Blood Boiling
Jill hopped back over his neighbor’s fence, and Trevor just managed to catch her, but she wasn’t looking at him.
He gently pushed her chin up so he could look at her, but when he did, he started to lose control.
Seeing his daughter’s tear-stained face made him feel old urges kick in. That old woman had done this; she made his daughter feel this way. He felt himself go berzerk as the marine chained inside him broke free.
Theft
Trevor saw it for what it was plain as day. The neighbor was stealing from his little girl, and he would make sure she paid for it.
He knew the cops would never be able to prove the theft, so he decided to use his form of punishment.
The old woman living next door didn’t know who she was dealing with. Trevor had some tips and tricks he had learned overseas that no civvie would be anticipating.
Finding The Perfect Punishment
Trevor consoled his daughter and spent the next two weeks planning the perfect way of punishing the old woman for her discretion against his family.
But he didn’t know he was going to find a unique opportunity.
One day, he saw her pass their yard with the ball she had taken. Where was she going with it? He decided he’d follow her.
Following Her
Trevor started stalking the woman as she walked past his house. He knew how to exploit an average person’s awareness and blend in perfectly – she’d never even know he was there.
He followed her for three blocks; where could she have taken the balls? Every fiber of his being needed to know.
He wanted to use it as part of his revenge against her. But the truth would change everything.
The Truth
After following her for what felt like forever, the old woman finally stopped at a gray brick building and met someone outside the old wooden doors. Trevor watched as the woman handed the balls to the man.
He expected to see the man give her money in exchange, but something else happened.
That’s when he realized exactly what was going on.
Trevor Grey
Trevor Grey liked to think he was just a little bit more special than most other people in his neighborhood. They found dull day-to-day jobs; he was out getting real experience.
His job meant that he traveled a lot. It took him from Africa to Afghanistan. But those were decades ago.
Now a 41-year-old father of one, he had to settle into a quieter life.
Looking Back
Even though Trevor was now retired, he still liked reflecting on his heyday exploits.
He was young and reckless and lived everyday like it was his last. But that’s how everyone in the Marine Corps had to live.
He remembered effortlessly passing the specialization training and being at the top of his class. He was truly gifted at doing the dirty work few people could do.
Swapping Out
He’d have to hang up his holster and uniform for a bottle of formula. He’d have to put his hands to work building a crib rather than cleaning a rifle.
But most of all, he’d have to give up leading covert operations into enemy territory in exchange for something much scarier, raising a daughter.
When he heard the news from his wife back home, he knew his choice.
Dad’s Life
After Jill was born, Trevor found local work as a contractor. The ex-operator was now putting his strength into laying bricks and overseeing construction. It wasn’t exciting but it was worth it for his little girl.
Whenever he was in doubt, he would think about when he taught her how to ride a bike or play with her in the yard.
Those memories made sure he didn’t doubt himself. But the peace couldn’t last forever.
A Ball
Jill had a selection of toys, just like most 7-year-old girls. But by far, her favorite was her red ball. It was smaller than a soccer ball and a lot bouncier.
Trevor would watch her play with it in the backyard, kicking it against the wooden fence.
He fantasized about what she would be one day, maybe an accomplished athlete. But something was going to sour that dream in an instant.
Kicking It Over
Just as Trevor fantasized about what his girl would become, he was broken out of it by the sound of crying.
He rushed outside to see what was wrong, but that’s when he realized what was happening.
He couldn’t see the ball anymore, and Jill was crying. He then looked over the fence and realized what had happened. But at least it was quickly remedied, right?
Getting It Back
Trevor reassured his daughter that she would have her ball back quickly and started calling out to his neighbor.
After a few moments, an elderly woman shuffled out of her back door and into view.
She looked at Trevor as he pointed to the bright red ball on the grass. He made a pleading motion with his hands, and her lip curled into a sinister smile.
Spited
The elderly woman slowly made her way to the ball and picked it up. Now, all she had to do was toss it back. But unfortunately for Trevor, it wouldn’t be that simple. The woman bowed her head and started walking back inside the house. What was she doing?
Trevor’s eyes went from pleading to confusion. Was she going to come to his door to give it back?
He waited with a forlorn Jill as she sniffed her nose. But his neighbor never came knocking. Was this out of spite?
Knocking On Her Door
Trevor knew that something was wrong and decided to head over to her front door. He had never actually spoken to his neighbor anyway, but it was an unspoken rule that they are neighborly, right?
He knocked on the door, and after a moment, the door slowly opened.
The disheveled woman peeped round the door and stared at Trevor with unempathetic eyes. “Hi, I saw you take my daughter’s ball into the house. Could I please have it back?”
A No Go
The woman stared at Trevor as if processing what he had said slower than a goldfish.
Then her eyes sparked to life as she said, “I’m sorry. But your daughter can’t have it back. She shouldn’t have kicked it over the wall.”
Trevor’s frustration grew every second he was on the porch. Why was she denying his girl her ball to teach her some stupid lesson? He pleaded again, but it was a no-go. The woman closed the door in his face.
Finding Alternatives
Trevor balled his fist as his old training started dimly flashing in his mind. But he let out a loud sigh and let it all go. It was okay. He was already thinking of alternatives to the pickle he was in.
By the time he had walked back to his house, he had already thought of his plan B.
He played the scenario out in his head and nodded to himself before grabbing his car keys and quickly popping out.
Overreacted
Trevor chuckled to himself as he drove to the nearest toy store. He nearly overreacted over something as silly as a red ball.
The woman was definitely petty, but he was glad he had let it go and been the better person.
If it had been ten years ago, he might not have been so kind. He would have treated the problem like a combat sortie. But he was a different person now, or so he thought.
Replaceable
He popped into the toy store, and there he saw it – an identical red ball to his daughter’s old one. It was completely replaceable, so there was no point in getting angry over it.
They were so cheap he decided to buy an extra one that he would hide away in case his daughter broke it or lost it again.
He drove back home and presented the shiny ball to Jill, who was ecstatic.
Resolved?
Trevor patted himself on the back for what he had done. He always put being a dad over everything else.
He would tell his wife all about it when she got back from her business trip, but for now, it was just him and Jill.
As he fell asleep in his bed that night, he really thought everything had been resolved. But he had no idea what kind of trouble he’d have to raise in less than a week.
One Day
But one day, something horrible happened. The day started like any other, it was sunny, and Jill was playing outside. Moments like this made Trevor glad that he didn’t work normal hours.
Otherwise, he’d have to get a babysitter to look after his daughter while he was at work.
Jill was on her kindergarten spring break and spent her days playing outside. Trevor was glad that he was there to watch it. But that’s when it happened.
Keeping An Eye On Her
Trevor was in the kitchen, making himself his usual cup of coffee. He was keeping an eye on Jill from the window. She was in the garden, tossing her red ball as high as she could, and then catching it.
She was laughing happily, and he couldn’t help but smile. She was his pride and joy, and he would give up on any dream to see her like this.
But then it happened.
Over The Fence
Jill tossed the ball into the sky, and Trevor watched. His face fell when he watched the red blur sail just over the fence.
Once again, Jill’s favorite, red ball had landed in the rude old lady’s yard.
She stood motionless in the garden and raised her hands to her cheeks. Trevor watched from afar as tears began streaming down her face.
History Repeats Itself
This meant that another one of the balls was gone. Normally, he’d be frustrated, but he was glad he bought the spare.
It was only a shorter solution. He’d have to teach Jill to be more careful, but for now, he just wanted her to enjoy the summer breeze in their backyard.
But he didn’t catch what happened next.
Just A Second
He left her alone for just a second as he went to his bedroom.
While Trevor was getting the extra ball out of his closet, Jill stayed in the garden where he assumed she would stay until he got back.
He dug around until he found the ball, but he was completely unaware of what was happening outside.
Jumping Over
Jill took it upon herself to get her ball back, being resourceful like her dear old dad. She used the swing set to get enough height to climb over the fence, but the old woman was watching.
By the time Trevor got back to the backyard, he didn’t see Jill, but he heard her voice on the other side of the fence.
He froze in his tracks as he heard the old woman’s harsh voice.
Spoiled Children
Trevor stepped closer to the fence, calling for his daughter, but Jill couldn’t hear him over the old lady’s harsh words.
He took a step closer, listening closely to what the rude woman had to say.
He heard, “No, spoiled children like you can’t have your things back. Get out of my property now, brat!” Jill quickly jumped back over the fence, but what Trevor saw would have him in a frenzy.
Going Berserk
Jill had hopped over the fence, and Trevor caught her, but she wasn’t looking at him. He gently pushed her chin up so he could look at her, but when he did, he started to lose control.
Seeing his daughter’s tear-stained face made him feel old urges kick in. That old woman had done this; she made his daughter feel this way.
No one was allowed to make her feel this way. He wasn’t going to let the woman get away with this.
Comforting Her
But before he could do anything, he had to comfort the young girl. He hugged her tightly, running a gentle hand over her hair as she cried into his shoulder.
He didn’t show it on his face, but he could feel himself going berzerk as the marine chained up inside of him started to break free.
How could the woman do this to an innocent little girl? Jill was nothing but polite.
His Own Punishment
Trevor saw it for what it was plain as day. The neighbor was stealing from his little girl, and he would make sure she paid for it.
He knew the cops would never be able to prove the theft, so he decided to use his own form of punishment.
The rude woman picked on the wrong little girl and Trevor would stop at nothing to get some justice for his daughter.
Tips And Tricks
The old woman living next door didn’t know who she was dealing with. Trevor had some tips and tricks he had learned overseas that no civvie would be anticipating.
After becoming a father, he settled down for the most part. But the old woman was getting on his nerves and he could no longer sit idly while she got away with this.
She had unlocked a version of him that he had hidden for years.
Consoled
Trevor consoled his daughter and walked her back inside. He didn’t want her anywhere near the woman who was making her feel this way. Once inside, he put on her favorite show and dished up a big bowl of ice cream.
Within minutes, her tears had dried and she was sitting in front of the television, happily eating her bowl of ice cream.
That’s when he began planning his revenge.
Where Was She Going?
Trevor consoled his daughter and spent the next two weeks planning the perfect way of punishing the old woman for her discretion against his family.
But he didn’t know he was going to find a unique opportunity.
One day, he saw her pass their yard with the ball she had taken. Where was she going with it? He decided he’d follow her.
Stalking Her
Trevor started stalking the woman as she walked past his house. He knew how to exploit a normal person’s awareness and blend in perfectly – she’d never even know he was there.
The woman walked casually through the streets with the red ball in hand. She had no idea that the owner of the ball was following her.
He couldn’t believe that she dared to take it like that. But what was she getting up to?
Following Her
He trailed behind her, not making a sound as he moved through bushes and behind trees. She had no way of knowing that he was right there.
He followed her for three blocks; where could she have been taking the balls? Every fiber of his being needed to know.
He wanted to use it as part of his revenge against her. But the truth would change everything.
An Old Building
After following her for what felt like forever, the old woman finally stopped at a gray brick building and met someone outside the old wooden doors.
Trevor watched as the woman handed the balls to the man.
He stared with furrowed eyebrows. Was she selling Jill’s balls? The balls he had paid for and that belonged to his young daughter? His blood began to boil.
Waiting
He stood patiently and watched, expecting to see the man give her money in exchange. They stood talking for a while, but Trevor was too far away.
He couldn’t hear a word that either of them were saying.
He waited. Wondering why the man was taking so long to hand her the money, but something else happened. That’s when he realized exactly what was going on.
An Orphanage
Trevor looked at the old bricks and then at the old metal sign above the entrance. His mouth fell open as he saw what it read – Blackmore Orphanage.
Everything started to click into place. The nasty wasn’t selling the balls; she was giving them to an orphanage.
Bittersweet emotions ran through his body. She had stolen that ball, but it was going to a good cause.
He Didn’t Know How To Feel
After all this time, he was furious with the old woman, thinking that she was selfish and that she hated children, but perhaps he was wrong about her. He didn’t know how to feel about it now.
Jill was heartbroken about the entire situation, but the woman was being as cruel as he thought. Sure, she wasn’t being kind to his daughter, but she thought that other kids would appreciate the toys more.
He didn’t know how to feel about it.
Two-Sided Coin
Trevor started thinking about how there were two sides to everything. She walked back home, and he decided to head back as well. He needed to rethink his form of punishment.
He had planned an elaborate and spiteful trap that would have only escalated the situation.
Did he really want to harm an old lady? He was better than that, wasn’t he?
A Compromise
Trevor decided to dismiss his ideas and compromise his plan. He decided that his revenge could be getting her to confess. He still didn’t agree with the way she spoke to his little girl.
He left Jill at home with her favorite show and told her to stay put while he went over to the neighbor’s house.
He had to have a word with the old woman.
Confronting Her
He grabbed a pair of shoes, made his way over to her house, and banged on the door. It took a minute, but eventually, the door swung open.
“I saw what you did with the balls. I watched you give them to the orphanage. That means you must have a soft spot inside of you somewhere,” He said to the old lady.
But she burst into tears.
Opening Up To Him
With tear-stained cheeks, the woman opened up to him. After all this time, he saw a whole new side of her.
She explained how she had lost her husband a few years ago. Ever since then, she had never let anyone else into her life. Trevor told her she didn’t have to be cruel to his daughter.
He got something he never expected from her – an apology.
Privileged
“I am so sorry for the way I treated Jill,” She sniffled, “I kept seeing all the toys she had in the garden, and I was thinking about those children at the shelter, and how little they had.” She wept.
Trevor’s heart ached for the old woman. He understood where she was coming from.
Little Jill was very privileged compared to other children her age.
He Understood
“I understand,” He sighed, but he was in two minds. Although he understood where she was coming from, he still felt like she owed someone else an apology.
After all, Jill was too scared to play in the yard after the old woman yelled at her.
He mentioned this to the old woman, and her face quickly filled with regret. She realized how cruel she had been to the innocent little girl.
An Apology
“Give me one second,” She told Trevor before heading back into her home. When she returned, she held a tray of freshly baked cookies. “Hopefully these will make her feel better.”
With smiles on their faces, Trevor and the old woman headed back to his house where she apologized to the little girl. Jill was a smart young girl, and she accepted the apology almost immediately.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.