When Junia’s pushy neighbor Vaughn filled in her favorite pond while she was away, he had no idea of the tough fight he’d start. Junia, who looked like a quiet old lady, came up with a plan that turned Vaughn’s life upside down. Let me tell you, at 74 years old, I’ve seen plenty of trouble.
But nothing could have prepared me for the mess that happened right in my own yard. I’m Junia, and I’ve been living in this little house for twenty years now. It’s been my happy place, where I watched my three kids grow up and now have my seven grandkids over for summer swims and weekend cookouts.
There’s always someone stopping by, filling the place with laughs and love. The best part of my yard? A pretty pond that my grandpa dug by hand.
It’s been the center of our family get-togethers for years. My grandkids love playing in it, and I swear, sometimes I think they love the pond more than they love me! Everything was fine until Vaughn moved in next door about five years ago.
From day one, that man complained nonstop about my pond. “Junia!” he’d yell over the fence. “Those frogs keep me up all night!
Can’t you do something about them?”
I’d just smile and say, “Oh, Vaughn, they’re just singing you to sleep. Free of charge!”
But he wasn’t having it. “And the mosquitoes!
Your pond is full of them!”
“Now, Vaughn,” I’d reply, “I keep that pond clean as can be. Those mosquitoes are probably coming from that pile of junk in your yard.”
He’d huff and puff, but I’d just keep doing my thing. I figured he’d get used to it eventually, but I was wrong.
One nice day, I decided to visit my sister in the next state over. I was looking forward to a couple days of chatting and card games. Little did I know that I would come home to a sight that made my blood boil.
As I pulled into my driveway, I noticed something was wrong. The usual sparkle of water that greeted me was gone. In its place was… dirt.
My heart sank as I jumped out of the car. My neighbor from across the street, sweet old Mrs. Blythe, came running over.
“Oh, Junia! I’m so glad you’re back. I tried to stop them, but they said they had orders!”
“Stop who?
What orders?” I was in shock, staring at the muddy spot where my favorite pond used to be. “A crew came by yesterday. Said some company hired them to drain and fill the pond,” Mrs.
Blythe said. “I told them you weren’t home, but they had papers and everything!”
I felt like I’d been hit hard. Twenty years of memories were gone in a day.
And I knew exactly who did it. “Vaughn,” I muttered, my hands balling into fists. “What are you going to do?” Mrs.
Blythe asked, worry all over her face. I stood up straight. “Oh, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do.
That man thinks he can bully a sweet old lady? He’s about to learn why you don’t mess with a woman like Junia!”
First thing, I called my family. My daughter Phaedra was mad as can be.
“Mom, this is against the law! We need to call the police!”
“Wait a minute, sweetie,” I said. “We need proof first.”
That’s when my granddaughter Seren spoke up.
The story doesn’t end here — it continues on the next page.
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