In Such Poor Health Walking Was Impossible Until a Fellow Passenger Practically Supported Me to a Restroom.

During my nineteenth year, my regular journey to work involved an express bus. It remained full and invariably became without any seats by the time I stepped aboard.

On one specific day, I began feeling terribly ill while the vehicle rocked around each corner. I kept telling myself to hold on another few kilometres before the bus reached where I needed to get off, and then I could sprint quickly toward the most convenient washroom to be sick.

We were coming down the street towards the stop when I realised I wasn’t going to hold on. In an instant, it felt as if a curtain fell over me. The world became blank and silent; like someone had muted everything. My mind raced, “I am about to pass out”.

Fortunately, I stood close to the driver on the bus, so I managed several steps to ask the driver and told the operator to stop, telling him that I was about to vomit. The driver opened the doors and I weakly exited on to the pavement.

My intention was to not get sick before multiple lanes of cars, so I gathered myself and began attempting to make my way across to the park on the other side, where I believed it would allow me to discreetly hide among some shrubs to be sick. Yet I likely lost consciousness. I was aware of my physical self, yet walking was impossible or see properly, so I began crawling towards the grassy area.

“Everything alright, love?”

At that moment, I got scooped up. I sensed a strong arm supporting me and a stranger inquired, “Everything alright, love?” I told this mysterious stranger that I required to vomit. Therefore, he almost helped me walk down into a close-by structure and placed me in the ladies’ toilets. He inquired whether I required him to remain with me but I refused.

After a short while, I had recovered sufficiently to sit down and from the other side of the door came his voice asking, “Are you feeling better, dear? Is there anything you require?” I could not to rise right away but I did succeed to thank him and following a brief period was able to move my feet. I made my way home and then spent the next few days recovering from what was later diagnosed as a nasty tummy bug.

I never saw his features – just his lower half and a large metal toolbox he had with him – but he helped me, when I was in my weakest state.

Frequently, society has a way of making you defensive, aggressive and competitive. His was the sort of gesture that undoes that hardening of the heart. He served as evidence that our default setting is to be kind, a quality I adore in other people.