Year 1996
A cool April afternoon
The drizzle and the light breeze combined with the steady motion of the bus acted as a catalyst to soothe my weary mind and lead me on to slumber when….
A loud bang, the sound of metal colliding with metal, shattering of glass and shrieks of co-passengers startled me. Within seconds I was wide awake and to my horror found myself trapped between my seat and the one just in front. With husband by my side I wondered what to do when suddenly I found people outside prompting me to jump from the window. I tried to get up. But wait…. What’s this? I can’t lift my legs. It was only then that I realized that my legs were trapped between the seats. Suddenly the smell of diesel along with comments from some volunteers propelled me to act. I pulled my legs out even before my husband could warn me of the dangers and looked out of the window. Several hands stretched up to guide me down. Suddenly someone saw blood oozing down my legs and warned me to be careful. Once down I was immediately rushed to the District Hospital nearby. It was only then that I realized that both my legs were badly bruised.
Hours later I was shifted in a wheel chair to the General Ward. But where do I lie? All the beds were occupied. We were in a dilemma. Suddenly a bystander for a lady recovering from a bout of flu approached us and offered to vacate her daughter’s bed for me. We protested. But she assured us that her daughter was cured and would be discharged in a few hours’ time. She could spend the remaining hours in the sofa nearby. Finally we agreed.
The night was a dark and terrible one. Having helped me settle down on the bed, my husband was required to leave since that was a female ward. Since the place was hours away from home, there was no one to tend to me. Seeing my husband’s dilemma, the bystanders of the patients on either side of my bed assured him they would take care of me and that I need not worry. Finally he left for the retiring room in the Hospital Complex after asking them to contact him without fail in case of an emergency.
The night passed off seeing me toss and turn. My legs were swollen and ugly and they were hurting. Sometime around midnight I felt the urge to visit the toilet but did not since I didn’t want to disturb the good Samaritans who had volunteered to take care of me. I waited for dawn and the arrival of my husband.
Come dawn and the first thing I told my husband was my problem, I wanted to visit the restroom but how? My legs were leaden and I could not move them leave alone walk on my own. One of the ladies who overheard the conversation suddenly walked up to me, helped my husband get me down from the bed and with the help of another lady took me to the restroom to complete my morning ablutions all the time standing guard in case I should need help.
That day I realized that wherever be the place, whatever be the religion or faith, in times of trouble the best in everyone comes to the fore and humanity surges ahead to help the needy.
I do not know who they were, where they resided or to which faith they belonged. I just know that they were simple, kindhearted folk who knew how to empathize with a fellow being in pain. That day is still live and fresh in my memory not because I had met with an accident, not because I was wounded and in great pain, not because I had to spend the night in a general ward teeming with hundreds but because of those good Samaritans who tended to me without any expectations. They left their footprints in my heart.
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I am taking part in The Write Tribe Problogger October 2017 Challenge
Today’s prompt for the challenge is : Heartprints
So have I been able to pull it off? Do let me know in the comment section below.
Fabric of Life 