Just in time. God you really blessed me. I would have been busted if i had missed this bus which reaches exactly on my time. Well i looked around hopelessly as the lady who got in just before me occupied the last vacant seat available in the bus. You should have seen the victory that glowed on her face. Okay fine. Just half an hour and the next main stop will be reached soon and I'm sure to find a seat.So dreaming about a seat (at that point of time there was absolutely nothing else to think about too.!) I found a perfect place to stand just behind the driver clinging to the metal bars watching the road as viewed by he driver. I always consider it better to be pressed against the bars with the entire gravity resting upon your back , in a crowded bus, than being sandwiched between someones torso and another's heavily oiled hair rubbing all over your face. At least you get to see some sunlight .
The bus moved forth with no hurry and since it was Saturday, there was no heavy rush as usual . Every one could breathe fresh air.The bus stopped for a few women to get down and as the bus started someone panicked. " Hey! stop the bus, don't start off someone has fainted. Water ..water, does anyone have water?". Yes, I did.I pulled my water bottle (today half filled ..that's a different story though), and elbowed to the scene. Someone took the bottle and sprinkled water on the face of the "casualty". She was about fifty years old, tall, and fat enough for her height. She was not responding to our calls as the driver pulled the bus to a halt to the road side. Two guys , I really do appreciate their presence of mind , searched her bag for a mobile. I asked the ladies who held her, to let her lie down. To my surprise they looked up at me in wonder and this was the response I got; " let her down..? What! It,s so much of mud and dust on the floor, we can't do that." "Well ", I said "But you have to put her down". My first aid training classes were finally finding a perfect opportunity of execution. "She needs to get some blood into her brains", I went on, "for God's sake don't worry about the dusty floor of the bus. Just put her down". One of them tried to put her into her lap. I interfered and held her head and put it down on the floor slowly. I pulled her legs up, which was half way getting down to the steps and put them straight. She was now starting to breathe normally .I patted on her shoulder and asked her whether she was okay. She was trying to open her eyes and seemed to be very happy that she was laid down and she turned on her side as it it was her own bed in her own bedroom.
By the time the guys who managed to dig up a phone from her bag were wondering whom to call. We asked her her name but she wouldn't say. She told us to call the name ' Joby " and tell him that his mother wasn't well. When they tried to make the call it said the balance was low. Lo!. But the Bus Conducter took charge and made the call from his phone and informed her son about the situation. He was also informed that his mother would be dropped at the closest stop , where there was a hospital and told him to reach as soon as possible.
So the situation was finally under control. The bus jerked itself to road soon, as the "patient " smiled at us thankfully and continued to sit comfortably on the steps. Some women tried to pull her up and put her into a seat but she said she was better down there. She also insisted the conductor to drop her in the next stop and she would wait for her son to come by which none of us in the bus approved. But then she convinced everyone through her smile she was perfectly fine and the conductor let her get down.
As the bus moved on again the thought of being late etc. has long vanished. I was aware that everyone in the bus wished her son to come by soon. The rest of the journey, though i got a cozy seat, thought about people of that age, and subject to various ailments travelling alone....But one thing that felt comforting and hopeful was that there were people to really help in spite of all the worries and rush.
The bus moved forth with no hurry and since it was Saturday, there was no heavy rush as usual . Every one could breathe fresh air.The bus stopped for a few women to get down and as the bus started someone panicked. " Hey! stop the bus, don't start off someone has fainted. Water ..water, does anyone have water?". Yes, I did.I pulled my water bottle (today half filled ..that's a different story though), and elbowed to the scene. Someone took the bottle and sprinkled water on the face of the "casualty". She was about fifty years old, tall, and fat enough for her height. She was not responding to our calls as the driver pulled the bus to a halt to the road side. Two guys , I really do appreciate their presence of mind , searched her bag for a mobile. I asked the ladies who held her, to let her lie down. To my surprise they looked up at me in wonder and this was the response I got; " let her down..? What! It,s so much of mud and dust on the floor, we can't do that." "Well ", I said "But you have to put her down". My first aid training classes were finally finding a perfect opportunity of execution. "She needs to get some blood into her brains", I went on, "for God's sake don't worry about the dusty floor of the bus. Just put her down". One of them tried to put her into her lap. I interfered and held her head and put it down on the floor slowly. I pulled her legs up, which was half way getting down to the steps and put them straight. She was now starting to breathe normally .I patted on her shoulder and asked her whether she was okay. She was trying to open her eyes and seemed to be very happy that she was laid down and she turned on her side as it it was her own bed in her own bedroom.
By the time the guys who managed to dig up a phone from her bag were wondering whom to call. We asked her her name but she wouldn't say. She told us to call the name ' Joby " and tell him that his mother wasn't well. When they tried to make the call it said the balance was low. Lo!. But the Bus Conducter took charge and made the call from his phone and informed her son about the situation. He was also informed that his mother would be dropped at the closest stop , where there was a hospital and told him to reach as soon as possible.
So the situation was finally under control. The bus jerked itself to road soon, as the "patient " smiled at us thankfully and continued to sit comfortably on the steps. Some women tried to pull her up and put her into a seat but she said she was better down there. She also insisted the conductor to drop her in the next stop and she would wait for her son to come by which none of us in the bus approved. But then she convinced everyone through her smile she was perfectly fine and the conductor let her get down.
As the bus moved on again the thought of being late etc. has long vanished. I was aware that everyone in the bus wished her son to come by soon. The rest of the journey, though i got a cozy seat, thought about people of that age, and subject to various ailments travelling alone....But one thing that felt comforting and hopeful was that there were people to really help in spite of all the worries and rush.
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