Feeling So Sick Walking Was Impossible As a Stranger Practically Supported Me to a Restroom.

Back when I was nineteenth year, my daily commute involved an packed public transport. The vehicle was always jammed and invariably became standing room only when I got on.

On one specific day, I started experiencing terribly ill while the vehicle rocked around every turn. I repeatedly told myself to hold on another few kilometres so the bus could arrived at my stop, so I could then make a mad dash to the closest washroom to throw up.

The bus was approaching the street towards the stop when it dawned on me I would not be to last. All of a sudden, it seemed a fog descended upon me. Everything just went blank and silent; like someone had cut the sound. I said to myself, “I’m going to faint”.

Luckily I was close to the driver on the bus, so I managed a few steps to ask the driver and requested that the driver to open the doors, explaining to him that I was about to be sick. He promptly opened the doors and I weakly exited on to the pavement.

I was determined not to vomit in view of six lanes of traffic, so I picked myself up and started trying to make my way toward the green space across the road, thinking I could it would allow me to discreetly hide near some foliage to be sick. However I likely blacked out. I sensed my body but I was unable to walk and my vision was blurry, so I started crawling towards my intended destination.

“Are you okay, dear?”

In that instant, I got scooped up. There was a strong arm supporting me and a stranger inquired, “Are you okay, dear?” I managed to tell the mysterious stranger that I required to vomit. Thus, he practically carried me over to an adjacent building and put me into the female bathroom. He inquired whether I required him to wait for me but I declined.

Not long after, I had recovered enough to sit down and from outside the stall I heard his voice asking, “Are you OK, love? Is there anything you require?” I could not to stand up at that moment but I was able to thank him and after a few more minutes recovered the use of my legs. I made my way home passing several days recovering from what turned out to be a severe stomach virus.

I never saw the stranger’s face – only his legs and a large metal toolbox he had with him – but he helped me, when I was at my most vulnerable.

Frequently, society has a way of making you defensive, aggressive and competitive. His act was the type of kindness that undoes that emotional callousness. He served as evidence that our default setting is towards kindness, a quality I adore about my fellow humans.