I Was So Ill Walking Was Impossible As a Stranger Essentially Lifted Me to the Toilets.

At the age of my late teens, my regular journey to work involved an express bus. It remained full and invariably became completely full by the time I boarded.

On one specific day, I was feeling incredibly sick while the vehicle swayed around every turn. I continuously reassured myself to hold on another few kilometres until the bus arrived at my stop, and then I could sprint quickly to the closest washroom to throw up.

As we neared the road leading to the stop when I understood I wasn’t going to last. All of a sudden, it seemed a veil came over me. The world became white and really quiet; like someone had cut the sound. My mind raced, “I’m going to faint”.

Thankfully, I was positioned close to the driver on the bus, so I took a couple of steps forward and asked the driver to pull over, explaining to him I was going to get ill. The driver opened the entrance and I stumbled out onto the sidewalk.

I was resolved not to vomit before a busy multi-lane road, so I gathered myself and started trying to walk to the park on the other side, thinking I could I’d at least be able to find some privacy near some foliage to vomit. However I likely fainted. I was aware of my limbs, but I was unable to walk or see clearly, so I started crawling towards the grassy area.

“Everything alright, love?”

In that instant, I got scooped up. I sensed someone holding me and a stranger inquired, “You right, love?” I explained to this kind passerby that I had to to get to a bathroom. So he virtually helped me walk into a close-by structure and guided me inside the women’s restroom. He asked me whether I required him to stay with me but I declined.

After a short while, I felt better enough to sit down when from beyond the stall I heard him ask, “Are you feeling better, dear? Is there anything you require?” I could not to stand up at that moment but I did succeed to say thank you and after a few more minutes was able to move my legs. I got myself home and spent the next few days healing from what turned out to be a nasty tummy bug.

I never saw the stranger’s face – merely his legs and a large steelwork tools container he had with him – but he helped me, during a time when I was in my weakest state.

Often this world can make you guarded, hostile, and combative. His act was the type of kindness that undoes that emotional callousness. He demonstrated that people’s natural inclination is to be kind, something I love about humanity.