In Such Poor Health I Was Unable to Walk As a Stranger Practically Supported Me to a Bathroom.

At the age of my late teens, my daily commute was on an packed public transport. It remained full and invariably became completely full once I stepped aboard.

During a certain commute, I began feeling terribly ill while the vehicle rocked around each corner. I kept telling myself to persevere just a little longer so the bus could got to my destination, and then I could sprint quickly toward the most convenient washroom to throw up.

We were coming down the road leading to my stop and I understood I would not be to make it. Suddenly, it felt as if a veil came over me. Everything just went white and really quiet; like someone had turned off the audio. I thought, “I am about to pass out”.

Thankfully, I was positioned near the front of the bus, allowing me to take a couple of steps forward and requested that the driver to pull over, telling him that I was about to be sick. The driver opened the entrance and I hurriedly stepped on to the pavement.

My intention was not to vomit in front of multiple lanes of cars, so I picked myself up and endeavored to walk across to the park opposite the street, thinking I could I could at least find some privacy near some foliage to throw up. Yet I likely fainted. I was aware of my body but I couldn’t walk or see clearly, so I started crawling towards my intended destination.

“Everything alright, love?”

At that moment, I was lifted up. I sensed a strong arm supporting me and heard a man say, “Everything alright, love?” I told this mysterious stranger that I needed to be sick. Therefore, he almost supported my weight down into a close-by structure and placed me inside the women’s restroom. He wanted to know whether I required him to remain with me but I declined.

After a short while, I felt better to the point of sitting on the restroom floor and from the other side of the stall I heard him inquire, “Are you OK, love? Do you need anything?” I was incapable to rise just then but I was able to thank him and shortly thereafter regained the function of my feet. I got myself home and then spent the following days recovering from what turned out to be a nasty tummy bug.

I never glimpsed his features – merely his legs and the big container for tools he held – yet he rescued me, during a time when I was completely helpless.

Many times, life tends to make people defensive, aggressive and competitive. What he did was the kind of action that undoes that emotional callousness. He served as evidence that people’s natural inclination leans toward compassion, something I love about my fellow humans.