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I would defend anyone who needed me.Compliance with the law
Anyone but me.
At some point, “keeping the peace” had turned into giving permission to other people to decide what I should tolerate.
I looked in the direction of the garage.
“Not tonight,” I murmured.
After sunset, I turned off the porch light, poured myself a glass of iced tea, and waited inside, where I could clearly see the driveway.Books and literature
Monica only had to stay off my property.
Finally, the Tesla parked in its driveway.
A few minutes later, Monica appeared with her charging cable.
Yoga pants .
Slippers.
Completely relaxed.Clothing
She walked towards my garage as if the outlet belonged to her.
Then she noticed the gnome.
She stopped.
“But what is this? ”
She stared at him.
My gnome.Myths and folklore
Its blue paint job is awful.
She was sitting right next to the outlet she wanted to use.
“Naughty little thing,” she murmured. “Move.”
She pushed him away with her slipper.
That’s when I started recording.
I left before she could plug anything in.
Monica jumped when she saw me.
“Eleanor!”
“Back?”
She looked at the cable she was holding in her hand.
Then I picked up my phone.Communication equipment
“What are you doing?”
“I’m recording you.”
His face tensed.
“Turn that off.”
“No.”
“I wasn’t doing anything.”
“You are on my property after midnight, with your charging cable next to my outlet.”
“I hadn’t even plugged it in.”
“Because I went out.”
Lights began to appear in neighboring houses.
Monica raised her voice.
“YOU’RE HARASSING ME!”
A porch door opened on the other side of the street.
Then another one.
Frank appeared outside, dressed in checkered pajama pants .Clothing
I kept my phone stable.
“Monica, you’re sneaking onto my property even though I expressly forbade you from using my electricity. I’m not sure I’m the problem.”
Someone nearby laughed.
Monica looked around and realized that people were looking at her.
Then she pointed at the gnome.
“AND YOU STOLE MY GNOME!”Communication equipment
For a second, I almost didn’t believe she had said that.
“Your garden gnome? The one you took from my garden six months ago?”
Her mouth snapped shut.
Frank laughed.
Monica turned around to face everyone.
“Turn off those phones. ”
Nobody did it.Electricity companies
She glared at me.
“Eleanor, tell them it’s ridiculous.”
“Which part? ”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
“The time you took my garden decorations? Or the time you tried to use my electricity after I told you to stop?”
Her mouth tightened.Myths and folklore
“I didn’t steal anything. ”
