Feeling So Sick Walking Was Impossible Until a Fellow Passenger Essentially Lifted Me to a Bathroom.

At the age of my late teens, my morning travel was on an express bus. The vehicle was always crowded and invariably became without any seats once I stepped aboard.

One particular morning, I was feeling quite nauseous while the vehicle swayed around every turn. I continuously reassured myself to persevere another few kilometres before the bus got to my stop, at which point I could sprint quickly to the closest washroom to throw up.

We were coming down the street towards the destination as it dawned on me I was unable to make it. All of a sudden, it was like a fog descended upon me. Everything just went white and really quiet; as if someone muted everything. I thought, “I’m going to faint”.

Thankfully, I was positioned close to the driver inside the vehicle, so I took several steps to ask the driver and told the operator to stop, telling him I needed to vomit. He promptly opened the bus doors and I hurriedly stepped on to the pavement.

I was resolved not to vomit in view of a busy multi-lane road, so I forced myself up and started trying to stumble toward the green space on the other side, where I believed it would allow me to secretly conceal myself among some shrubs to vomit. However I must have blacked out. I sensed my body but I couldn’t walk or see properly, so I began dragging myself toward the grassy area.

“You right, love?”

At that moment, I was lifted up. I felt a strong arm supporting me and heard a man say, “You right, love?” I told this unknown man that I required to vomit. Thus, he practically carried me down into a nearby building and placed me inside the women’s restroom. He asked me whether I required him to remain with me but I refused.

After a short while, I felt better sufficiently to sit down when from beyond the door came his voice asking, “Are you OK, love? Can I get you something?” I was incapable to get up right away but did manage to thank him and following a brief period recovered the use of my feet. I returned home passing several days recovering from which was a severe stomach virus.

I never saw his features – merely his legs and a large steelwork tools container he held – but he helped me, when I was in my weakest state.

Frequently, society tends to make people self-protective, pushy, and rivalrous. His was the sort of gesture that undoes that hardening of the heart. He served as evidence that people’s natural inclination is to be kind, a trait I cherish in other people.