I Was So Ill Walking Was Impossible Until a Fellow Passenger Essentially Lifted Me to a Bathroom.
At the age of 19 years old, my daily commute involved an express bus. It remained full and was consistently standing room only when I stepped aboard.
On one specific day, I began feeling terribly ill while the vehicle rocked around every turn. I continuously reassured myself to hold on just a little longer before the bus got to my destination, and then I could make a mad dash to the closest public restroom to throw up.
As we neared the street towards my stop and it dawned on me I would not be to last. All of a sudden, it felt as if a curtain fell over me. The world became hazy and muffled; similar to when one turned off the audio. I thought, “I’m going to faint”.
Luckily I was close to the driver of the bus, so I took a few steps forward and requested that the driver to pull over, explaining to him that I was about to get ill. The driver opened the bus doors and I weakly exited on to the pavement.
My intention was to not get sick before multiple lanes of cars, so I picked myself up and began attempting to stumble across to the park opposite the street, where I thought it would allow me to secretly conceal myself among some shrubs to be sick. But then I likely blacked out. I was aware of my physical self, yet I couldn’t walk or see clearly, so I started dragging myself toward the grassy area.
“Everything alright, love?”
At that moment, someone picked me up. I felt someone holding me and a man’s voice asked, “Everything alright, love?” I managed to tell the mysterious stranger that I required to get to a bathroom. Therefore, he almost carried me down into an adjacent building and placed me inside the women’s restroom. He asked me if I needed him to wait for me but I refused.
After a short while, I had recovered enough to sit on the restroom floor and from the other side of the door came him inquire, “Do you need anything, love? Can I get you something?” I wasn’t able to stand up right away but I did succeed to express my gratitude and after a few more minutes was able to move my feet. I got myself home and spent several days getting over what was later diagnosed as a nasty tummy bug.
I did not see that man’s face – just his lower half and the big metal toolbox he held – yet he rescued me, when I was in my weakest state.
Often this world has a way of making you guarded, hostile, and combative. His was the sort of gesture that reverses that emotional callousness. He was proof that humanity’s innate tendency leans toward compassion, a trait I cherish about my fellow humans.
