I Was So Ill I Was Unable to Walk When a Man Practically Supported Me to the Toilets.

Back when I was nineteenth year, my daily commute involved an express bus. The vehicle was always crowded and invariably became standing room only by the time I stepped aboard.

During a certain commute, I was feeling incredibly sick when the coach lurched around every turn. I continuously reassured myself to endure for a few more stops so the bus could arrived at where I needed to get off, and then I could make a mad dash to the closest public restroom to be sick.

The bus was approaching the avenue close to my stop and I understood I wasn’t going to last. All of a sudden, it seemed a veil came over me. Everything just went blank and silent; like someone had muted everything. I thought, “I will lose consciousness”.

Luckily I was near the front inside the vehicle, so I took several steps to ask the driver and told the operator to pull over, telling him I was going to vomit. The driver opened the bus doors and I hurriedly stepped out onto the street.

I was determined to not get sick in view of multiple lanes of cars, so I forced myself up and began attempting to make my way across to the park across the road, where I believed it would allow me to discreetly hide behind a bush to vomit. Yet I likely blacked out. I sensed my body but I was unable to walk or see clearly, leading me to start crawling towards the park.

“Everything alright, love?”

At that moment, I was lifted up. There was someone holding me and a man’s voice asked, “Everything alright, love?” I told this kind passerby that I needed to get to a bathroom. Therefore, he almost helped me walk into a close-by structure and placed me in the ladies’ toilets. He inquired if I needed him to stay with me but I declined.

A few minutes later, I felt better to the point of sitting down when from beyond the door I heard his voice asking, “Do you need anything, love? Can I get you something?” I wasn’t able to rise right away but did manage to say thank you and following a brief period regained the function of my legs. I got myself home passing several days getting over what was later diagnosed as a horrible case of gastroenteritis.

I did not see his features – only his legs and the big steelwork tools container he was carrying – but he helped me, during a time when I was completely helpless.

Many times, life tends to make people defensive, aggressive and competitive. His was the sort of gesture that reverses that emotional callousness. He served as evidence that humanity’s innate tendency is to be kind, a trait I cherish in other people.