In Such Poor Health I Couldn’t Walk When a Man Essentially Lifted Me to the Toilets.

At the age of nineteenth year, my regular journey to work involved an packed public transport. The vehicle was always jammed and would always be completely full once I got on.

During a certain commute, I started experiencing incredibly sick when the coach swayed around the bends. I kept telling myself to persevere another few kilometres until the bus reached my stop, so I could then make a mad dash for the nearest public toilet to be sick.

We were coming down the road leading to the stop when I understood I would not be to make it. All of a sudden, it felt as if a fog descended upon me. The world became blank and silent; as if someone turned off the audio. I thought, “I’m going to faint”.

Fortunately, I stood near the front inside the vehicle, so I took a couple of steps to ask the driver and asked the driver to open the doors, explaining to him that I was about to be sick. The driver opened the doors and I hurriedly stepped onto the sidewalk.

I was determined to avoid being sick in front of multiple lanes of cars, so I gathered myself and endeavored to make my way to the park on the other side, thinking I could I could at least discreetly hide among some shrubs to throw up. But then I apparently fainted. I could feel my limbs, but I was unable to walk or see properly, so I started dragging myself toward the park.

“Are you okay, dear?”

At that moment, someone picked me up. I felt an arm around my waist and a man’s voice asked, “Everything alright, love?” I explained to this unknown man that I required to get to a bathroom. So he virtually helped me walk into an adjacent building and put me into the female bathroom. He wanted to know if I wanted him to remain with me but I refused.

After a short while, I regained my composure to the point of sitting on the restroom floor and from the other side of the door came his voice asking, “Do you need anything, love? Can I get you something?” I wasn’t able to get up at that moment but I was able to say thank you and after a few more minutes was able to move my limbs. I got myself home passing the next few days recovering from what turned out to be a nasty tummy bug.

I never saw his features – only his legs and the big steelwork tools container he held – but he helped me, during a time when I was completely helpless.

Frequently, society has a way of making you defensive, aggressive and competitive. His act was the type of kindness that reverses that emotional callousness. He was proof that people’s natural inclination leans toward compassion, a trait I cherish about humanity.