Feeling So Sick I Was Unable to Walk When a Man Essentially Lifted Me to the Toilets.
At the age of 19 years old, my morning travel involved an express bus. It remained jammed and invariably became without any seats when I boarded.
One particular morning, I started experiencing quite nauseous while the vehicle rocked around the bends. I continuously reassured myself to persevere another few kilometres so the bus could arrived at my stop, and then I could make a mad dash toward the most convenient washroom to vomit.
The bus was approaching the street towards the destination as I realised I wasn’t going to hold on. All of a sudden, it seemed a fog descended upon me. The world became blank and silent; similar to when one turned off the audio. My mind raced, “I am about to pass out”.
Luckily I was near the front inside the vehicle, allowing me to take a few steps to ask the driver and requested that the driver to pull over, informing him that I was about to vomit. He promptly opened the entrance and I weakly exited onto the sidewalk.
I was determined to avoid being sick before a busy multi-lane road, so I gathered myself and endeavored to make my way across to the park on the other side, where I believed I’d at least be able to secretly conceal myself among some shrubs to vomit. But then I likely lost consciousness. I was aware of my limbs, but walking was impossible or see clearly, leading me to start dragging myself toward the park.
“You right, love?”
At that moment, I got scooped up. I felt someone holding me and a man’s voice asked, “Everything alright, love?” I explained to this mysterious stranger that I needed to get to a bathroom. Thus, he practically helped me walk into a close-by structure and placed me in the ladies’ toilets. He asked me if I needed him to remain with me but I declined.
A few minutes later, I felt better sufficiently to sit down when from beyond the stall I heard his voice asking, “Are you feeling better, dear? Is there anything you require?” I was incapable to get up at that moment but I was able to say thank you and after a few more minutes recovered the use of my legs. I got myself home and spent several days recovering from what turned out to be a nasty tummy bug.
I never glimpsed the stranger’s face – just his lower half and the big container for tools he held – yet he rescued me, during a time when I was at my most vulnerable.
Often this world can make you defensive, aggressive and competitive. What he did was the kind of action that melts away that hardening of the heart. He demonstrated that our default setting is to be kind, a trait I cherish about my fellow humans.
