A New Development
Two times; two times she had to ask her neighbor not to park the truck there. The first time she had managed to make him get it out of there right away. The second time, the same thing happened.
But on the third time, she had just gotten back from the hospital. She was in no mood for games. But the truck was there again. That's when she knew she had to do something about it.
LIfe In Arlington
The protagonist of this story is Alicia Holloway, a mom living in Arlington, Virginia. After years of hard work, she really had nothing to complain about; her life was nice and comfortable.
She lived in the town's suburbs with her two sons, in a big house was at the end of the street. One thing she had always liked about the neighborhood was how quiet and calm it was; at least, until her new neighbors arrived.
New Neighbors
When she first saw them, Alicia's neighbors didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. They had four sons; three of them were old enough to drive their parents' cars. One day, Alicia spotted a huge truck parking by the neighbor's yard.
At first, Alicia didn't give it any thought; she had other things to worry about. Her lastborn had a fever, and she had been taking care of him. Little did she know that whether she wanted or not, her relationship with the new neighbors would soon become another source of distress for her.
Trouble Arrives
At one point in the evening, Alicia heard someone knocking on her door. When she opened the door, she found her neighbor standing there and smiling. The first thing the man did was apologize for bothering her at that time of the day.
“Don't worry about it,” said Alicia. In turn, she apologized for not letting him in. She told him about how his son was sick, and she was worried that it might be contagious. The man understood. But then he said, “I have a favor to ask”.
She Would Help If She Could
“Sure,” said Alicia. “What can I do to help you?” Even though Alicia barely knew anything about her new neighbors, she had introduced herself and her sons when they first arrived.
She was the type of person who prefers to stay home and not go out much; but still, she liked to have a good relationship with everyone in the neighborhood. She was willing to do anything she could to help them. Within reasonable limits, of course.
It’s Birthday Present
“My son turned sixteen just the other day,” the man said. “Maybe you've seen the truck we got for him.” “I did!” Alicia said. “It’s really big. It looks nice. How does he like it?”
“Oh, he loves it,” her neighbor said. “He's delighted with it. And yes, it is indeed a big car. That's why I wanted to talk to you”. Alicia wondered what was that all about. And then the man said something that left her stunned.
A Request Like No Other
“Could we park the truck in your driveway?. Some neighbors have been complaining that it's so big they can't get around it when we park it in ours.”
Alicia was amazed at that request. It didn't even make any sense. Every house on the street had its own garage, a driveway, and some proper space on the street for parking. She answered something that made the neighbor really irritated.
She’s Adamant
“I use my driveway every time I leave my house and come back,” Alicia said. “I couldn't even enter my garage with your truck there. Also, I'm kind of impaired when it comes to depth perception, so I'm afraid I might scratch your son's truck.”
The neighbor didn't give up. He kept insisting, trying to convince her: but Alicia wasn't having it. The discussion started becoming circular, and they both saw that it wasn't going anywhere. So Alicia wished her neighbor goodnight, thinking that this would be the end of it.
She Takes Precautions
Just in case the disagreement might escalate, Alicia emailed the homeowner’s association about the issue. Nothing bad had to happen, but she thought it would be better to take precautions. After that, she went to bed.
The next morning, everything seemed fine. She woke up, made breakfast, got her kids ready for school, and went out. And that's when she saw something that made her blood boil.
He Didn’t Listen
The truck was blocking Alicia's parkway! That was infuriating. Alicia took pictures of the car before knocking on her neighbor's door and asking them to remove it. She also warned that if that happened again, she'd call the authorities.
She let the HOA know about the situation and then went to work. But that same night, something else happened. And that's when she knew she'd have to think of something drastic to get her point across.
Pushing Her Buttons
The truck was parked exactly where it was in the morning, blocking Alicia’s garage. She stomped over to her neighbors’ 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.
It Doesn’t Stop
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.
Her son’s diagnosis was not as severe as she’d thought, and soon they were on their way back home. Alicia drove up to their neighborhood, finding the truck on her driveway again. Knowing she’d tried to play fair, she decided enough was enough.
Sweet Revenge
Alicia took more photos and videos of the truck and updated the HOV again. She also called a 24-hour tow truck service. It was an hour past midnight, but the tow truck showed up and got to work.
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.
They Can’t Touch Her
“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. What she said next made the man freeze.
They Learn Their Lesson
“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. Even though she didn’t press charges, the truck never neared her driveway again.