Anger
Trevor just managed to catch Jill as she hopped back over the fence of their neighbor. However, she did not look at him as she hopped across. While he was trying to look at her, he lost control as he gently pushed her chin up.
He felt old urges kick in as he saw his daughter's tear-stained face. His daughter felt this way because of that old woman. When the marine chained inside him broke free, he felt himself go berzerk.
Stealing From Her
Trevor saw it clearly for what it was. His neighbor stole from his little girl, and he would ensure she paid. In the knowledge that the police couldn't prove the theft, he decided to punish her himself.
She had no idea who she was dealing with. No civilian would anticipate Trevor's tips and tricks from overseas.
Taking Matters Into His Own Hands
During the next two weeks, Trevor spent time planning the perfect punishment for the old woman's disregard for his family. A unique opportunity awaited him, but he didn't know it at the time.
A few days later, he saw her passing their yard with the ball she had taken. What was her plan? Following her was what he decided to do.
Trailing Her
In response to the woman walking past his house, Trevor began stalking her. An average person hadn't a clue he was there, so he exploited their awareness to blend in perfectly.
In three blocks, he followed her; what could she have done with the balls? It was essential for him to know. The purpose of using it was to exact revenge on her. The truth, however, would change everything.
What Was Going On
She finally stopped outside the old wooden doors of a gray brick building after following her for what seemed like an eternity. Watching the woman hand the man the balls, Trevor watched with interest.
Instead of receiving money from the man, he saw something else happen. Then he realized what had happened.
Different From The Rest
As Trevor Grey liked to think, he was slightly different from the rest of his neighborhood. In contrast, he was getting real experience, not dull day-to-day jobs.
The nature of his job required him to travel extensively. From Africa to Afghanistan, he traveled. It's been decades since then. He had to settle into a quieter existence as a 41-year-old father.
Nostalgia
Trevor still enjoyed reminiscing about his heyday adventures, even though he was now retired. His life was full of recklessness and he lived every day as if it were his last. All Marines had to live that way.
His best memory was of effortlessly passing his specialization training and coming in first in his class. Few people could do the dirty work like him.
A Quiet Life
Putting away his holster and uniform for a bottle of formula would be a hassle. It would be easier for him to build a crib than to maintain a rifle.
He would have to sacrifice leading covert operations into enemy territory in order to raise a daughter, something much scarier. Upon hearing the news from his wife, he made his decision.
Settling Down
Trevor worked as a contractor in the local area after Jill was born. His strength now went into laying bricks and overseeing construction, rather than being an operator. Although it was not exciting, his little girl appreciated it.
If he was ever in doubt, he would recall the time when he taught her how to ride a bike or played in the yard with her. Those memories kept him from doubting himself. However, the peace could not last forever.
Her Favorite Toy
As with most 7-year-old girls, Jill had a selection of toys. The red ball, however, was her favorite by far. In terms of size and bounce, it was much smaller than a soccer ball.
As she kicked it against the wooden fence in the backyard, Trevor watched her play with it. He dreamed of what she might become one day, maybe an accomplished athlete. In an instant, something sour would ruin that dream.
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.
Days Go By
The next few days went by without a hitch. It was sunny, and Jill was playing outside nearly every day. Moments like this made him glad that he didn't work normal hours. Otherwise, he'd have to get a caretaker to look after his daughter while he was at work.
Jill was on her kindergarten spring break and spent every day playing outside. Trevor was happy that he was there to watch it. But that's when something unexpected happened.
History Repeats Itself
Trevor managed to watch it happen this time. The red blur sailed just over the fence. This meant another one was gone. Normally, he'd be frustrated, but he was glad he'd 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.
Jumping Over
While Trevor was getting the extra ball out of his closet, 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 heard, "No, spoiled children like you can't have your things back. Get out of my property now, brat!" Jill 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. He felt himself go berzerk as the marine chained up inside of him started to break free.
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 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. And she had unlocked them again.
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.
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 expected to see the man give her money in exchange, 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.
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 decided to compromise his plan. He decided that his revenge could be getting her to confess. He marched over to her house and banged on the door.
"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. 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.