In Such Poor Health I Was Unable to Walk When a Man Essentially Lifted Me to a Bathroom.

During my nineteenth year, my daily commute meant taking an crowded coach. It remained crowded and invariably became completely full once I got on.

During a certain commute, I started experiencing incredibly sick as the bus lurched around each corner. I kept telling myself to persevere for a few more stops until the bus arrived at my stop, and then I could sprint quickly to the closest washroom to vomit.

The bus was approaching the avenue close to the stop when it dawned on me I was unable to make it. All of a sudden, it was like a curtain fell over me. The world became blank and silent; similar to when one cut the sound. I said to myself, “I’m going to faint”.

Fortunately, I stood toward the front on the bus, allowing me to take a couple of steps forward and requested that the driver to pull over, explaining to him that I was about to get ill. He promptly opened the doors and I weakly exited onto the sidewalk.

I was determined not to vomit before a busy multi-lane road, so I picked myself up and began attempting to walk to the park opposite the street, where I believed it would allow me to discreetly hide among some shrubs to vomit. But then I must have blacked out. I could feel my body but walking was impossible and my vision was blurry, so I started inching my way to my intended destination.

“You right, love?”

In that instant, I got scooped up. I felt a strong arm supporting me and a man’s voice asked, “Are you okay, dear?” I managed to tell the mysterious stranger that I needed to be sick. Therefore, he almost carried me into an adjacent building and placed me inside the women’s restroom. He asked me whether I required him to remain with me but I refused.

After a short while, I felt better to the point of sitting on the restroom floor and from the other side of the stall I heard his voice asking, “Are you feeling better, dear? Do you need anything?” I could not to stand up just then but I was able to say thank you and following a brief period was able to move my legs. I got myself home and then spent several days getting over what turned out to be a nasty tummy bug.

I did not see his features – just his lower half along with a sizable container for tools he held – but he saved me, when I was in my weakest state.

Frequently, society can make you defensive, aggressive and competitive. His act was the type of kindness that reverses that hardening of the heart. He was proof that our default setting is to be kind, a quality I adore about humanity.