In Such Poor Health I Was Unable to Walk Until a Fellow Passenger Essentially Lifted Me to a Bathroom.

Back when I was my late teens, my morning travel involved an express bus. It remained full and would always be without any seats once I stepped aboard.

One particular morning, I started experiencing incredibly sick as the bus rocked around the bends. I continuously reassured myself to persevere for a few more stops until the bus reached my stop, at which point I could rush hurriedly to the closest public restroom to be sick.

The bus was approaching the road leading to the destination as I realised I would not be to last. In an instant, it felt as if a veil came over me. Everything just went blank and silent; as if someone cut the sound. My mind raced, “I will lose consciousness”.

Luckily I was toward the front on the bus, allowing me to take several steps toward the driver and told the operator to pull over, explaining to him I needed to vomit. He opened the bus doors and I weakly exited onto the sidewalk.

I was determined not to vomit in front of a busy multi-lane road, so I gathered myself and began attempting to make my way to the park on the other side, where I thought I’d at least be able to secretly conceal myself near some foliage to throw up. But then I must have fainted. I could feel my limbs, but walking was impossible or see clearly, so I began dragging myself toward my intended destination.

“Are you okay, dear?”

In that instant, I was lifted up. I felt someone holding me and heard a man say, “Everything alright, love?” I explained to this unknown man that I required to be sick. So he virtually supported my weight into an adjacent building and placed me in the ladies’ toilets. He inquired if I needed him to wait for me but I declined.

A few minutes later, I had recovered to the point of sitting on the toilet and from the other side of the stall I heard him ask, “Are you OK, love? Do you need anything?” I could not to rise at that moment but I was able to thank him and shortly thereafter regained the function of my limbs. I made my way home passing several days getting over what was later diagnosed as a severe stomach virus.

I never saw the stranger’s face – only his legs and the big container for tools he had with him – but he helped me, during a time when I was in my weakest state.

Often this world can make you defensive, aggressive and competitive. His act was the type of kindness that reverses that hardening of the heart. He was proof that people’s natural inclination is to be kind, a quality I adore about my fellow humans.