Many faces on the metro seemed uninterested. Clutching her baby, the young mother just managed to get inside the crowded car.The baby was resting comfortably, cuddled against the woman’s chest, while she struggled to keep her balance while holding the baby with one hand and unable to grip a railing with the other.
She silently looked around the car. Men and women sat with their phones down, some of them acting as though they didn’t notice her at all. Someone glanced to one side and then looked away. The woman swayed with the train, tensing her arms more and more to keep her equilibrium. One of the seated individuals gave her a quick glance before turning away.
But when a woman in her seventies did something unexpected, everyone turned to her with admiration and blushed in shame.
The elderly woman exclaimed loudly and plainly, “If you come here, I’ll give you my seat.”
Everyone turned around. The woman tried to stand, leaning on a cane. She had wrinkles and traces of fatigue on her face, and her hair was pulled back into a neat bun. She gestured to the young mother.
My knees suffer, but your hands are busier than mine. She added, smiling softly but firmly, “Your child is more important than my joints.”
The mother approached, confused, and whispered:
Many thanks.
And at that very time, something unexpected happened.
One of the young males, who had been wearing headphones the entire time, suddenly sprang up and yelled:
I’m sorry. I’m ashamed. Please take a seat. — He gestured to his seat as he turned to face the elderly woman. — And please, don’t stand. Sit down. I’m responsible for giving up my seat, not yours.
Silence fell.
One by one, more passengers began to rise. Immediately, several seats were available. The mother’s purse was offered to be held by someone. The elderly woman merely let out a sigh:
— See? I thought that people were extinct.
