In Such Poor Health I Was Unable to Walk When a Man Practically Supported Me to a Bathroom.

Back when I was my late teens, my regular journey to work meant taking an packed public transport. It was perpetually jammed and invariably became standing room only once I stepped aboard.

On one specific day, I began feeling quite nauseous when the coach swayed around every turn. I continuously reassured myself to persevere another few kilometres before the bus arrived at my stop, at which point I could make a mad dash to the closest public toilet to throw up.

The bus was approaching the street towards the stop when I understood I would not be to last. Suddenly, it was like a veil came over me. My vision turned hazy and muffled; similar to when one turned off the audio. I said to myself, “I am about to pass out”.

Thankfully, I was positioned close to the driver of the bus, allowing me to take a few steps to ask the driver and asked the driver to stop, telling him I needed to be sick. The driver opened the doors and I stumbled out out onto the street.

I was determined to not get sick before a busy multi-lane road, so I gathered myself and started trying to make my way toward the green space across the road, where I thought I’d at least be able to secretly conceal myself near some foliage to throw up. However I apparently fainted. I could feel my limbs, but I was unable to walk and my vision was blurry, so I began crawling towards the park.

“Everything alright, love?”

In that instant, someone picked me up. I felt a strong arm supporting me and a stranger inquired, “Everything alright, love?” I managed to tell the mysterious stranger that I needed to be sick. Therefore, he almost helped me walk down into a nearby building and placed me in the ladies’ toilets. He asked me if I wanted him to stay with me but I said no.

A few minutes later, I felt better enough to sit on the toilet when from beyond the door I heard his voice asking, “Are you OK, love? Can I get you something?” I wasn’t able to get up right away but did manage to thank him and after a few more minutes recovered the use of my legs. I returned home and spent the following days healing from what turned out to be a nasty tummy bug.

I never saw his features – merely his legs along with a sizable container for tools he had with him – but he helped me, during a time when I was in my weakest state.

Often this world tends to make people guarded, hostile, and combative. What he did was the kind of action that reverses that hardening of the heart. He was proof that people’s natural inclination leans toward compassion, a quality I adore about my fellow humans.