In Such Poor Health I Was Unable to Walk As a Stranger Virtually Carried Me to a Bathroom.

During my my late teens, my regular journey to work was on an express bus. It remained crowded and was consistently without any seats when I got on.

On one specific day, I began feeling incredibly sick as the bus lurched around every turn. I repeatedly told myself to endure another few kilometres before the bus got to my stop, so I could then make a mad dash to the closest washroom to vomit.

As we neared the road leading to the destination as I realised I would not be to make it. In an instant, it felt as if a curtain fell over me. My vision turned hazy and muffled; similar to when one turned off the audio. My mind raced, “I am about to pass out”.

Luckily I was toward the front on the bus, so I managed several steps to ask the driver and asked the driver to pull over, explaining to him I needed to get ill. He opened the bus doors and I hurriedly stepped onto the sidewalk.

My intention was to not get sick before multiple lanes of cars, so I forced myself up and began attempting to walk across to the park opposite the street, where I believed it would allow me to discreetly hide behind a bush to be sick. However I likely fainted. I could feel my body but walking was impossible or see properly, leading me to start inching my way to the grassy area.

“Are you okay, dear?”

Right then, I got scooped up. I felt a strong arm supporting me and heard a man say, “Everything alright, love?” I managed to tell the kind passerby that I had to to get to a bathroom. Thus, he practically supported my weight over to a nearby building and placed me inside the women’s restroom. He inquired if I needed him to remain with me but I refused.

After a short while, I felt better to the point of sitting on the restroom floor and from outside the stall I heard his voice asking, “Are you feeling better, dear? Can I get you something?” I could not to stand up at that moment but I did succeed to thank him and shortly thereafter recovered the use of my feet. I got myself home passing several days healing from which was a nasty tummy bug.

I did not see his features – only his legs along with a sizable metal toolbox he held – but he saved me, when I was in my weakest state.

Often this world tends to make people defensive, aggressive and competitive. His was the sort of gesture that melts away that protective shell. He served as evidence that our default setting is towards kindness, something I love in other people.