Feeling So Sick I Was Unable to Walk When a Man Practically Supported Me to a Restroom.

At the age of my late teens, my regular journey to work involved an express bus. The vehicle was always jammed and invariably became standing room only once I got on.

One particular morning, I began feeling quite nauseous while the vehicle swayed around each corner. I kept telling myself to hold on just a little longer before the bus reached my stop, at which point I could rush hurriedly to the closest public toilet to vomit.

We were coming down the road leading to the destination as it dawned on me I was unable to make it. Suddenly, it seemed a veil came over me. The world became blank and silent; similar to when one muted everything. I thought, “I am about to pass out”.

Luckily I was near the front inside the vehicle, so I managed a couple of steps toward the driver and requested that the driver to open the doors, explaining to him I was going to be sick. The driver opened the bus doors and I stumbled out onto the sidewalk.

I was resolved to not get sick before six lanes of traffic, so I forced myself up and started trying to stumble toward the green space opposite the street, where I thought it would allow me to discreetly hide near some foliage to be sick. But then I must have blacked out. I was aware of my limbs, but walking was impossible or see clearly, so I started dragging myself toward the park.

“Everything alright, love?”

In that instant, I was lifted up. There was an arm around my waist and heard a man say, “Are you okay, dear?” I told this unknown man that I required to vomit. So he virtually supported my weight down into an adjacent building and put me inside the women’s restroom. He wanted to know if I needed him to stay with me but I refused.

After a short while, I felt better to the point of sitting down and from outside the door came him ask, “Are you feeling better, dear? Can I get you something?” I was incapable to get up right away but did manage to say thank you and following a brief period was able to move my legs. I got myself home and spent the following days recovering from what was later diagnosed as a horrible case of gastroenteritis.

I did not see the stranger’s face – merely his legs and the big steelwork tools container he had with him – but he saved me, during a time when I was in my weakest state.

Often this world tends to make people guarded, hostile, and combative. His act was the type of kindness that melts away that hardening of the heart. He served as evidence that our default setting is towards kindness, a quality I adore in other people.