That Time a Stranger Saved my Life | Lisa Steingold

That Time a Stranger Saved my Life

Taj Mahal
We never trust life and yet if you think back on your life, there was surely a stranger who stepped in and saved your life.

Last Updated on March 31, 2024 by Lisa

This is outside my normal writing themes but I’m writing this blog in the hope that I can one day thank James, the stranger who saved my life.

James

Once upon a time in Nepal

When I left school I had no idea what I wanted to do. I decided that my parents did pretty well with accounting, financially I mean so I chose that.

Well needless to say it didn’t end well. I dropped out in the second year and decided to work and save until I could travel. Which is exactly what I did. 

So this is the short intro as to how I met Janes in my small guest house in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the year 1999. (Well know you know how old I am we can just move on from that.)

Kathmandu

Meet James, the South African with no surname

So I hear this South African accent in Kathmandu and of course, I’m stunned. I say hello to James; the bronzed-bodied, eyes glowing super-bright-smile guy standing in front of me.

He gives me a hug and we chat. 

James was on a trip prior to getting married to a girl in the UK.

Anyway we chatted but he was leaving the next day to go trekking and I was going to India.

Kathmandu

Fast forward to the Taj Mahal

So there I was a naive blonde travelling around India by herself. I can’t say I’d do it this day in age but anyway. 

I was determined to see the Taj Mahal. And off I trotted to Agra. 

People tell you how they love India but I struggled. There were so many people and it was sensory overload.

So when I found a quiet clean guesthouse, I was happy.

That was until the owner of the guest house decided that we should get married. I was freaked out. He invited me to dinner in his hotel and not a couple hours later, I found myself violently ill. I’ll spare you the details but just to say that I pretty much spend the night with my head in the toilet and the door locked shut.

All I knew is I wanted out ASAP.

Jaisalmer

Enter James. Again

The next morning I went downstairs to have black coffee and bottled water on the balcony and who walks past but James!

James! James! I called.

He stopped, looked up at the balcony from the passing sidewalk, tilted his sunglasses and immediately smiled. 

He walked over to me to give me a hug but could see I wasn’t well. 

I told him the story and he asked if I’d like to travel with him. He’d organize us train tickets to Jaisalmer.

FYI Jaisalmer, nicknamed “The Golden city”, is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located just off the border of Pakistan. Back then it really was off the beaten track.

The hotel owner was outraged that I was leaving but with James there he couldn’t really do anything.

So the following day we climbed aboard the train.

The train from hell

I don’t remember much but I remember having my head facing down the tracks and wishing I would die. I felt like I’d thrown up even my insides. I was dizzy. I prayed for it to end. 

Then I passed out. 

Next thing I woke up in a hotel room. James had undressed me and cleaned me up. He had carried my bags. And he was urging me to drink some Gatorade or something like that. 

I stayed in that bed for 5 days while James nursed me back to health. 

After that James and I travelled for a week together. We took a guided trip into the desert on camels where two men offered James two camels for me but thankfully he declined.

We talked a lot. We laughed. And we reflected on life.

Then James went on to travel to where I don’t remember where. I had his email address and I think we swapped emails a few times. 

That was way back when I had a Hotmail email address. Then I swapped email addresses – I think Google came around – and I lost his email address.

I had nothing to go on except that James was South African and lived in the UK.

I never got to thank James for saving my life. 

My wish is that one day I’ll be able to thank him. 

We can trust life

How often has a stranger stepped in to save your life? Even in the smallest of ways. Even if it was just to give you change to pay the parking.

I often think we learn to defend ourselves because we don’t trust. But there are earth angels like James who show you that you can trust life.

PS If you know a South African named James please let him know I’ve been waiting 24 years to say thank you.

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