It started when Frank and Carla moved in next door. At first, they seemed decent enough, although they were a little… odd. “Welcome to the neighborhood,” I said, handing over a basket of tomatoes from my garden. “I’m Zoe.” Carla’s eyes darted back and forth nervously. “Thanks. We’re really concerned about safety. Do you know what I mean?” Even if I didn’t understand, I nodded anyway. I had no idea what this would mean for me. When I returned from visiting my mom a week later, I discovered something amazing in my backyard. While relaxing in my bikini and tending to my beloved tomatoes, I spotted a small black object under the eaves of her house. “Is that a camera?” I squinted and muttered. When I saw it pointed directly at my garden, blood ran cold down my spine. Still in my bathing suit, I marched to her house and knocked on the door. Frank opened it, looking annoyed.“Why is there a camera pointed at my yard?” I demanded. He shrugged. “It’s for security purposes. We need to make sure no one climbs over the fence.” “That’s absurd,” I stammered. “You’re violating my privacy!” Carla appeared behind him. “It’s our right to protect our property,” she replied icily. Angrily, I walked away. I could have sued her, but who has the means or the time to do that? No, I needed a different strategy. So I called my friends. “Samantha, I need your help,” I said. “How do you feel about a little… performance art?” She laughed. “That sounds interesting. Tell me more.” I explained my plan, and soon the whole crew was on board: Miguel, our special effects expert, and Harriet, who never met a costume she didn’t like. “Are we going too far?” I asked during our last meeting. Samantha put a hand on my shoulder. “They’ve been watching you for weeks, Zoe. They have a lesson to learn.”
Miguel nodded. “And it’ll be fun. When was the last time we acted this crazy?” Harriet grinned. “I’ve already started making the costumes. There’s no turning back!” Her excitement was contagious, and I began to lose my doubts. “Okay, let’s do it.” The following Saturday, we gathered in my garden, dressed up in the craziest outfits. I wore a tutu over a wetsuit and a neon green wig. “Ready for the garden party of the century?” I grinned. Samantha tugged at her spacesuit. “Let’s give these creeps a show they’ll never forget.” We started with normal party activities – as much as you can call normal when you look like an escaped circus. We made sure to stay in the camera’s line of sight as we danced and played games. “Hey, Zoe,” Miguel said, his pirate hat askew, “how’s your mom?” “She’s fine,” I grinned, thinking of our last visit. “She keeps on introducing me to her friend’s son.” “Typical mom action,” Harriet laughed, waving her “Little Red Riding Hood” cape. “Did you tell her about the camera?” I shook my head. “I didn’t want to worry her. She’d probably come over herself and give the neighbors the cold shoulder.” “Honestly,” Samantha added, “that would have been fun to watch.” We laughed at the thought of my immediate mother taking on Carla and Frank. But then came the grand finale. “Oh no!” I pointed at Samantha and screamed. “She got stabbed!” Miguel waved a ketchup-covered rubber knife. “Arrr, she deserved it!” Samantha fell dramatically to the ground, ketchup “blood” dripping from her side. We started running around, pretending to panic. “Should we call the police?” Harriet screamed, jumping around in her robe. “No, we have to hide the body!” I shouted back. At that moment we heard sirens in the distance. “Showtime,” I muttered. “Everyone in, quick!” In record time, we got Samantha into the house, cleaned off the ketchup, and changed into normal clothes. We were sitting at the dinner table, looking innocent, when the police knocked. “Is there a problem here?” asked the confused cop. “Of course not, Officer. Is there a problem?” I replied with my best innocent smile. He explained that a violent crime had been reported. I pretended to be shocked, then slowly let “realization” sink into my face. “Oh! We were just doing some improv in the backyard. Did it really look that realistic?” The cop frowned. “How could anyone see your backyard? The fences are pretty high.” I sighed deeply. “Well, Officer, that’s the real issue. My neighbors have a camera pointed at my backyard, and I didn’t give them permission to film me.” His eyebrows shot up.
“Is that so? I think we should talk to your neighbors.” The police went next door, and we watched the whole thing out the window. Carla and Frank looked pretty shocked as they questioned them. An hour later, the cop returned. “Ma’am, it appears that your neighbors have been secretly spying on you. Their equipment has been confiscated, and they are facing criminal charges. Can you make a statement?” I tried to look surprised. “That’s terrible! I didn’t know it was that bad. But yes, if necessary, I will certainly make a statement and testify in court.”When the police left, my friends and I celebrated our success. “I can’t believe it worked!” laughed Samantha. Miguel raised his glass. “To Zoe, the mistress of vengeance!” I smiled, but a nagging feeling remained. “Have we gone too far?” Harriet shook her head. “They spent weeks violating your privacy. They got what they deserved.” The next day, I was back in my garden, sunning myself without fear of prying eyes. I watched Carla and Frank leave the house with their luggage while I tended my tomatoes. For a moment, I felt bad, but then I thought about all the pictures they had taken of me. No, they had made that decision. I had just helped them deal with the consequences. I smiled as I picked a ripe tomato. Sometimes a little creative problem-solving is the best way to get rid of nosy neighbors rather than going through the legal process. Hey, if nothing else, I now know I could have a career in the local theater if gardening doesn’t work out. “So, any news on Carla and Frank?” Samantha asked me over coffee a week later. I shook my head. “Not really. I saw them leave, and since I haven’t heard from the police, maybe they decided to drop the charges. But honestly, I don’t miss them.” Samantha grinned. “I bet they’ll think twice before putting cameras back on.”
“Yeah,” I said, pausing. “You know, I kind of feel a little bad. We gave them quite a turnaround.” Samantha raised an eyebrow. “They were the ones who broke the law, Zoe. We just exposed them.” I nodded, but the guilt lingered. “I know, I know. It’s just… I can’t forget the image of her terrified face when the police arrived.” “Hey,” Samantha leaned over to me, “remember how hurt you felt when you discovered the camera? How angry you were? You’ve been going through this for weeks.” I exhaled deeply. “You’re right. I guess I’m just not used to being the ‘bad guy’.” She laughed. “You’re not the bad guy here, I swear. You’re the one who defended herself, the hero.” Later that day, as I was watering my tomatoes, I saw a moving truck pull up in front of Carla and Frank’s house. A young couple got out, looking excited. They were laughing and talking as they unloaded boxes, and I watched them. Part of me wanted to go up to them, greet them, maybe point out the previous residents. But another part of me was ready to let bygones be bygones. I decided as I turned back to my garden. I would give these new neighbors a chance, with no preconceived notions or expectations. But I would also remain vigilant. You never know when you might need the next garden party to put nosy neighbors in their place.
