I Was So Ill I Was Unable to Walk As a Stranger Essentially Lifted Me to the Toilets.

Back when I was 19 years old, my daily commute involved an crowded coach. It remained full and would always be standing room only by the time I boarded.

On one specific day, I began feeling terribly ill when the coach swayed around every turn. I repeatedly told myself to endure just a little longer until the bus got to my stop, at which point I could make a mad dash for the nearest washroom to be sick.

As we neared the avenue close to my stop and it dawned on me I was unable to last. Suddenly, it seemed a fog descended upon me. My vision turned white and really quiet; as if someone cut the sound. I thought, “I’m going to faint”.

Fortunately, I stood near the front on the bus, so I took a few steps forward and told the operator to open the doors, explaining to him that I was about to vomit. The driver opened the bus doors and I weakly exited out onto the street.

I was resolved to avoid being sick before multiple lanes of cars, so I picked myself up and endeavored to walk across to the park on the other side, where I believed it would allow me to secretly conceal myself behind a bush to vomit. However I likely lost consciousness. I was aware of my body but walking was impossible and my vision was blurry, leading me to start dragging myself toward the park.

“Everything alright, love?”

At that moment, I got scooped up. I sensed an arm around my waist and heard a man say, “Everything alright, love?” I explained to this unknown man that I required to get to a bathroom. Thus, he practically helped me walk down into an adjacent building and guided me into the female bathroom. He inquired whether I required him to remain with me but I declined.

Not long after, I had recovered to the point of sitting on the restroom floor and from outside the stall I heard him ask, “Do you need anything, love? Do you need anything?” I was incapable to stand up right away but I did succeed to say thank you and shortly thereafter recovered the use of my limbs. I returned home and spent the next few days recovering from what turned out to be a nasty tummy bug.

I never glimpsed his features – only his legs and the big container for tools he had with him – but he saved me, during a time when I was completely helpless.

Many times, life tends to make people defensive, aggressive and competitive. What he did was the kind of action that undoes that emotional callousness. He served as evidence that people’s natural inclination is towards kindness, something I love about my fellow humans.