In Such Poor Health I Couldn’t Walk When a Man Essentially Lifted Me to the Toilets.

During my nineteenth year, my daily commute was on an packed public transport. The vehicle was always crowded and invariably became standing room only by the time I boarded.

During a certain commute, I was feeling quite nauseous as the bus swayed around every turn. I kept telling myself to persevere for a few more stops before the bus reached my destination, and then I could sprint quickly for the nearest public toilet to vomit.

The bus was approaching the avenue close to the stop when I realised I wasn’t going to last. All of a sudden, it felt as if a fog descended upon me. The world became hazy and muffled; similar to when one turned off the audio. I said to myself, “I am about to pass out”.

Thankfully, I was positioned near the front on the bus, so I managed a few steps forward and told the operator to pull over, telling him that I was about to be sick. He promptly opened the entrance and I weakly exited out onto the street.

I was resolved to not get sick before a busy multi-lane road, so I picked myself up and began attempting to walk toward the green space across the road, thinking I could it would allow me to discreetly hide behind a bush to be sick. But then I apparently blacked out. I could feel my limbs, but walking was impossible and my vision was blurry, so I began inching my way to the grassy area.

“You right, love?”

Right then, I got scooped up. I sensed a strong arm supporting me and a man’s voice asked, “Everything alright, love?” I explained to this unknown man that I had to to be sick. Thus, he practically helped me walk down into a nearby building and placed me in the ladies’ toilets. He wanted to know if I wanted him to stay with me but I declined.

After a short while, I regained my composure sufficiently to sit on the toilet and from outside the door came his voice asking, “Do you need anything, love? Do you need anything?” I was incapable to rise at that moment but I was able to thank him and following a brief period regained the function of my legs. I returned home and then spent several days healing from what was later diagnosed as a severe stomach virus.

I never glimpsed the stranger’s face – only his legs along with a sizable metal toolbox he had with him – but he helped me, at a moment I was in my weakest state.

Often this world tends to make people self-protective, pushy, and rivalrous. His was the sort of gesture that undoes that protective shell. He served as evidence that our default setting is towards kindness, a quality I adore in other people.