Good Deeds, Unexpected Turns: The Single Dad and the Old Lady’s Surprise

Single Dad Helps Old Lady Mow Her Lawn, Soon Gets a Call from Her Lawyer

Felix notices his elderly neighbor laboring to trim her overgrown yard and runs to assist. As a thank you, she thrusts an odd antique box upon him; however, Felix finds himself in serious legal hot water when her attorney calls to demand an immediate appointment.

Felix was looking over his handyman business’s monthly accounts when he heard a lawnmower snarl. When he peered out his kitchen window, he was startled to see an old woman named Mrs. McAllister using her cane as a walking aid and straining to maneuver her lawnmower with one hand.

Mrs. McAllister was crimson in the face and drenched in sweat when Felix caught up to her. She turned off the lawnmower.

“Felix…is there…something…I can help…you with?” She gasped.

“Please move aside so I can assist you! To be honest, Mrs. McAllister, your son ought to be assisting you with these household tasks. It’s wrong to leave your aging mother to struggle on her own.”

Felix was invited inside for a drink of lemonade by Mrs. McAllister after a tiring morning spent mowing and raking the tall, wet grass. The dirty mess of cobwebs, dirt, and trinkets in her house astounded him. Felix got the impression that his generous neighbor was no longer able to look after herself.

“Here you go, dear.” On the table, Mrs. McAllister set down a glass of lemonade.

“I also want this to belong to you. This antique has been handed down via my family.”

Felix scowled at the metal container she extended for him. It was quite weighty and featured a curious set of dials on the lid.

“I don’t need a fancy gift for such a simple task, Mrs. McAllister.” Felix returned the box to her hand.

Mrs. McAllister cast a disappointed glance. She demanded he take something to make up for his worries and went to get his daughter Suzie an apple-filled grocery bag. She then groaned loudly and collapsed into her armchair, obviously tired.

Felix left Mrs. McAllister to rest, insisting that she phone him the next time she needs assistance. Later on in the day, Suzie hurried up to Felix, grinning with excitement.

“Dad, look what I found under the apples Mrs. McAllister gave us!” She pointed out to him the same weird metal box. “I think these dials are a combination lock, but I can’t open it.”

“I’m sorry, Suzie, I know you love old puzzle boxes and things, but we aren’t keeping this.” He extended his hand to grasp the package. “I’m going to return it to Mrs. McAllister.”

Felix insisted even though Suzie was furiously unhappy. With the box in hand, he marched back to Mrs. McAllister’s house, but she did not answer the door. He groaned in frustration and reached for the door handle. He stepped inside after shouting to Mrs. McAllister that he was returning her box safely.

The body of Mrs. McAllister was hunched over in the recliner. Her eyes were empty and unseen as they gazed at the wall.

“Mrs. McAllister!” Felix hurried to her side and yelled, but it was too late—Mrs. McAllister had vanished.

It wasn’t until much later that Felix noticed the box was in his pocket. He looked for comparable antique boxes on the internet on a whim. When he eventually located a match, he cursed.

This was a $250,000 box!

Felix couldn’t return the package even though he hadn’t wanted to, and Suzie’s future would be guaranteed by that sum of money. For the benefit of Suzie, he had to sell it. Felix put the box somewhere safe in the interim. Felix received an odd phone call a few days later.

“This is Tim, the attorney for Mrs. McAllister. I would like to schedule a meeting with you right away. Are you free right now?”

Felix was cautious about Tim’s haste, but he agreed to meet the lawyer at a town cafe. He was interested as to why Tim wanted to see him, despite his discomfort. When he came and found Henry, the son of Mrs. McAllister, sitting at a table with the man who had to be Tim, his uncertainty only deepened.

Felix joined them, and Henry sent him a look. “Felix, I’ll get right to the point. From my mother’s home, a priceless heirloom—a little box with some dials on the lid—has vanished. I wanted to give you an opportunity to make the proper decision because you were the last person in her home.”

“You think I stole from your mother?” Felix bellowed. “Mrs. McAllister gave the box to me as thanks for cutting her grass—a chore you should’ve done for her!”

“Mom would never have given you that box!” Felix was stabbed by Henry with his finger. It was commissioned from a renowned artisan by my great-great-grandfather, a well-known politician! There are just two in the entire globe! I’ll give you $1,000 for the box if you return it to me. Alright?”

“No.” Felix got to his feet. “When I put it up for auction, you are invited to participate in the bidding. Henry, good bye.”

Felix took the box to a nearby auction house the following day to have it valued. Mr. Whitaker, a serious guy with a snobbish accent, summoned him to an assessment in a back room. Ellen, a woman, also joined them.

“I can immediately verify that the craftsmen’s mark on the underside is authentic,” stated Mr. Whitaker. “Therefore, sir, this is a very noteworthy piece. one of just two worldwide.”

Ellen bent to look inside the box. “That is quite lovely…may I see your provenance documentation?”

“Excuse me?” Felix queried.

A muscle in the woman’s cheek trembled. “You need to provide a certificate of authentication, or any verifiable document that proves the artifact’s authenticity and your ownership.”

Felix said, “Uh…I left all that stuff at home,” lying. He objected to the direction this appraisal had gone. After removing the package from the table, he made his way toward the door. “I’ll fetch it and be right back.”

“We can’t let you do that.” Ellen moved to the side, obstructing his way to the door.

“We are obliged to notify the authorities of any…irregularities concerning items tied to historical figures.”

Felix went into a panic. He swerved to avoid the woman and Mr. Whitaker, then shot out into the corridor. As soon as he arrived at the reception area, an alarm went off.

Felix ducked and slid past guards who were scrambling to stop him, feeling as though he was back on his high school football field. He sprang away from the grip of one and bolted out of the building onto the street. From then, he ran until his legs were completely numb.

Felix walked his living room, considering what to do. To invest in Suzie’s future, he wanted to sell the box, but he required some sort of paperwork for that.

He wished he could find out from Mrs. McAllister. She would likely be able to supply the precise documentation he required to show provenance as well as know exactly what they were. Felix thought for a moment, thinking there might be a market for the box. He didn’t want to do it, but he was stuck with no other option.

Felix went through his toolboxes and picked out a few necessary items, then went to the garage to get his boltcutter. Felix broke into Mrs. McAllister’s residence after Suzie went to bed that night in order to find the documents he wanted.

Felix entered Mrs. McAllister’s bedroom and felt a shiver run down his spine. The smell in here was still hers. He forced himself to see into her personal space even though it felt intrusive and spooky. The light in the bedroom came on while he was halfway across the space.

“Not so high and mighty now, are you Felix?” Henry snarled from the entrance.

Felix pivoted. Felix had a flash in his eyes as Henry snapped pictures of him with his phone raised.

Felix covered his face with a raised hand. Henry, this isn’t how it looks. All I need is—”

“The documentation for the box, I know.” Henry grinned. “The auction house contacted me after you attempted to swindle them since my family is known to have a link to that box. I told them, of course, that you took it.

“That’s a lie!”

“But you can’t prove ownership without proper documentation.” Henry filled the entryway with his stance, arms crossed. “Neither can you sell it. I’ll give you till tomorrow at eight in the morning to turn it in; if not, I’ll phone the police.”

Felix took out running from Mrs. McAllister’s house as Henry moved aside. He was burdened by the implications he now had to face. The day he discovered Mrs. McAllister dead, he wished he had left the box at her home.

However, she had wanted him to possess it! Felix didn’t think Henry would give the box back if he said he would. Ideas were flying through his head. He knew what he had to do by daylight.

He woke Suzie and instructed her to hurriedly pack her bags, then requested his mom to come over right now. They were all gathered at the front door a few hours later. Now that he’d covered everything, it was time to say their goodbyes.

Felix handed Suzie the box. “As soon as you can, sell it. Please don’t accept anything less than $100,000 for it. This is the only way to ensure that you enjoy life to the fullest and get out of this situation.”

Tightly hugging his daughter, Felix fought back the tears that threatened to well up in his eyes. One of the toughest things he had ever had to do in his life was say goodbye to her.

He stared into Suzie’s eyes and whispered, “Promise me you’ll live a good life, Suzie,” “Travel to see what the world has to offer and study hard so you can make a name for yourself.” Take good care of your grandmother; family is vital, and we should show respect to the old.”

In the distance, police sirens sounded. Half an hour had passed since Henry’s deadline at 8:30 a.m. He had a suspicion that those sirens were pursuing him. He kept his eyes on Mom and Suzie as they pulled out of the driveway, hearing the police sirens becoming closer. When the police detained him, he found some solace in the fact that they were out of this mess.

Legal complications hampered the allegations against Felix, despite Henry’s threats. The absence of the box cast doubt on several crucial aspects of Henry’s case. Felix waited for his court date in a detention cell for four months. A guard informed him one day that someone had paid his bail.

Felix was genuinely perplexed. Suzie was waiting for him in the front portion of the prison, where he followed the man. Together, they strolled outdoors. Mom was waiting for them, parked at the curb.

Felix whispered to Suzie, “Okay, I can’t wait anymore,” as they entered the vehicle. “What’s going on?”

“Well, I didn’t listen to you about the box.” Suzie gave a shy smile. “Instead, I managed to open it.” There was a note from Mrs. McAllister along with an authentication certificate inside. Dad, she genuinely wanted that package to belong to you. That was stated in the note.”

Felix scowled. Suzie wasn’t done, so he didn’t have much time to consider Mrs. McAllister’s request that he take the box, even though he still didn’t comprehend it.

“So I showed the note to your lawyer, and then I took the box with all the papers to an antique dealer.” Suzie gave this big smile. “He gave us enough money for it to post bail and we still have $100,000 left!”