I feel damn emotional today.
I helped out an old man.
My heart broke while helping him.
He was going to die.
The thunder roared and the rain fell from the sky like nobody's business.
I was on my way home from J8 where i topped up my EZ-Link Card and check out if the new Coldplay and Death Cab for Cutie albums were out. However, they weren't.
So i walked the usual way home. From J8 to the Bus Interchange then through Kim San Leng (the Coffeeshop) as it was sheltered all the way.
Suddenly, while walking through Kim San Leng, an old man grapped my hand and mumbled a few words. I couldn't hear it, i took down my headphones and asked him to repeat what he said.
He said "Excuse me, can you help me to get up ?"
The old man was an Indian, his hair was all white and wore glasses that seemed it was made ages ago.
"Ok, but what's wrong?" I asked.
He took my hand and placed it on his left leg. His leg felt hard like plastic and the old man said that it was a synthetic one.
I was momentarily stunned and I immediately tried to help him up.
He got up on his two feet and I helped him carry his bag. The old man just swaggered through the walkway of the coffeshop and suddenly fell down near a table where a family and some other people where having their lunch.
A member of the family and some other guy immediately helped the old man up while a lady pulled her baby up as the old man had accidentally fallen on her. She was crying on top of her voice. “What’s wrong with him?" the men asked and the old man was just repeating "My leg is fake... My leg is fake..." Everyone just stared at the old man and wondered what happened.
Now, the old man was back on his two feet and I placed my hand on his shoulder and guided him through the walkway to the bus interchange where he wanted to go there.
We made a few pauses along the way as he wanted to catch his breath and he heaved and when he exhaled, I can smell the stench of alcohol and tobacco in his breath.
While walking to the bus stop, he told me something that I couldn't forget the tone of his voice. He said "I have cancer and i'm going to die sooner or later." That really took me by surprise. I asked him if he had any family members that he could contact but he just shooked his head and told me that he was just alone on his own.
My heart sank and wondered if what will I do if I'm in his position when I'm frail and old.
We crossed the zebra crossing to get to the other side of the road where the bus interchange was. Step by step, we made our way there. He asked me what religion I believe in, I told him I was Buddhist and he just nodded his head and said that he had some Buddhist books at home.
Just around 10 to 20 meters away from the Bus 54 stand, we walked along the rails of the other bus stands. He stopped, grapped the railings and tried to catch his breath. "Heezzz...Arrr..." He heaved in the air into his lungs. He looked at me and said that that respiratory system was very weak. The look on his face reminded me of my late grandfather who passed away 4 years ago due to the same illness, Cancer.
After that short period of rest, we reached the Bus 54 stand and I assisted him to sit down on one of the seats behind the stand. I asked him if that was all the help that he needed and he just nodded his head. He thanked me and offered me his hand for a handshake and i took his hand and gave him a firm handshake and I wished him good luck.
From there, I left him there, seated all alone on that seat. While walking back, I turned back to take a last look of him. He had his elbows on his knees and his hands on his head, facing down, looking very depressed.
I walked back home with a heavy heart and I cried when i came home.
Although this may sound like a scene in the movies, this is real and it's not a joke.
So whenever you see someone needing help on the streets, please do help them out.
