Life on Maple Street was always peaceful. When I first built my backyard fence, I made a simple handshake deal with my neighbors, Jim and Susan. It wasn’t exactly on the property line, but everyone agreed, and it gave me the privacy I wanted. The fence became a part of my home, and for years, everything went smoothly. Then Jim and Susan sold their house, and a new neighbor, Kayla, moved in.
Kayla was polished, professional, and came from the city with a very different attitude. A few months after she arrived, she hired a surveyor and discovered the fence was nine inches onto her property. She showed up at my door with papers, demanding I either move the fence or pay for the land. I explained the handshake agreement, but she wasn’t interested. Not wanting any legal trouble, I reluctantly removed the fence myself.
About a week later, Kayla returned, this time in tears. Without the fence, her energetic dog couldn’t be left outside, and her house was quickly becoming chaotic. She begged me to rebuild it, even offering to cover the costs, but I declined to avoid more complications. She tried to install a flimsy bamboo fence, but it didn’t hold up, and her dog kept causing trouble. Soon, the stress began affecting her work and personal life.Months passed, and Kayla’s situation only worsened. I offered advice but refused to rebuild the fence. Eventually, I decided to sell my house and move somewhere quieter. When Kayla saw the “For Sale” sign, she seemed exhausted rather than upset. I left the neighborhood with my old fence panels, started fresh, and found peace again. Whenever I look back, I can’t help but smile—sometimes, life has a way of bringing everything full circle.
