I Was So Ill I Couldn’t Walk When a Man Virtually Carried Me to a Restroom.

At the age of 19 years old, my daily commute was on an packed public transport. It was perpetually full and invariably became standing room only by the time I boarded.

On one specific day, I was feeling terribly ill while the vehicle rocked around the bends. I continuously reassured myself to hold on for a few more stops before the bus arrived at my destination, so I could then make a mad dash for the nearest washroom to throw up.

As we neared the avenue close to my stop and I realised I wasn’t going to make it. All of a sudden, it was like a fog descended upon me. My vision turned hazy and muffled; like someone had cut the sound. My mind raced, “I will lose consciousness”.

Luckily I was close to the driver of the bus, allowing me to take several steps toward the driver and told the operator to open the doors, informing him I needed to get ill. He promptly opened the doors and I stumbled out on to the pavement.

I was resolved to avoid being sick in front of six lanes of traffic, so I forced myself up and started trying to walk to the park on the other side, where I thought I could at least discreetly hide near some foliage to be sick. Yet I apparently fainted. I was aware of my physical self, yet I couldn’t walk or see clearly, so I began inching my way to my intended destination.

“You right, love?”

In that instant, someone picked me up. There was someone holding me and heard a man say, “You right, love?” I told this mysterious stranger that I needed to vomit. Therefore, he almost helped me walk over to a close-by structure and guided me in the ladies’ toilets. He asked me whether I required him to remain with me but I refused.

Not long after, I regained my composure enough to sit down and from the other side of the stall I heard him ask, “Do you need anything, love? Can I get you something?” I wasn’t able to stand up at that moment but I did succeed to say thank you and after a few more minutes was able to move my feet. I got myself home passing several days getting over which was a severe stomach virus.

I never glimpsed that man’s face – merely his legs along with a sizable steelwork tools container he held – yet he rescued me, when I was in my weakest state.

Frequently, society has a way of making you self-protective, pushy, and rivalrous. His act was the type of kindness that reverses that protective shell. He demonstrated that our default setting is towards kindness, something I love in other people.