There were a lot of uninterested faces in the metro. The young mother barely made it inside the packed car while clutching her infant.and the woman was struggling to maintain her balance, holding the infant with one hand and unable to grasp a railing with the other, the baby was sleeping soundly, nestled against her chest.
She surveyed the car in silence. Both ladies and men sat with their phones lowered, some pretending not to see her at all. Someone took a sidelong peek, then turned their head back. The woman tensed her arms more and more to maintain her balance as she swayed with the train. One of the people seated glanced at her, then turned away.
However, a woman in her seventies did something unexpected, and all of the people looked at her respectfully, flushing in embarrassment.
I’ll give you my seat if you come here, the old woman said clearly and loudly.
Everyone pivoted. Leaning on a cane, the woman tried to stand. Her face displayed signs of weariness and wrinkles, and her hair was styled in a tidy bun. She pointed at the young mom.
Your hands are busy than mine, but my knees hurt. And, with a gentle yet strong smile, she said, “Your child is more important than my joints.”
The mother came over, perplexed, and murmured:
A huge thank you.
And something unexpected occurred at that precise moment.
After wearing headphones the entire time, one of the young men abruptly got up and exclaimed:
I apologize. I feel embarrassed. Sit down, please. — He turned to the old woman and motioned to his seat. — And don’t stand, please. Take a seat. Giving up my seat, not yours, is my responsibility.
There was silence.
Other passengers started to rise one by one. There were a number of open seats right away. Someone volunteered to hold the mother’s bag. The old woman simply sighed:
— See? I believed that humanity was extinct.
