In Such Poor Health I Was Unable to Walk When a Man Essentially Lifted Me to the Toilets.
During my 19 years old, my regular journey to work meant taking an crowded coach. It was perpetually jammed and was consistently without any seats when I stepped aboard.
During a certain commute, I began feeling quite nauseous as the bus rocked around every turn. I continuously reassured myself to hold on just a little longer until the bus arrived at my destination, at which point I could rush hurriedly toward the most convenient public restroom to vomit.
We were coming down the road leading to my stop and I realised I wasn’t going to last. In an instant, it was like a curtain fell over me. Everything just went blank and silent; as if someone turned off the audio. My mind raced, “I’m going to faint”.
Thankfully, I was positioned close to the driver inside the vehicle, so I took a couple of steps toward the driver and requested that the driver to pull over, telling him I was going to get ill. The driver opened the bus doors and I hurriedly stepped onto the sidewalk.
I was determined not to vomit in view of multiple lanes of cars, so I picked myself up and began attempting to stumble to the park across the road, thinking I could I could at least secretly conceal myself among some shrubs to vomit. However I apparently fainted. I could feel my body but walking was impossible or see clearly, so I began crawling towards the grassy area.
“Are you okay, dear?”
In that instant, I was lifted up. I sensed a strong arm supporting me and a stranger inquired, “You right, love?” I explained to this unknown man that I needed to get to a bathroom. Therefore, he almost supported my weight over to an adjacent building and placed me in the ladies’ toilets. He wanted to know if I needed him to wait for me but I said no.
A few minutes later, I regained my composure to the point of sitting on the restroom floor and from the other side of the door I heard him ask, “Are you feeling better, dear? Can I get you something?” I could not to rise at that moment but I did succeed to thank him and following a brief period was able to move my legs. I returned home passing several days healing from what was later diagnosed as a severe stomach virus.
I never saw his features – merely his legs and the big metal toolbox he was carrying – but he saved me, at a moment I was in my weakest state.
Many times, life has a way of making you defensive, aggressive and competitive. What he did was the kind of action that undoes that protective shell. He served as evidence that our default setting is to be kind, a quality I adore in other people.
