Felix, a middle-aged single parent, was half-watching TV in his tattered armchair while the monotonous laughter of sitcoms filled the small living room. Since his wife had died seven years ago, his life had become a habit of calm solitude. Though he found occasional moments of happiness working as a janitor and raising his daughter Alice, the past continued to weigh heavily on him.
Felix was drawn to the window by an outside noise one afternoon. He saw Mrs. White, his elderly neighbor, fumbling with her lawnmower. She was known for her staunch independence, but today it was obvious that she needed assistance. Felix hurried over and offered to help without thinking. “Mrs. White, let me handle that for you,” he offered, freeing her from the uncooperative device. They labored side by side in silence under the balmy midday sun.
Mrs. White then grinned broadly at Felix, clearly appreciative. Felix, you’ve always shown me such kindness. You never look for anything back in exchange. Felix dismissed it with his usual humility. “Mrs. White, it’s not at all troublesome.”
Mrs. White insisted on giving him an elaborate, antique box as a way of saying thank you. Felix was hesitant to receive such a lavish present since he felt uncomfortable. He protested, “Mrs. White, I really can’t take this,” but she persevered and gave him a bag of apples for Alice in exchange. Felix reluctantly agreed and went back to his house.
Later, while Felix was becoming comfortable with his evening, Alice found the elaborate box tucked away among the apples. “Papa! She held out the enigmatic object and exclaimed, “Look what was in the bag!” Felix was intrigued, but he concluded right away that they couldn’t retain it. Alice, this isn’t ours. Though the mystery of the box continued to bother him, he firmly stated, “We need to return it.
Felix was given a deadline by Henry: return the box by the next day, or he would call the police. Felix gave in since he had no choice but to shield Alice from the impending storm. He packed the box containing her possessions for safekeeping and sent her to her grandmother’s house, which was far from the commotion.
Felix made a critical phone call to Henry as he braced himself for what was to come. “I am missing the box. It’s gone,” he declared, prepared to accept the repercussions. Felix was left worrying only for Alice’s safety when the cops showed up and took him into custody shortly after.
