I looked with disapproval at the man who did not give up his seat to a pregnant woman, but a few minutes later, having learned the reason, I felt ashamed 😢😢
That evening I was returning from work. As usually happens during rush hour, the carriage was overcrowded. People were standing close to each other. I was unable to go deeper and remained standing on the entrance platform, holding onto the handrail.
There was a pregnant girl standing next to me. She was breathing a little harder than usual. She was holding onto the handrail with one hand, and her other hand was on her stomach. It was clearly not easy for her to stand.
I involuntarily began to watch the man sitting directly opposite us. About thirty-five to forty years old. In headphones. He looks at his phone, then out the window, then, it seems, at the girl. Does he see her? Of course he does. She is almost opposite. But he does not react. The girl is silent, does not ask.
I’m starting to get angry. How can she sit like this? Can’t he see that she’s not feeling well?
At this moment, a trembling but confident voice is heard:
“Young man, give way, the girl is pregnant. It’s hard for her to stand,” says the grandmother, standing a little further away.
The man slowly turns his head and calmly answers:
– Sorry. I can’t. I need to sit too.
I already open my mouth to protest: “What do you mean you can’t? You’re a man!” – but he turns back to the window. Grandma snorts and returns to her place. The girl remains standing.
Ten minutes pass. The girl takes out a bottle of water, takes a sip. The man stirs. I notice how he carefully reaches for his bag, moves his jacket… and then I see something very strange on his back 😲😲
There was a black strap under the T-shirt. Like from a medical corset.
After a couple of minutes, he slowly gets up. Very carefully. As if every movement is painful. He pulls his bag towards himself and stands up straight. But he doesn’t sit down again. He stands, holding onto the handrail. Then he quietly turns to the pregnant girl:
– You can sit down if you want!
The girl nods. She sits down silently, as if she doesn’t believe me. He stands next to her, leaning on the handrail, mostly on one leg. I look and notice that his right leg is shaking. He’s definitely in a lot of pain.
He gradually moves towards the doors. He asks the passengers to move a little, apologizes. He gets off at the next stop.
I couldn’t help but watch him go – he’s limping, shifting from one foot to the other. And on his back you can clearly see – a hard medical corset. The same one that they wear after spinal injuries.
The girl and I continue to ride in silence. She looks at the floor. Then quietly, almost in a whisper, she says:
— I didn’t know… I thought he was just being impolite.
I didn’t know either. I thought too. I judged.
