In Such Poor Health Walking Was Impossible When a Man Essentially Lifted Me to a Restroom.

At the age of 19 years old, my regular journey to work meant taking an express bus. It was perpetually full and was consistently standing room only once I got on.

One particular morning, I began feeling terribly ill as the bus rocked around every turn. I repeatedly told myself to endure another few kilometres so the bus could reached my destination, at which point I could rush hurriedly to the closest washroom to vomit.

As we neared the road leading to the stop when it dawned on me I would not be to make it. All of a sudden, it seemed a curtain fell over me. My vision turned blank and silent; similar to when one cut the sound. My mind raced, “I’m going to faint”.

Thankfully, I was positioned toward the front of the bus, allowing me to take a couple of steps forward and asked the driver to open the doors, informing him I needed to be sick. The driver opened the entrance and I weakly exited onto the sidewalk.

My intention was to not get sick in view of multiple lanes of cars, so I forced myself up and started trying to make my way across to the park opposite the street, where I thought I could at least find some privacy among some shrubs to vomit. However I likely lost consciousness. I sensed my body but I was unable to walk or see properly, so I began dragging myself toward my intended destination.

“You right, love?”

Right then, I got scooped up. I felt someone holding me and heard a man say, “Are you okay, dear?” I told this mysterious stranger that I had to to get to a bathroom. So he virtually helped me walk over to an adjacent building and placed me in the ladies’ toilets. He inquired if I wanted him to stay with me but I declined.

A few minutes later, I had recovered sufficiently to sit on the restroom floor and from outside the door I heard him inquire, “Are you feeling better, dear? Can I get you something?” I could not to rise just then but I did succeed to say thank you and following a brief period regained the function of my limbs. I got myself home and spent the following days healing from which was a severe stomach virus.

I never glimpsed that man’s face – merely his legs along with a sizable steelwork tools container he was carrying – yet he rescued me, when I was at my most vulnerable.

Often this world tends to make people defensive, aggressive and competitive. His act was the type of kindness that undoes that protective shell. He served as evidence that our default setting is to be kind, a quality I adore in other people.