My Neighbors Finally Got to
See the “Real Side” of Me. If nothing, what I am sure of at this moment is
that this would be the last time my neighbors would ever try to come after me or make me appear
stuoid. This scenario that I am about to explain to you would teach them not to come after me ever
again. To be honest, I do not feel super proud of what I did but it definitely had to be done and
you would see why I say so in a few moments. They pushed me to the wall and got what they deserved.
Before giving a run-through of what happened, let me begin by telling you a bit about myself
and how I found myself in this circus of a town. My name is David. Not that it matters to the
point I’m about to make but I choose to tell you either way. I am David. David Quinn. A
35-year-old man who very much cherishes his time of quietude and serenity. When I am
not at work, I prefer to immerse my days in the pages of books, sometimes tending to
my mini garden of tomatoes, spinach, Basil, and Parsley. I was a simple person. I liked the
simple things in life. But as fate would have it, the neighborhood I so happened to find myself in
was everything but quiet or peaceful. There was always some kind of event or the other going on –
events that they would expect me to be a part of. If you are wondering why I chose a neighborhood
that does not reflect my key values, well, you can blame that on my boss and the company I work for.
A few days before Christmas last year, my department head called me into his office
and told me that the higher-ups have requested a meeting with me. And while I went on ahead to
the meeting in fear of being retrenched from my construction company, I was told that I was a
perfect fit for the new opening in New Havens. This move was effective immediately and I was to
resume after the holidays. Of course, the thought of having to uproot my life from Las Vegas to the
other side of the world was upsetting, it came with a 100% raise in salary and accommodation
for 2 years. A good deal, so I took it. If only I knew that the neighborhood would be a
nightmare. This was because of one family. One I grew to loathe as time passed. The McAllister
family, my rowdy neighbors. The neighborhood was already unsettling because they had a meeting
almost every other week, almost like I had stepped into a family-knitted type of neighborhood. It
was hard, but having the McAllister family as my neighbors? Now, that was simply revolting to me.
Their disregard for peace and their boisterous antics continually disrupted the already shaky
peaceful harmony of our community. Nights that should be filled with calm and rest are tainted
by their raucous parties and blaring music. If you are one for books, like I am, you would
find out that their very existence personifies chaos and disruption. They firmly and consciously
established themselves as the proverbial neighbors from hell. It was worse for me because my
house was built just right beside theirs. I believe their actions were intentional because
they carried an apparent lack of concern for the peace and well-being of others. In every case
seeming like an atmosphere of pandemonium, you can be sure that the McAllisters always found
a way to be in that mix-up. It seems as though their weekends are perpetually transformed into
wild festivals, with booming music reverberating through the walls and infiltrating every corner
of our once-tranquil street. Laughter and shouting echo very late into the night – sometimes till
daybreak, while the surrounding neighbors are left longing for rest restlessly on their mattresses.
One particularly frustrating instance involving the McAllisters unfolded on a balmy summer
evening. The night was a bit breezy and it was just what any sane-minded person needed to rest
from the day. I guess as you must have deduced by now, my neighbors were far from being sane-minded.
Every hope that anyone on that street had to rest in silence was shattered by the McAllisters'
all-night rage. You would think it was planned because as the moon ascended into the sky, so
did the volume of their music and party. It increased with every passing hour of the night.
The blaring music reverberated through the walls of the whole neighborhood. And it was worse for
me once again, because, it was easier for their noise to infiltrate every nook and cranny of my
humble abode. I was just next door. Sleep became an elusive dream and I just wondered through the
night what would make them stop the shenanigans. I wondered if it was because they thought I
acted like I was better than them. I mean, I had heard them say it countless times, not like
they were trying to keep their words hushed. If they were keen to listen to their words, people
from five houses away would have heard them. To be honest, I did not understand why they
would have thought that way. Since I moved in, I had been at my utmost best. I paid a greeting
to them when I had settled to familiarize myself with them. But that was it. Right there and
then on our first meeting, they had invited me to a party they would be hosting the next
day but I had humbly declined telling them I had a couple of books to catch up on. Of course,
the books were a rouse. I was done with the last novel I had unread. But a party scene…in a new
neighborhood? Yeah, that is not really my thing. Reminds me of the one party my roommate bullied
me into attending in my first year in college. I was the best neighbor since day one. I
couldn’t understand what made them feel the way they felt towards me. So that night, I
thought of their words again as the music kept on blaring non-stop. I thought of going over to
their house to ask them nicely to tune down the volume like I did the first time they had a
party. But I knew that was just going to get on my nerves. The first time, I went over to
their door. Thrice. And each time the music was turned down when I was by the door but as
soon as I got back to my room, it was back up, like an intentional act.
Yet, I didn’t call the cops. I was new and I didn’t be that neighbor. But
maybe I should have at that point in time. The McAllisters’ inconsiderate behavior extends
far beyond their noisy mode of conduct. They routinely disregard the basic rules of civility,
parking their vehicles haphazardly and without regard for the convenience and safety of others.
They just always found a way to be on the wrong side of everything. Whether it is driveways being
blocked or general road access being impeded, they were game. And the worst part of it is that they
never seemed to see the wrong in what they did. If anyone needed evidence of how disruptive
they could be to even themselves, one needs just to check their neglected front yard.
Like every other building on that street, the front yard was once a picturesque space, like
the other well-maintained gardens. Theirs had deteriorated into an eyesore that marred the
aesthetic appeal of the entire neighborhood. The once-pristine lawn had transformed
into an overgrown tangle of weeds and unruly grass. Neglected flower beds, once
bursting with vibrant colors, now lay barren and desolate. Trash and debris were scattered
haphazardly, further accentuating the neglect that had befallen their once-charming residence.
The McAllisters' disregard for community standards became painfully evident as the neglected
yard served as a constant reminder of their indifference. The surrounding neighbors, who took
pride in their meticulously manicured gardens, found themselves disheartened by the
unsightly view that greeted them each day. I didn’t make efforts to address the situation
amicably, but I was aware that community members approached the McAllisters with polite requests
to attend to the upkeep of their yard. I did not and I could not have because I had overheard them
speak rudely with other well-meaning neighbors who had taken their time to talk to them about the
state of their surroundings and the impact it has on the whole community. Their responses
ranged from nonchalant shrugs to outright dismissiveness. It seemed they had little
regard for the impression they were making on the neighborhood or the impact their neglectful
behavior had on the sense of community we all cherished. And to be honest, I was less concerned
about how they managed their front yard. It was, in truth, theirs to do as they see fit.
But where I draw the line is when this disgust begins to seep into my property.
The parents were bad, but their kids? Well, I guess, the apple really doesn’t fall
too far from the truth. In this case, the apple takes a step further in being
more of a devilish impediment than the tree. As I said, tending to my garden was one of
the simple things in life that I enjoyed and would do even if I was not getting
anything in return. The simple bliss of tilling the soft soil and nurturing a tiny
seed until maturity till it was suitable to harvest. It gave me joy. And for some twisted
reason in the head of my neighbors, I was not expected to derive as much joy as I did from it.
As the seasons changed, I kept to my business, finding solace and joy in tending to my
meticulously pruned garden. Each flower, carefully nurtured, was a testament to my love
for the fine things of life - nature's beauty. It was a sanctuary where I could escape the
chaos of the world – specifically that which the McAllisters created – and find serenity.
Then came the McAllisters. Jack McAllister. As I stared down at what used to be the location
of my garden. From my view, it had been shattered beyond recognition when the McAllisters,
in their ongoing display of disregard, carelessly trespassed upon my cherished
sanctuary. I knew I had to make them feel this pain that I felt. I knew it.
How am I sure they were the ones? Who else could it be? Which other family in the
neighborhood had a distaste for anything good and buttered up a vendetta against me for declining
to be in attendance at a mindless raging party when I newly moved in? But it wasn’t all about
my thoughts. I had proof of their atrocity. That very moment, as I stood above my squashed
tomatoes, relishing in the delicate aroma of my herbs, my heart sank as I observed the remnants
of their recklessness. The Trampled flowerbeds, snapped branches, and crushed petals. It was
evident that the McAllisters, in their lack of care and respect, had unknowingly, or perhaps
knowingly, caused irreparable damage to my beloved garden. But this time, it was their dog.
As I began to examine what could be salvaged from my already destroyed garden, I began to notice
paws. Dog paws. Recent dog paws. Thankfully, we had a bit of a downpour that day so it
wasn’t much of a task to trace the paws and you could guess where it led to. Nex Door. Upon
second observation, I notice that this dog had battled with a mouse in my absence, killing and
leaving it right in my garden. Which family had a knack for lack of civility, human disregard,
and a likelihood to leave trash overflowing? You guessed right. My hellish neighbors.
Enraged and devastated, I confronted the McAllisters, hoping to find some explanation
or remorse for their actions especially for not keeping an animal they took ownership of out of my
yard. However, my words were met with dismissive shrugs and a nonchalant attitude. They seemed
oblivious to the time and effort I had invested in cultivating my garden, blind to the beauty and
tranquility that it had provided to both myself and the neighborhood.
I. Was. Pissed. And one thing was clear, I needed
to make them feel the heat. Perhaps, become better persons and tend to keep their place
in order. The sight of my once-flourishing flowers reduced to a scene of devastation ignited a fire
within me. I knew what I had to do. Obviously, they were uninterested in peaceful resolutions
or the well-being of the community. They needed to learn the weight of their actions,
and it was up to me to ensure they did. Each step I took was carefully planned, aimed
at teaching the McAllisters a lesson they would not soon forget. The time for subtle hints and
peaceful negotiations had passed; it was now time for them to face the consequences of their
actions. They knew me to be easygoing and quiet. I have countlessly heard them say those words when
they think I am out of hearing bounds – sometimes, I think they forget I live just next door to them.
But they do not know that I have a past record of mischief. Of course, nothing more than usual
pranks but for them, it would be pranks with an edge of revenge in it. With a mischievous
glint in my eye, I executed a series of pranks designed to disrupt their everyday lives.
I began with the mail subscription prank I had read about on my daily feed of Dr.
Banks’ newsletter. And like he prank Dr., it was a stroke of genius. The McAllisters found
themselves inundated with an array of bizarre items that defied explanation. Quirky magazines,
catalogs filled with eccentric products, and even a monthly delivery of novelty socks left
them perplexed. They scoured their mailbox daily, growing increasingly bewildered by the
onslaught of unexpected deliveries. Of course, this cost me a couple of my hard-earned money so
I switched it up. They weren’t worthy of my money. I decided the best prank on them would be feeding
them with an excess of what they seemed to enjoy till it gets distasteful in their mouths.
And as I predicted, it was this prank that truly rattled them to their core. Imagine getting
anonymous invitations to an extravagant party held at your own residence on random weekdays
and weeknights. It sent shockwaves through their lives. The McAllisters were thrust into a
whirlwind of chaos as uninvited guests poured in, filling their once-controlled space with a sea
of strangers. They struggled to regain control, desperately attempting to salvage their
disrupted evening, all the while cursing the unknown prankster who had upended their world.
Yet, they couldn’t send them away. They were the party people. They couldn’t not be so they swore
at the prankster underneath their breaths. But this was not all. Every time the party came to a
drowning close, and they thought they could get a good number of hours in bed before the daily
activities, came the dreaded awkward alarm. The piercing, high-pitched sound tore through
the McAllisters' dreams, shattering the peace of their slumber. Disoriented and bleary-eyed, they
stumbled through their home, desperately searching for the source of the unwelcome wake-up
call. Which, of course, they never found. Did my pranks work?
Well, it’s been three months since my last prank on the McAllister and although I
have heard them point the fingers in my direction, they had no concrete evidence to pin me down.
All they had were suspicions. But I had peace. Sanity had returned to the neighborhood and
I could have my nights of peaceful slumber. Have you ever had one of those parties when
a nerdy kid hacks the computer and shares a couple of embarrassing videos of people in the
party so that everyone can see? If you haven't then you're lucky because my experience
led me into some serious investigation and apart from the discipline he got from
the school authorities, I also gave him a good thing to think about by smashing his
laptop and phone when he was not looking. Firstly, when this hacker kid started with
his tricks was during our school dance. He hijacked the connection and somehow, the
music went off completely. All the dancing stopped. Our DJ who was momentarily
fraternizing has to rush back to his stand to find out what happened. A roar of
annoyance started in this student body. We all thought it was a minor issue until
the project started displayi g images. The first slide introduced the person behind
the whole situation as the Hacker Kid. He had his own symbol, which was a mask,
and he started by displaying a video containing many slides of pictures that could end
people. Multiple photographs of a particular girl who was cheating on her boyfriend by kissing
another boy, was the first to be exposed. Her boyfriend quickly walked out of the dance
with his girlfriend hot on his heels, begging. Then next was the undeniable video of a guy
picking lockers and stealing items from them. The school recently had an issue with missing items
that were kept in their lockers. There was no security camera on our hallways because the school
was too broke to afford that. They did say that an investigation was ongoing and we students should
be on the lookout for suspicious behavior also. The last one was a gang of boys doing drugs in
the school car park. The school staff around for the dance immediately identified these boys
and dragged them out of the party initkdbg the one who picked lockers. They would
spend the rest of the term meeting with police people and so more until they could
no longer continue with their education. Well that was it for the whole dance.
The Hacker Kid thanked us for watching his slides and signed out. After that, the
music came back on. But what just happened was too dramatic for people to carry on like
nothing happened. Apart from whispers about the people who were exposed, the question
on my mind was who was this hacker kid? He seemed to be a total stalker. How did he
get those pics and videos? I felt unsafe. My friends only cared about the dudes
that were busted. They were amongst the coolest boys in our class. Continuing
school would definitely not be the same without them. And more importantly one of
us, Bolivia, began to fidget because she too did drugs and we were not sure that
the boys in question would not snitch. And if they didn't snitch, that's fine
but could we trust this Hacker dude? He was anonymous. He had immunity for that and
again, why did he not snitch Bolivia and all the other people who dealt but we're not in
the video. Did he have some pictures he was saving to use later? Or did he know and was
waiting for pictures to prove it. Either way, Bolivia had to stop dealing in school.
Her friends were there to help her. I monitored her closely but I was even more
occupied with figuring out who this hacker kid is. The school authorities had a PTA meeting
with no definite resolution because some parents thought it was okay for the hacker to go about
reporting students the way he did because he needed it was the only way for him to do the
right things without being identified. These parents were paranoid that thieves and
drug users were in their child's school. They endorsed the anonymous method of the hacker
because his safety was provided by the school—say he reported personally and they got to find
out who—would not persist after school hours. The school thought it to be an unethical
method. A person who could hack a school dance laptop could hack into the school system.
Their files were unsafe. Confidentiality was at stake. Everything was wrong. It threw the school
into a frenzy to secure everything and everywhere they kept data. While the other set of parents
were equally against the hacker because he was creating chaos in the school by discarding the
need for privacy. Their concerns were about the first girl who was “innocently” kissing a
boy. Nobody needed to know her business. The debate between the parents and school
management continued. While in the meantime, school students were becoming more and
more cautious. Even bullying was reduced. The hallways were full of well-behaved
kids and it was all thanks to the hacker. Some people continued to say that all the hacker
came to do was to instill order in the premises but that idea did not last for long. Since the
school sites and computers doubled up security, the hacker took to social media and text
messaging. I don't know how he got the phone number of school students and staff, he
probably hacked all that information before the dance. Anyway, the rest of the things
he shared were dirty and vile. Videos of people making out in the toilet, videos
of bullies pissing on another student, an audio recording of a male
teacher's voice we recognized, flirting with a female student. And by flirting,
I mean using extremely inappropriate language. Shit got real. More and more PTA meetings were
being held. Some parents from the “privacy” side joined the paranoid guardians. The
school management was now torn between the two. First of all, they had to fire the
teacher involved. They did not come out to thank the hacker officially although he saved
them further embarrassment if for instance, a student got pregnant by a teacher. Or bullying
got to the point of suicide or bodily harm. Next, the school wanted to ban the use of
phones in its premises but nobody would allow for that. There was nothing to do but
catch the hacker before he caused any more damage. And what was the damage really? Was
it fair that any of this was going on without the school and parent's knowledge? No. But
the school.management decided only to send him home for a two-week suspension if found.
There was a reward for whoever found him out. So the real search began. I had a headstart
because I started since the school dance. We had three names outlined. It had to be
someone with access to the school's media equipment. Had to be a computer genius too and he
had to be good with video editing. The last point really didn't help but the first two helped us
outline three names and the investigation began. Others were running after a kid who had a camera
and a bubbling photography career up his sleeve. They suspected anyone who had those videos
and pictures to be someone who had a camera and took random pictures for fun. Which was
a stupid suspicion because whoever took the pictures clearly did not need skill to do
that. Any phone could take those pictures. At this point, Bolivia was seriously battling
withdrawal. She had not used a hard drug ever since and it was really affecting
her mental health. We also tried to make sure she never was alone. Anyway, this
Hacker Kid continued to post and send videos, clips, audios and pictures to the
school. It was clear that he already had a collection of those before the
first day he decided to release them. There was so much in his store already. About
almost everybody, including times our principal put her hand in her clothes to handle an itch.
A full week later, the Hacker released a video about me. It wasn't just any video. I sent
that particular one to my boyfriend and it was so cringe. He asked for it and I sent
it to him. That video was so confidential. But how did it get out? My boyfriend
lost the phone he was using at that time to the locked thief. And that was
the only device that had the video apart from mine. So that meant that the locker
thief was somehow connected to the hacker. We firstly went over to the locker thief. His name
is Psalm. He was already suspended at that time so we went to his house. He said that when he was
suspended, they asked him to drop everything he had stolen and soon after he dropped the things
he still had with him, the school reported them missing. Apparently they kept the news private
because it would be charged to the school. That was about it. Our chase
had landed us nowhere. The locker thief's stolen goods were
stolen again by the Hacker kid. And the three names we outlined were
ruled out because after questioning, there was no way it would be them. We still had
a little hope to catch the hacker because if we just asked the school authorities where they
kept the stolen goods before it was taken, we could have our guy. Depending on who had access
to that room or who was there when it was taken. My boyfriend accompanied me to the principal's
secretary. She said he had no idea stuff was even recovered. We left, asking her to find out from
the principal when she got back. After school, we came back to the office to find
out the conclusion. To our shock, the principal herself said that
she was not aware that there was any recovery. They had spent time asking
the school staff and none was aware also. She asked us which student told us this and
we gave Psalm out. He was playing tricks on us and we needed to get to the bottom
of it. I was facing some serious shame in school because that video leaked.
And I wasn't going to take it easy on Psalm. His mother was called to bring him to
school where me and my boyfriend were there to categorically attest that we heard Psalm
say to us that he returned the stolen items. My boyfriend was brought in first and
then me. We gave similar stories although that did not hold enough water. Whatever
Psalm was doing, it was either because he was protecting the Hacker kid or he was the
hacker himself. When we were told to leave, I had the time to find out. I went out and got
to his house where I sneaked in. I ransacked his room until I found a locked chest.
After giggling to myself that the lock picker had a locked chest in his room, I tried
different combinations but it didn't open. I started to break the chest but I wasn't sure who
would hear so I took the chest with me home and called my boyfriend. He knew who we could take
it to to jack the locks. I felt so we did that immediately we had the time to. Right in our
present, the man skillfully opened the locks, boasting that there was no lock
or safe that he could not open. We found out a lot about that chest. It was
not just where he had kept stolen items but a camcorder which I believe he owned was in.
Evidence that he was both the Hacker kid and the locker thief. It all made sense because this
needy Psalm kid was very skilled with computers. And he was a bullied kid to so it could make
sense that he knew when wwnd where bullies did their thing after school. But why would Psalm
want to cast himself as the locker thief? The full video revealed that he was the one who
dropped the camera and went to the locker, then went back to the camera to pick it
up after he was done picking the locker. I asked my boyfriend what we do and he took the
lead. We send out the video with a new account and called it tthe hacker kid's new account.
After that, we waited. It was all we could do. The next minute everyone was talking about Psalm
online. It worked, out plan to cast Psalm was in view. But the question still remained why
he snitched himself. I was afraid to sleep alone that night so I stayed with my boyfriend
until morning. In the morning, we dressed up and went to school. Psalm had another meeting
with his mother and the school principal. The mother believed that he was right to
be a hacker if that was what he needed to do to express his feelings. Psalm was a
bullied kid and the school authorities did nothing. She also posed that they
were robbed last night because his room was a mess but Psalm reported
that nothing was stolen. Of course, he would not tell what really was stolen because
he knew he could not. His mother was already paying the school back through her nose for
all the items the locker thief ran away with. So finally, Psalm confessed that
he was indeed the hacker. And the thief. He said he only did both because
it was the only thing that have him power within the four walls of the school.
There were many other things he said but he was forced to bring the videos
he had put up on social media down. Then he apologized to the school in
our next assembly for digging into our private matters and causing us to walk on
eggshells in school. That was it from him for a while. We heard that his suspension
was extended but he was not expelled only because the school did not give him a safe
learning environment in the first place. Anyway, when the whole matter died down and
nobody was talking about it again. It was like everyone had forgotten that the reason they
were unhappy in the first place was because of the hacker. Relationships, friendships
and self esteem had broken. I saw the girl who kissed another guy. She had no friends
again. It was like we all learned to live with the problems the hacker caused when in fact,
his suspension was not enough a punishment. I took my time to process what had happened
and returned the chest to his room. Whatever he wanted to do with the stolen gadgets were
his business. After duplicating all files, I smashed his camcorder, smashed the laptop
and desktip in his room and left again. He never could tell who out of the hundreds
of people that he hurt was in charge of destroying his gadgets but it served him right
for putting all those relationships in jeopardy, destroying people's images and making
people have inferiority complex.
