When I got home from visiting my sister, I saw terrible things. The pond I loved, which used to be a peaceful place, was covered in dirt. My friend Brian did what he said he would do about the frogs and mosquitoes that were making noise at the pond. Without telling anyone, he took action on his own.
Our nice neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, tried to help, but Brian’s crew said they had official papers. I asked my family for help because I was determined to get justice. Thanks to my niece Jessie, she remembered that our bird-watching camera had caught Brian teaching the workers. With this proof in hand, I called the EPA.
Brian was quickly fined $50,000 by the EPA for breaking rules meant to protect the environment. My grandson Ethan, who is a lawyer, sued for damage to property and mental distress. The most shocking turn, though, came when Karen, Brian’s wife, came up to me. She offered to handle the pond’s restoration because she was so upset about what her husband had done.
Karen told everyone that Brian’s bad behavior was caused by shady business deals. His pond complaints were a bad way for him to deal with his anger. As we talked, a new understanding came to light. After the pond was fixed and the charges were dropped, Karen and I became friends in a way I didn’t expect.
“Life is full of surprises,” I thought as I was thankful for the connection that had been made over something that had been a problem. Thanks to Karen’s desire to make things right and her dedication to healing, our neighborhood had a new sense of community.
