It Couldn't Be
He looked down at the note. No signature. It felt like a sneak attack. They had been watched for God only knows how long.
Now the spy decided to strike. His wife looked worried. He shook his head at her. Was it really so bad? He couldn't tell, his emotions raging inside. There was only one question that he wanted the answer to: What did this anonymous author really know?
A Happy Couple
Bill and Barbara Doughten were septuagenarians in the twilight of their lives. They had a wonderful marriage and could bask in the glow of a beautiful family that they had raised together. They had numerous children and many more grandchildren.
However, life was not always so rosy. In fact, Bill had plenty of bad experiences that he tried to avoid thinking about.
Vietnam Veteran
There wasn't a man or woman who served in Vietnam that didn't emerge with their outlook on the world altered. Bill was one of the 2.7 million Americans that served in the Vietnam war and he bore scars from his time, both physical and psychological.
This veteran found that serving in the army got you more than that though.
Respect For Vets
What Bill also got for the bargain was the respect and admiration of his neighbors and countrymen. He and Barbara had been living in Ocean City, New Jersey for several decades and they were held in high esteem by the community. Or, at least, that's how it appeared.
One member of the community didn't like them. In fact, he was beginning to hate them. They just didn't know it yet.
Spying Man
There were marks around his eyes from the binoculars. He had been watching Bill and Barbara for days at this point. Once or twice, he could have even sworn they looked right at him. But now he was sure they didn't know he was looking at them.
He was new in the neighborhood. They wouldn't have known his face let alone his name. This man would have been happy to mind his own business but he took a keen interest in Bill and Barbara after noticing one thing.
Driveway Detail
A walk through Bill and Barbara's neighbourhood could be unremarkable. The houses all looked the same. They had a uniform design. No house really stood out from the rest. None except for Bill and Barbara's. This man couldn't help but notice that they didn't use their driveway.
Instead, they parked their car on the lawn. This made the man begin to ask questions.
Potential Issues
From the perspective of a passer-by, the driveway seemed to be in good condition. The man couldn't figure it out. It's not as though there was a hole in place of solid concrete and driving the car into the driveway would result in it needing to be lifted out with a crane. No, it wasn't like that at all.
He passed by the house. Walking slowly, staring at the driveway. Then, a faint noise made his head spin.
Sinister History
The noise was probably nothing but the man chewed on it for a second. What if something was being hidden in the driveway? He thought of all of the sketchy people in history who hid things in their garage, who buried things in their back yard.
Was the kind and warm image that the Doughtens got across simply a front?
Lawn Parking
Then there was the car on the lawn. Forget about the abandoned driveway. Why would anyone park their car on the grass?
This thought bugged the man as much as anything else. He began to assess his emotions and he discovered that he wasn't only suspicious - he was also annoyed. It was time to take action.
A Special Delivery
Bill came down the stairs a few minutes after Barbara. This was their routine. She went downstairs, made breakfast, and let Bill sleep in while she got everything prepared. She knew he needed the rest. When he came down the stairs, he smiled at the beautiful spread. Then he saw something was wrong.
Barbara had tears in her eyes. She was holding a letter. 'I found this in the mailbox,' she said.
The Letter
What Barbara was holding was the culmination of hours of angry staring and hateful muttering. It was a letter from the man who had been watching them.
It said: 'I'm trying to sell million-dollar homes in the neighborhood. I drive my clients around and they see your car parked sideways on the front lawn! You have a driveway - use it!' The letter felt like a sneak attack. It was unsigned but it was clear that the author was a realtor. A realtor unaware of one thing.
Chronic Pain
Bill could understand why Barbara was so upset. He could feel tears forming too. The fact that a complete stranger saw no problem with writing this without knowing what they have to go through. It was appalling. As Bill would later explain, his reason for not using the driveway was completely valid.
His leg didn't work as well as it used to, so he parked on the lawn as it was easier to get to his car from the front door. They tried to compose themselves but their family could see how hurt they were by this note. Teresa, their granddaughter, was particularly disgusted. She knew something had to be done.
Granddaughter Shares Note
Teresa felt that this was an injustice that needed to be brought to the attention of the masses. 'People cannot act this way,' she would say over and over again.
She took her phone out of her pocket. Bill looked at her and asked who was she was calling. She wasn't calling anyone. She was writing a Facebook post.
Going Viral
Teresa's post touched the nerves of many people. It was shared over 700 times and the popularity of the story led to her grandparents being on the news.
They couldn't believe that people could be so cold and strange. The response touched their hearts. Now they only wanted one more thing: For the realtor who wrote the note to come forward.
The Lesson
The realtor never came forward. Everyone suspected that he was ashamed of his actions and worried about his job security.
There's a lesson here though. Wearing a suit doesn't make you a respectable person. It's your actions that make you a respectable person. Writing anonymous notes is an unhealthy way of dealing with problems. The realtor should have spoken with Bill and Barbara. It's time for him to take a long look in the mirror.