Feeling So Sick I Couldn’t Walk As a Stranger Essentially Lifted Me to the Toilets.

Back when I was my late teens, my regular journey to work was on an crowded coach. It was perpetually full and would always be standing room only when I got on.

One particular morning, I was feeling quite nauseous while the vehicle rocked around every turn. I kept telling myself to endure just a little longer before the bus reached my destination, at which point I could rush hurriedly for the nearest washroom to throw up.

We were coming down the avenue close to the destination as I understood I would not be to last. Suddenly, it seemed a fog descended upon me. Everything just went white and really quiet; like someone had muted everything. I thought, “I am about to pass out”.

Fortunately, I stood close to the driver of the bus, allowing me to take a few steps to ask the driver and asked the driver to open the doors, explaining to him I was going to vomit. He opened the doors and I weakly exited on to the pavement.

I was resolved to avoid being sick in front of a busy multi-lane road, so I gathered myself and endeavored to stumble across to the park on the other side, where I believed I’d at least be able to discreetly hide among some shrubs to vomit. But then I likely fainted. I was aware of my physical self, yet I was unable to walk or see clearly, so I started inching my way to my intended destination.

“Everything alright, love?”

At that moment, someone picked me up. I felt someone holding me and a stranger inquired, “Everything alright, love?” I managed to tell the kind passerby that I required to vomit. Thus, he practically carried me into an adjacent building and guided me into the female bathroom. He wanted to know if I needed him to stay with me but I said no.

Not long after, I felt better sufficiently to sit on the restroom floor and from the other side of the stall I heard him ask, “Do you need anything, love? Can I get you something?” I could not to get up at that moment but I did succeed to say thank you and following a brief period regained the function of my limbs. I returned home passing the following days getting over what was later diagnosed as a nasty tummy bug.

I never glimpsed that man’s face – merely his legs and a large container for tools he had with him – but he helped me, during a time when I was completely helpless.

Often this world tends to make people guarded, hostile, and combative. His was the sort of gesture that reverses that protective shell. He served as evidence that people’s natural inclination is to be kind, something I love about humanity.