I Was So Ill I Couldn’t Walk When a Man Virtually Carried Me to the Toilets.

During my my late teens, my regular journey to work was on an packed public transport. It remained crowded and invariably became completely full once I got on.

One particular morning, I started experiencing quite nauseous while the vehicle rocked around every turn. I kept telling myself to endure just a little longer until the bus got to where I needed to get off, so I could then sprint quickly toward the most convenient public restroom to throw up.

As we neared the avenue close to my stop and I realised I would not be to hold on. Suddenly, it felt as if a veil came over me. The world became white and really quiet; similar to when one muted everything. I said to myself, “I am about to pass out”.

Thankfully, I was positioned toward the front of the bus, allowing me to take several steps forward and asked the driver to open the doors, informing him that I was about to be sick. The driver opened the doors and I stumbled out onto the sidewalk.

I was determined not to vomit before six lanes of traffic, so I forced myself up and started trying to walk across to the park on the other side, where I thought I could at least discreetly hide behind a bush to be sick. However I likely lost consciousness. I could feel my body but walking was impossible and my vision was blurry, so I started dragging myself toward the grassy area.

“Everything alright, love?”

In that instant, someone picked me up. I sensed someone holding me and heard a man say, “Are you okay, dear?” I explained to this kind passerby that I needed to be sick. Therefore, he almost carried me down into a close-by structure and guided me inside the women’s restroom. He inquired whether I required him to remain with me but I declined.

A few minutes later, I regained my composure enough to sit down and from the other side of the door I heard his voice asking, “Are you feeling better, dear? Is there anything you require?” I could not to stand up just then but I was able to say thank you and shortly thereafter regained the function of my feet. I returned home and then spent the next few days healing from what turned out to be a severe stomach virus.

I never saw the stranger’s face – merely his legs along with a sizable metal toolbox he held – yet he rescued me, when I was at my most vulnerable.

Frequently, society can make you guarded, hostile, and combative. His was the sort of gesture that reverses that emotional callousness. He demonstrated that our default setting is to be kind, a trait I cherish in other people.