Nothing prepares you for the violation of discovering a camera pointed at your private space. When I saw that blinking red light from Carla and Frank’s roof, my stomach dropped. These weren’t just neighbors – they were voyeurs hiding behind “security concerns.”
Rather than start a legal battle, I decided to give them something truly worth watching. My college friend group – a costume designer, a props master, and an amateur actress – helped me stage increasingly bizarre scenes in my backyard. What began as silly dress-up sessions escalated into an elaborate fake crime drama.
The pièce de résistance? Our murder mystery performance. Samantha collapsed dramatically in a pool of ketchup while Miguel menaced her with a rubber knife. Harriet shrieked about calling the police. We committed so fully to the bit that someone actually did call the authorities.
The responding officer’s face when we explained the situation was priceless. Even better was watching Carla and Frank stammer through their explanation for why they’d been filming my property. The camera got confiscated, and soon after, the neighbors got the hint to leave.
Now my garden is once again my private sanctuary. Though sometimes, when the new neighbors are outside, I catch myself considering what our next performance might be. A alien abduction, perhaps? The possibilities are endless when you have an imagination – and former drama club friends.
