How far would you go to get back at your worst neighbor? I learned the hard way, and people in the neighborhood are still talking about it. My awful neighbor made my backyard into a dump, but he had no idea what was coming.<\/p>\n
Have you ever lived next to someone who made you want to rip your hair out? Let me tell you about mine. This story will make your last fight with a neighbor look like a tea party. My name is Jimmy.<\/p>\n
It all began with a wall. Yes, a simple fence made of bricks. That fence, on the other hand, could have been the Great Wall of China in my area.<\/p>\n
My friend Dan and I? We always fight over something, like cat and mouse. Keep in mind Tom and Jerry. We don\u2019t like being around each other, though.<\/p>\n
Things got even better with this fence.<\/p>\n
When Dan\u2019s voice came over, I was in my yard, proud of what I had done. \u201cHey, Jimmy!\u201d \u201cWhat\u2019s the big deal about this awful thing?\u201d<\/p>\n
When I turned around, he was crossed-legged on his clean yard. \u201cYou can call it privacy, Dan.\u201d \u201cYou should give it a try sometime.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes got smaller. \u201cPrivacy? Or are you just trying to hide my award-winning roses?<\/p>\n
It was impossible not to roll my eyes. \u201cBelieve me, Dan. I don\u2019t care about your roses at all.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cWe\u2019ll see about that, Jimmy,\u201d as I walked back inside. \u201cLet\u2019s see.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had no idea that those words would soon completely change my life.<\/p>\n
Before I talk about the chaos that followed, let me show you my little piece of heaven. Picture this: a quiet neighborhood with cute people waving as they walk by. The streets are lined with maple trees.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t take long to get everything you need. It works great. Almost.<\/p>\n
Look, there\u2019s one painful spot. Dan is the name of the person who bothers me. I have a neighbor whose house backs up right up to mine. He\u2019s a real jerk.<\/p>\n
In the afternoon, I was raking leaves outside when I heard Dan\u2019s voice. \u201cHey, neighbor!\u201d Free compost is being given to you!\u201d<\/p>\n
He was sweeping a pile of leaves under my maple tree when I looked up. Once more. I yelled, \u201cDan, one last time, I don\u2019t want your damn leaves!\u201d<\/p>\n
He just smiled that smug smile I hated. \u201cJeff, come on!\u201d I am only trying to assist. Just make sure the neighborhood looks good.<\/p>\n
I clenched my teeth. \u201cOkay, but how about you keep your dogs quiet first?\u201d<\/p>\n
His face turned darker. \u201cDon\u2019t touch my dogs.\u201d They watch over things. They should make noise.<\/p>\n
\u201cDogs to watch?\u201d I laughed. It sounds more like noise pollution. Your dogs are so crazy that I can\u2019t even have a BBQ.<\/p>\n
A low voice came from Dan as he moved closer. Hey Jimmy, pay attention. What takes place on my land is private to me. Do you get it?\u201d<\/p>\n
I gave him the same look. \u201cVery clear, Dan. \u201cPure as glass.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knew this wasn\u2019t over when he stormed off.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t sleep that night. Dan\u2019s words kept going over and over in my mind. \u201cIt\u2019s my business what happens on my land.\u201d That game could be played by two people.<\/p>\n
I was on the phone first thing in the morning the next day. \u201cHello, is this anyone from Barn Beez Construction?\u201d I\u2019d like to get a wall quote.<\/p>\n
After a week, the building crew showed up. Dan rushed over with his face as red as a tomato while I was watching. A bad one, maybe!<\/p>\n
Jim, what the hell is this? He yelled and made wild gestures at the wall that wasn\u2019t finished yet.<\/p>\n
I gave a sweet smile. \u201cOh, this?\u201d Just a small job to make my house better. What goes on my land is my business, you know.<\/p>\n
Dan clenched his teeth. \u201cThis\u2026this horrible thing is going to make my garden look bad!\u201d<\/p>\n
I gave a shrug. \u201cThat sounds like your issue, Dan. \u201cI\u2019m well inside my property line.\u201d<\/p>\n
At that very moment, we heard loud barking. Dan\u2019s dogs ran out and went straight for the building workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey!\u201d I yelled. \u201cGet your dogs off the leash, Dan!\u201d<\/p>\n
He laughed. \u201cWhy are you upset, Jimmy?\u201d Are you afraid of a little puppy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLittle dog?\u201d I laughed. \u201cThose are full-grown dogs that would be as tall as me if they stood up straight!\u201d<\/p>\n
Dan wouldn\u2019t move, though. So I took out my phone and called someone. \u201cAnimal control is ready to go, Dan.\u201d \u201cYour choice,\u201d I told her as I drew my finger over the button.<\/p>\n
Dan\u2019s face turned down. When he whistled hard, the dogs ran away. He spit out, \u201cYou\u2019ll regret this, Jimmy,\u201d as he stomped back to his house. Take note.<\/p>\n
Unease built up in my stomach as I watched him leave. What did I just begin?<\/p>\n
Things were calm for a few days. It\u2019s too quiet. I should have known Dan was up to no good.<\/p>\n
I woke up on a Saturday morning to a smell that made my stomach turn. When I got to the window, I was still half-asleep and almost fell over from shock.<\/p>\n
My back yard, which was so pretty, was full of trash. It can be anything from spoiled food to dirty diapers. It looked like a garbage dump had gone off.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the\u2014\u201d I stumbled as I tried to open the window. It smelled like a truck hit me.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when I saw him. Dan, with a big grin on his face, standing on his porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning, neighbor!\u201d He waved happily and called out. \u201cDo you like your new landscaping?\u201d<\/p>\n
I was shocked enough to not speak. Dan\u2019s smile got bigger. \u201cI guess you should have thought about that wall more before you built it, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n
As he walked back inside laughing, I felt something snap inside me. This was no longer just a fight between neighbors. It was WAR.<\/p>\n
My mind was going crazy, so I slammed the window shut. \u201cOkay, Dan,\u201d I said in a low voice. \u201cDo you want to get dirty?\u201d \u201cLet\u2019s get dirty.\u201d<\/p>\n
I paced for a few hours to calm down and get my thoughts together. But my blood boiled all over again every time I looked out at my broken-down garden.<\/p>\n
I finally picked up the phone. \u201cTyler?\u201d This is Jimmy. Do you remember the favor you owe me? \u201cI\u2019m calling it in.\u201d<\/p>\n
After an hour, my friend Tyler showed up in his truck with a digger. He looked around with wide eyes as he saw the mess. \u201cGeez, Jimmy. \u201cWhat did this happen?\u201d<\/p>\n
I clenched my teeth. \u201cDan took place.\u201d We\u2019ll fix that, though.<\/p>\n
Tyler didn\u2019t look sure. \u201cMan, I don\u2019t know.\u201d It looks like things could get bad.<\/p>\n
I gave him a shoulder tap. \u201cBelieve me, it looks bad already.\u201d \u201cAll we\u2019re doing is settling the score.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt a little guilty as we turned on the digger. Did I go too far? But then I smelled the garbage again and made up my mind to do it.<\/p>\n
I looked at my watch and said, \u201cOkay, Tyler.\u201d \u201cDan is working out.\u201d We have an hour. \u201cLet\u2019s make it matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t help but smile as we started to pick up the trash in my backyard. \u201cTime to pay back, Dan. Interested in! \u201cI hope you\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next hour was full of things going on. We picked up all of my yard\u2019s trash. The trash cans in the area were also cleaned up well. Where did all this lovely trash end up? You got it: Dan\u2019s spotless land.<\/p>\n
His lawn turned into a stinky collage, and his roof became a work of art made from junk. Because a smoke trash surprise is the best way to say \u201cI care,\u201d we even put some trash down his chimney. The yard was full of dirty diapers and rotting veggies, and every breeze made people wonder, \u201cWhat\u2019s that smell?\u201d<\/p>\n
In their kennel, his dogs were trying out for a dog opera, but I was too busy admiring our work to give them a standing applause. In the end, getting even is best done with a side of compost.<\/p>\n
Tyler gave me a worried look as he got ready to leave. \u201cAre you sure about this, Jeff?\u201d It looks like it might be going too far.<\/p>\n
I turned my head away. \u201cDan was the first to cross.\u201d I am only pushing back.<\/p>\n
We heard a car pull up right then. Dan got back early.<\/p>\n
I said quietly, \u201cShowtime,\u201d and went inside to watch from my window.<\/p>\n
Dan\u2019s response was\u2026 priceless doesn\u2019t even begin to describe it. He got out of his car slowly and gasped as he saw what was going on.<\/p>\n
He yelled, \u201cWhat the\u2026 JIMMY!\u201d and turned around to face my house. \u201cGet out of here, you jerk\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
My porch was as cool as a cucumber when I walked out. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Dan?\u201d<\/p>\n
His angry face was purple. He choked out, \u201cYou\u2026 you\u2026\u201d and grabbed a trash bag. \u201cI\u2019m going to kill you!\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped moving and looked at something above my head. I smiled. \u201cDan, do you like my new security cameras?\u201d They get everything. That\u2019s pretty cool, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dan slouched his shoulders down. He knew he was hurt.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t help but feel a little proud as he walked off to start cleaning. \u201cSeems like the other shoe is on the other foot now, Dan?\u201d I yelled.<\/p>\n
We didn\u2019t talk, but the way he looked at me told me everything. It wasn\u2019t over yet. Not even close.<\/p>\n
As I looked out at my quiet garden, I couldn\u2019t help but wonder if it had all been worth it. As long as the fence stands, it will always remind us of our fight.<\/p>\n
The dogs still bark, but it\u2019s not as loud as it used to be. Our little part of the neighborhood is now at a nervous peace.<\/p>\n
When I look at Dan while he\u2019s watering his roses, we both quickly look away. Of course, there will never be friendship there. But there is respect, which comes from knowing that both sides will die.<\/p>\n
He hasn\u2019t tried to mess up with me since then.<\/p>\n
Sometimes you have to use poison to fight poison. Have you ever had neighbors who were so annoying they would do anything to make your life a living hell?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How far would you go to get back at your worst neighbor? I learned the hard way, and people in the neighborhood are still talking about it…. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n