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

At the age of 19 years old, my regular journey to work meant taking an crowded coach. It was perpetually crowded and was consistently completely full once I stepped aboard.

On one specific day, I was feeling terribly ill as the bus swayed around every turn. I repeatedly told myself to endure another few kilometres before the bus arrived at my stop, at which point I could rush hurriedly for the nearest public toilet to throw up.

We were coming down the avenue close to my stop and I realised I wasn’t going to make it. All of a sudden, it seemed a veil came over me. Everything just went hazy and muffled; like someone had muted everything. I said to myself, “I’m going to faint”.

Fortunately, I stood near the front of the bus, so I took a few steps forward and told the operator to pull over, telling him I was going to get ill. He opened the entrance and I weakly exited out onto the street.

My intention was not to vomit in front of six lanes of traffic, so I forced myself up and started trying to make my way to the park on the other side, where I believed I’d at least be able to discreetly hide behind a bush to be sick. Yet I apparently lost consciousness. I was aware of my limbs, but I couldn’t walk or see properly, leading me to start crawling towards the grassy area.

“Are you okay, dear?”

In that instant, I was lifted up. I sensed a strong arm supporting me and a stranger inquired, “Everything alright, love?” I managed to tell the unknown man that I required to vomit. Thus, he practically helped me walk over to a nearby building and placed me inside the women’s restroom. He inquired if I wanted him to remain with me but I refused.

Not long after, I had recovered enough to sit down and from outside the door came him inquire, “Are you OK, love? Is there anything you require?” I wasn’t able to rise at that moment but did manage to express my gratitude and shortly thereafter regained the function of my legs. I made my way home and then spent several days recovering from which was a horrible case of gastroenteritis.

I never saw that man’s face – just his lower half and a large metal toolbox he had with him – yet he rescued me, when I was in my weakest state.

Many times, life has a way of making you self-protective, pushy, and rivalrous. What he did was the kind of action that reverses that hardening of the heart. He served as evidence that humanity’s innate tendency leans toward compassion, something I love about my fellow humans.