vulnerable.

Many times, life has a way of making you defensive, aggressive and competitive. His act was the type of kindness that reverses that hardening of the heart. He was proof that people’s natural inclination is towards kindness, a trait I cherish about my fellow humans.