In Such Poor Health Walking Was Impossible Until a Fellow Passenger Virtually Carried Me to a Bathroom.

Back when I was my late teens, my daily commute involved an packed public transport. It was perpetually jammed and invariably became standing room only when I boarded.

During a certain commute, I was feeling incredibly sick as the bus swayed around the bends. I continuously reassured myself to persevere for a few more stops so the bus could reached my destination, at which point I could make a mad dash toward the most convenient washroom to vomit.

The bus was approaching the street towards the stop when I understood I was unable to hold on. In an instant, it was like a fog descended upon me. Everything just went white and really quiet; as if someone cut the sound. I thought, “I am about to pass out”.

Luckily I was close to the driver of the bus, allowing me to take a few steps to ask the driver and requested that the driver to stop, informing him I needed to vomit. The driver opened the doors and I weakly exited out onto the street.

I was resolved to not get sick in view of multiple lanes of cars, so I forced myself up and started trying to stumble across to the park opposite the street, where I believed I’d at least be able to secretly conceal myself among some shrubs to throw up. Yet I likely lost consciousness. I was aware of my body but I was unable to walk and my vision was blurry, leading me to start crawling towards the grassy area.

“Everything alright, love?”

At that moment, someone picked me up. I felt someone holding me and a man’s voice asked, “You right, love?” I explained to this unknown man that I had to to vomit. Thus, he practically helped me walk into an adjacent building and put me inside the women’s restroom. He asked me if I needed him to wait for me but I said no.

Not long after, I felt better to the point of sitting on the restroom floor when from beyond the door came him inquire, “Are you OK, love? Can I get you something?” I was incapable to rise right away but did manage to say thank you and after a few more minutes was able to move my feet. I made my way home and then spent several days healing from what turned out to be a horrible case of gastroenteritis.

I never glimpsed the stranger’s face – just his lower half along with a sizable steelwork tools container he was carrying – but he saved me, during a time when I was at my most vulnerable.

Often this world has a way of making you defensive, aggressive and competitive. What he did was the kind of action that reverses that emotional callousness. He was proof that people’s natural inclination is towards kindness, something I love about humanity.