A Comfortable Life
It had happened on more than one occasion when she had asked her neighbor not to park his son’s truck on her driveway. She had insisted that he move it as soon as he had done it the first time, and she hadn’t backed down when he did it a second time.
She had made a promise and would soon live it up. It was late at night when she returned from the emergency room to find the truck parked in her driveway again.
Four Sons
A single mom from Arlington, Virginia, Alicia Holloway, had worked hard for where she was and what she had. It had been no easy feat to find the comfort she had in her life now.
She had found a quiet and friendly neighborhood for herself and her two sons. They lived together in a large house at the end of the cul de sac, enjoying being surrounded by a peaceful community. That was until they got new neighbors.
The Afternoon Peace
It wasn’t tricky for Alicia to see that her neighbors were an upper-middle-class family like any other. Three of their four sons followed their parents in their own cars up to their new house.
Should could tell their lastborn was in his teen years which meant he didn’t have a car of his own. But everything changed one afternoon when Alicia and her sons experienced something they had never had before.
Into The Driveway
Her audiobook had enraptured Alicia while she was enjoying the fresh air from her backyard. Suddenly, she felt the ground beneath her shaking.
She was so startled she yanked her earbuds out from her ears. That’s when she heard the loud growl breaking through the air. A truck’s engine was so loud that it shook the ground again. The peaceful spell that had taken over the afternoon was broken. Alicia had to know what was happening.
The Start Of Her Problems
Alicia wondered if her neighbors had hired another truck to bring the rest of their furniture. She set everything down before rushing around to her front yard. That’s when she saw something she would never have expected.
It was brightly colored, and the massive object was making its way into the neighbor’s driveway. Unknowing what it was, Alicia turned around and returned to her audiobook. But she had no idea the trouble that she was soon to face.
A Knock At Her Door
The rest of the afternoon had gone smoothly, but the peace didn’t last into the evening. When she checked in on her sons, she realized that her lastborn son wasn’t feeling well.
As time passed, she realized that mild chest pains accompanied his fever. She thought that was the beginning of her worries, but her new neighbors had something else in store for her.
A Friendly Woman
When Alicia heard the knock at her door that night, she noticed that it was 8 PM. She opened the door to find her neighbor standing on her front porch, smiling wide. He apologized for bothering her at such a late hour.
Alicia dismissed it with a smile and said, “I apologize for not letting you inside. My son has fallen under the weather, and I don’t want to chance you getting ill, either.” The man told her not to worry and that he understood completely. “However, I do have something that I have been meaning to ask you.”
His Son’s Truck
Alicia was eager to help and asked what she could do for him. She hadn’t spoken much to her neighbors after she and her sons had introduced themselves after they had settled in.
She wasn’t one to shy away from everyone in the neighborhood and had built great relationships with everyone else in the cul de sac. She was always willing to help them when they asked.
Receiving Complaints
The man smiled as he explained that his son had recently turned 16. “Did you see the truck we bought him?” he asked. Alicia nodded enthusiastically. “It’s quite a big one! What does he think of it?” she asked.
“He loves it,” he replied. “It’s exactly what he asked for. Now that you mention the size – that’s actually what I came over to talk to you about.” What he said next had Alicia’s mouth hanging open.
It’s Quite Big
He explained that the other neighbors had been complaining about struggling to get around the truck due to its size. “Could we perhaps use your driveway for the truck?”
Alicia was left stunned. Everyone in the neighborhood had ample space for parking considering each house had its own driveway and a garage. There was even space on the street for parking, and she hoped she could get her point across to her neighbors without either of them getting upset.
A Small Car
“I would like to help,” Alicia began. “But the truck is quite big, and I need my driveway at least four times a day.”
She detailed her daily activities that warranted her use of the driveway, stating that although she’d love to help, the request was beyond her. But the man took it as a challenge, opening a can of worms Alicia wasn’t ready for.
She’s Adamant
“You drive a small car,” the man said. “You can park it outside for now until I come up with a better alternative.” Still, Alicia refused. Irritated, the man asked her to be a considerate neighbor.
Alicia would have heard him out, but there was this authority in his voice that made it sound like he was giving her no option on the matter. Did he decide that he was going to park in her driveway despite her decision?
She Takes Precautions
“I use my driveway when I leave and come home,” Alicia said with finality. “I can’t access my garage without it. I also have issues with depth perception, and your son’s truck is so big I am afraid I might scratch it.”
The neighbor tried to insist, but Alicia wouldn’t budge. The discussion became heated, and seeing that this wasn’t going anywhere, Alicia wished the man goodnight.
The First Email
Alicia returned to her son, bringing him soup to soothe his pain. But as she sat by his side, listening to him talk about his interests, she thought about what the man would do.
Hoping to avoid any splashback when trouble came, she did the only thing she could at the moment. She pulled her laptop, ready to set things straight.
He Didn’t Listen
Alicia emailed the homeowner’s association about the matter before it escalated as a cautionary step. She then went to bed.
She woke up ready for work the next day. She prepared her boys for school, and they all hopped into her car. But when she rolled up her garage door, she couldn’t believe what was standing imposingly behind them.
A Stern Warning
The truck was blocking Alicia and her kids. Fuming, Alicia took photos of the vehicle on her property. She went to knock on her neighbor’s door.
The man opened, a surprised look on his face as if he couldn’t see the brightly colored Ford on Alicia’s driveway. Alicia didn’t even speak. She only motioned at the vehicle with a grimace.
Pushing Her Buttons
The neighbor called his son to remove the truck. But before Alicia left, she warned him and his dad that she’d have the vehicle towed if they parked in her driveway again.
She updated the HOA on the situation and headed to work. But later that night, her heart dropped when she pulled around the corner and looked at her driveway.
It Doesn’t Stop
The truck was parked exactly where it was in the morning, blocking Alicia’s garage. She stomped over to her neighbor’s house. The neighbor’s wife received her this time, rudely asking why Alicia was disrupting her family’s dinner.
Alicia calmly asked her to have her son remove his vehicle from her property. She also issued the same warning she had in the morning.
The Problems Keep Coming
But when Alicia got in the house, she found her son’s condition had worsened. She quickly strapped him into the car and headed to the emergency room.
She spent hours at the hospital, waiting for the doctors to tell her what was wrong. After a long wait, her son’s results were out. They would leave Alicia in tears.
The Diagnosis
The week had started well for Alicia. But the issue with the neighbor’s truck was getting to her. To add to that, her son had suddenly fallen ill.
Alicia didn’t know what to make of the latter of the two. She loved her kids dearly and felt pain whenever any of them was in any distress. Alicia bit her tongue as the doctor walked in with her lastborn’s test results.
Everything’s Okay
“Pneumonia,” the doctor declared. But he promised Alicia that the disease was still in its early stages. With proper care, her son could beat it.
The doctor prescribed a few pills, and Alicia and her son went home. She wiped her tears with relief, seeing that her son’s condition was manageable and her neighbors finally respected her. She had no idea what was happening back home.
Sweet Revenge
Alicia’s son’s diagnosis was not as severe as she’d thought, and soon they were on their way back home. But as they drove up to their neighborhood, a familiar sight greeted them.
The large brightly colored truck was in Alicia’s driveway again, glinting in the dark as Alicia’s headlights struck it. Knowing she’d tried to play fair, she decided enough was enough.
Waking Her Up
Alicia took more photos and videos of the truck and updated the HOV. She also called a 24-hour tow truck service. It was an hour past midnight, but the tow truck arrived and got to work.
With that part done, Alicia put her kids to sleep, prepared for the next day, and soon retired to bed. The consequence of her actions would wake her up in the morning.
They Can’t Touch Her
A loud thump and insistent bell ringing woke Alicia up the following day. She didn’t need to guess who it was. She made her way downstairs and found her neighbor and son furiously banging at her door.
Alicia didn’t bother with opening the door. She entered the kitchen and fixed herself a hot cup of coffee as the knocks shook her door. After a refreshing drink, she went to face her neighbor.
Sending The Evidence
“How can I help you?” Alicia asked sweetly, but the two glared at her. “You stole our truck,” her neighbor barked. “I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘towed,'” Alicia answered, smiling.
Her neighbor formed a fist, seemingly controlling himself. “I will sue you,” he hissed, but Alicia still held her smile. She had all the protection she needed if this case went to court.
They Learn Their Lesson
Alicia had taken several photos and videos of the truck on her property. She also updated the home owner’s association on every new development.
Each piece of evidence would come to her aid if her neighbor were to do something to her. But she wouldn’t sit around and let it go to that. What she said next made the man freeze.
Updating The HOA
“Go ahead. I am pressing charges for trespassing,” Alicia said. “I have evidence: photos, videos, and emails.” She was even recording this conversation as it was happening.
“If you want your vehicle, you can find it at the tow truck yard.” With that, Alicia closed the door and returned to bed. She hoped her neighbor knew he’d kicked the hornet’s nest.
The HOA
Alicia got in touch with the HOA, telling them her neighbor had come to wake her up in the morning. She also shared her plans to press charges.
After sending the email, she tended to her kids and left for work. But it wouldn’t reach midday before the intended effects of her plan began manifesting themselves.
Repercussion
Alicia received a response from the HOA. They apologized for everything she and her family had gone through, asking her if she was open to seeing them first before pressing any charges.
They assured her she was in the right, owing to all the information she’d sent their way. They were ready to back her if she wanted to take her neighbor to court.
The HOA called a meeting, which Alicia and her neighbor attended. They reprimanded the man for his unsavory behavior, stating that whatever financial reach he thought he had meant nothing here.
The man apologized for everything, and even though Alicia didn’t press charges, he never parked the large truck in her driveway again.
Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.