About my hick neighbors
I will say that Tuesday night's drama was not a typical thing with my neighbors. Oh sure, I don't think there's exactly family harmony there, but the worst I've heard is some shouting. Granted they live across a small field from us, so there is probably more fighting than I know about. (Not that I want to know.) But Tuesday's mess was not the norm around here.
I had sat down to finish up what I needed to for Wednesday's class assignment, and I soon realized there was a lot of yelling at the neighbors'. More than I would normally hear. I went to my window and listened. No, I don't feel like I was being nosy. If you're going to yell loud enough that the neighbors can hear you, your argument has become public domain. After all, it's not like I had much choice in the matter. I could have closed my window, but it was hot in here and I'm not going to be able to keep my window open much longer with this weather.
Sure enough, lots of drunken shouting. Eff this, B word that. The cussing came through loud and clear, the rest I couldn't always make out. There were several, "I'm not gonna-" phrases, but I'm not sure what he wasn't gonna do. Oh, and he fully planned on kicking someone's ass, as was repeated numerous times.
Let me insert here who lives in the house. There's the elderly father who doesn't look like he's in the greatest of shape. There's the mother who looks like a hick from the deep hollows of Kentucky (and I do like the hollows of Kentucky, but I'm talking deeeeep in the hollows in her case), and she has the friendliness of a mother grizzly with a bullet in her butt and someone attacking her babies. And that's on her good days. :P
Next are the two brothers. I'm guessing early 40's, maybe late 30's. I thought it was just the one brother living there, the one I suspect of being drunk. He's a pot smoker, and not the social kind either. He's more the "I gotta have a toke NOW dammit!" kind. He has a son around 13 who stays there sometimes from what the boys tell me, and I guess the kid isn't the friendliest either. No surprise in that family.
The brother I do think might be ok is a new addition. I noticed this summer he's around a lot. We'd see him when we were out on our walks, and he'd talk to us. Or if I drive by on my way to town, he's usually outside and will wave. He always seems to be doing something, and he doesn't look like he's live as rough a life as the rest of the family. My mental story on him is that he's recently divorced and stuck living with his parents until he can afford his own place. Or his mom needs help taking care of his dad, and the worthless brother isn't doing a damn thing. I have no idea if any of that is true, but they would fit the story.
I tried to do my homework, but it was loud enough that I couldn't ignore the neighbors. If it did quiet down, they'd start right back up. And things were obviously getting to the point that there was an issue.
I stepped out the back door to listen more closely, and I had the phone in hand. The drunken guy was screaming all sorts of threats, and I know they have guns down there. I figured if things had escalated to the point they had, then there was concern about gunfire. Our house is close enough that we'd definitely be hit if they chose to shoot this way, and I don't want my family to be another statistic.
There was a full moon out which means I could easily see figures moving at the neighbors'. That also meant they could see over here, and I suddenly had a vision of, "You over there nosin' in, you stupid bitch? I'll take care of you!" BANG! Maybe a bit far-fetched on my part, but I still wouldn't put it past them. I think they're all nuts, though one brother does seem to be semi-decent and friendly. He always waves when I drive by anyway. That's more than I can say for the rest of them. I was really hoping he wasn't the drunken brother, but I didn't think he probably was.
Things did quiet down right then, and they stayed quiet for several minutes. They had every light in the house and garage blazing, but a few of them were then turned off. I figured the show was over and came back to do my homework.
Not five minutes later, the drunken brother was yelling again, even more loudly than before. They must have quieted him down and then he got riled up again about something. He shouted he was going to leave or something, and I heard protests. I was happy to see they wouldn't want the drunken asshole on the road, but the noise was getting ridiculous, and the threats were worse. So back outside I went, armed with the telephone and their address now memorized just in case. I decided to go out front this time. We don't usually hang out in the front yard a whole bunch, so I figured I'd just sit on the ground near the deck and see how things played out. Yes, I know this makes me sound like a nibshit neighbor, but I really did do this out of concern. Not only could someone there be in danger, but any of us in the Radley area were in danger of stray bullets. It's really not a very big field.
I sat outside on the ground for awhile. The weather was nice, and normally the full moon would have been an added bonus. I sat there wondering if the full moon wasn't part of the problem as so many people have been wired lately, when things got worse again. I decided enough was enough and called 911. I explained the situation, gave the neighbors' name and address, and told her that I knew they had guns though I hadn't heard any shots fired or even knew if they had guns out. I just wanted them to be alert when they came. The lady thanked me and promised to send a sheriff right away. However, we have a big county, so I knew it could be awhile if there was something going on in the northern areas. And sure enough, it took them awhile.
Not two minutes after hanging up with 911, I did hear something that sounded like shots fired. I called back and warned dispatch. After I hung up again, the drunken brother got into his truck and went flying down a country road away from the house. There was more yelling, but I got the idea that things were calming down a little. Not enough, but a little. I was trying to figure out if I heard two female voices or just the mother's. Drunken brother has a girlfriend who is there quite often. I'm not sure if she lives there now or what, but I wondered if they weren't having some sort of problem and it had gotten out of hand.
The sheriff finally showed up, and I heard some guy yell, "It's ok now! You just missed him!" and people laughing. Okay... I was debating on whether I should stay outside and see the rest of the show (after all, I had come this far), or if I should just get off my butt and go finish my homework.
And that's when drunken brother came flying back down the road, pulled into their yard (which they never do), and started driving towards the field and my house. In a split second I thought, "WTF is he doing?" and "Oh shit, he's using his brights to see across to my house!" and "Fuck! He's going to drive across the field and over here!" As bright as the moon was, a standing person could easily be seen from across the field, which is why I was sitting down. However, all bets were off if a vehicle's bright lights were on, and especially if said vehicle is driving right towards you.
This is where the story gets comical.
I went sprawling on my stomach to avoid being seen by the lights, and just in time. I kid you not, it was like something from a movie. But I honestly think that's what this guy was doing. It would be obvious that it had to be someone from Radley who called the cops as we're the nearest neighbors, and I knew they'd be mad if they found out who it was. That's why I didn't bother calling 911 until I was honestly worried about gunfire.
So I'm laying there on my stomach, phone in hand, and thinking, "Only I could get into a situation like this." The truck was nearly to the edge of their yard when it stopped, definitely not near their house, and further proof for me that he was probably looking for someone. He switched the lights off and got out of the truck, yelling at his family. It didn't sound like it was about me or anyone else in Radley, and I found this a good sign. Standing up and getting the hell out of there was not a good idea as they'd be sure to see me if I got up, so I started crawling backwards on my stomach. My shirt rode up to my neck, hence the post about grass stains on my boobs. (No, no stains really, but I did have a bit of a rash for the rest of the night.) I kept inching backward as fast as I could when the lights came on again and the truck started. I quit moving because I wasn't sure if he'd be able to see me or not. The front door was locked, and I wasn't anywhere near the backdoor.
He looked like he was leaving, and I figured I'd just wait until he was on his way then I'd go inside. Oh no, not so easily done. He started driving down the road towards Radley. His lights were bright enough that he was lighting up the fields on both sides of the road. Which meant that he was going to see me, laying down or not. Not a good situation.
Before he got too close, I stood up to where I was hunched over, and I sprinted around the corner of the house. I still should have been seen, but I was hoping I had either moved quickly enough that the lights hadn't hit me yet or he was too drunk too notice. Again, this was all split-second stuff since they really aren't that far from us and he was speeding like a fool.
He didn't slow down until he was past my house, and even then it wasn't like he may have seen me. I think he was just hoping to see who may have been out. He came back by a few minutes later, but I kept my butt in the house after that. The sheriff must have decided things were OK, though I don't know why. I never saw him leave, but I definitely heard a gun shot after that. There were more off and on through the night, and I wondered if maybe someone wasn't hoping the cops would be called again.
From then on it was more drunken shouting and fighting. At one point I heard the worthless brother yell, "Fine, leave then bitch!" which made me think the girlfriend probably was there. Sometimes I'd hear the other brother talking loudly but calmly, trying to get the other brother to calm down. That apparently failed because he finally lost his temper as well.
After that, things did settle down though. The mother or girlfriend talked to the drunken brother (well, talked loudly since I could still make out voices), and the front door slammed which makes me think the good brother went in the house. More yelling, another car door slam, and I went to watch to see if drunken brother was going to kill someone on the road. It was someone else that left though. More lights went off, and I hoped that meant the show was definitely coming to a close.
By this time it's 1:00 a.m. and I'm way past tired of the whole mess. Nothing seemed to be escalating further, and I decided to finally finish things up in peace. That's when I heard the drunken brother yell, "Hey, (Larry? Gary? Some 'arry' sounding name.) Come on out here for a minute." He had that sound of coming off his drunken high and realizing he'd done fucked up. I heard a woman's voice say something in the tone of, "Just leave it alone for the night, will ya?" and the drunken brother going, "Wha?" The rest of the lights went off then, and I kind of wonder if they hadn't locked the guy out of the house for the evening. I know I would have been tempted.
But that's the story of Tuesday night. If there was more fighting, I didn't hear it. The next day I saw the brother who I think may be the only semi-decent family member, and he waved just like usual, but I thought he looked a little sad. Hell, he had to know we probably heard them, and I'd guess he was embarrassed.
Last night was quiet as far as I know. Of course, it was raining and my windows were closed. Still, that was the first time things had ever gotten that bad with them. The fighting never gets that loud or drunken, and they don't fight on a nightly basis. I still think the full moon was a part of the problem. It seems to be effecting everyone right now.
ETA: It just occurred to me that I've not seen any signs of the other people living there, just the non-drunken brother. Maybe he really did shoot them all for some peace and quiet.
I had sat down to finish up what I needed to for Wednesday's class assignment, and I soon realized there was a lot of yelling at the neighbors'. More than I would normally hear. I went to my window and listened. No, I don't feel like I was being nosy. If you're going to yell loud enough that the neighbors can hear you, your argument has become public domain. After all, it's not like I had much choice in the matter. I could have closed my window, but it was hot in here and I'm not going to be able to keep my window open much longer with this weather.
Sure enough, lots of drunken shouting. Eff this, B word that. The cussing came through loud and clear, the rest I couldn't always make out. There were several, "I'm not gonna-" phrases, but I'm not sure what he wasn't gonna do. Oh, and he fully planned on kicking someone's ass, as was repeated numerous times.
Let me insert here who lives in the house. There's the elderly father who doesn't look like he's in the greatest of shape. There's the mother who looks like a hick from the deep hollows of Kentucky (and I do like the hollows of Kentucky, but I'm talking deeeeep in the hollows in her case), and she has the friendliness of a mother grizzly with a bullet in her butt and someone attacking her babies. And that's on her good days. :P
Next are the two brothers. I'm guessing early 40's, maybe late 30's. I thought it was just the one brother living there, the one I suspect of being drunk. He's a pot smoker, and not the social kind either. He's more the "I gotta have a toke NOW dammit!" kind. He has a son around 13 who stays there sometimes from what the boys tell me, and I guess the kid isn't the friendliest either. No surprise in that family.
The brother I do think might be ok is a new addition. I noticed this summer he's around a lot. We'd see him when we were out on our walks, and he'd talk to us. Or if I drive by on my way to town, he's usually outside and will wave. He always seems to be doing something, and he doesn't look like he's live as rough a life as the rest of the family. My mental story on him is that he's recently divorced and stuck living with his parents until he can afford his own place. Or his mom needs help taking care of his dad, and the worthless brother isn't doing a damn thing. I have no idea if any of that is true, but they would fit the story.
I tried to do my homework, but it was loud enough that I couldn't ignore the neighbors. If it did quiet down, they'd start right back up. And things were obviously getting to the point that there was an issue.
I stepped out the back door to listen more closely, and I had the phone in hand. The drunken guy was screaming all sorts of threats, and I know they have guns down there. I figured if things had escalated to the point they had, then there was concern about gunfire. Our house is close enough that we'd definitely be hit if they chose to shoot this way, and I don't want my family to be another statistic.
There was a full moon out which means I could easily see figures moving at the neighbors'. That also meant they could see over here, and I suddenly had a vision of, "You over there nosin' in, you stupid bitch? I'll take care of you!" BANG! Maybe a bit far-fetched on my part, but I still wouldn't put it past them. I think they're all nuts, though one brother does seem to be semi-decent and friendly. He always waves when I drive by anyway. That's more than I can say for the rest of them. I was really hoping he wasn't the drunken brother, but I didn't think he probably was.
Things did quiet down right then, and they stayed quiet for several minutes. They had every light in the house and garage blazing, but a few of them were then turned off. I figured the show was over and came back to do my homework.
Not five minutes later, the drunken brother was yelling again, even more loudly than before. They must have quieted him down and then he got riled up again about something. He shouted he was going to leave or something, and I heard protests. I was happy to see they wouldn't want the drunken asshole on the road, but the noise was getting ridiculous, and the threats were worse. So back outside I went, armed with the telephone and their address now memorized just in case. I decided to go out front this time. We don't usually hang out in the front yard a whole bunch, so I figured I'd just sit on the ground near the deck and see how things played out. Yes, I know this makes me sound like a nibshit neighbor, but I really did do this out of concern. Not only could someone there be in danger, but any of us in the Radley area were in danger of stray bullets. It's really not a very big field.
I sat outside on the ground for awhile. The weather was nice, and normally the full moon would have been an added bonus. I sat there wondering if the full moon wasn't part of the problem as so many people have been wired lately, when things got worse again. I decided enough was enough and called 911. I explained the situation, gave the neighbors' name and address, and told her that I knew they had guns though I hadn't heard any shots fired or even knew if they had guns out. I just wanted them to be alert when they came. The lady thanked me and promised to send a sheriff right away. However, we have a big county, so I knew it could be awhile if there was something going on in the northern areas. And sure enough, it took them awhile.
Not two minutes after hanging up with 911, I did hear something that sounded like shots fired. I called back and warned dispatch. After I hung up again, the drunken brother got into his truck and went flying down a country road away from the house. There was more yelling, but I got the idea that things were calming down a little. Not enough, but a little. I was trying to figure out if I heard two female voices or just the mother's. Drunken brother has a girlfriend who is there quite often. I'm not sure if she lives there now or what, but I wondered if they weren't having some sort of problem and it had gotten out of hand.
The sheriff finally showed up, and I heard some guy yell, "It's ok now! You just missed him!" and people laughing. Okay... I was debating on whether I should stay outside and see the rest of the show (after all, I had come this far), or if I should just get off my butt and go finish my homework.
And that's when drunken brother came flying back down the road, pulled into their yard (which they never do), and started driving towards the field and my house. In a split second I thought, "WTF is he doing?" and "Oh shit, he's using his brights to see across to my house!" and "Fuck! He's going to drive across the field and over here!" As bright as the moon was, a standing person could easily be seen from across the field, which is why I was sitting down. However, all bets were off if a vehicle's bright lights were on, and especially if said vehicle is driving right towards you.
This is where the story gets comical.
I went sprawling on my stomach to avoid being seen by the lights, and just in time. I kid you not, it was like something from a movie. But I honestly think that's what this guy was doing. It would be obvious that it had to be someone from Radley who called the cops as we're the nearest neighbors, and I knew they'd be mad if they found out who it was. That's why I didn't bother calling 911 until I was honestly worried about gunfire.
So I'm laying there on my stomach, phone in hand, and thinking, "Only I could get into a situation like this." The truck was nearly to the edge of their yard when it stopped, definitely not near their house, and further proof for me that he was probably looking for someone. He switched the lights off and got out of the truck, yelling at his family. It didn't sound like it was about me or anyone else in Radley, and I found this a good sign. Standing up and getting the hell out of there was not a good idea as they'd be sure to see me if I got up, so I started crawling backwards on my stomach. My shirt rode up to my neck, hence the post about grass stains on my boobs. (No, no stains really, but I did have a bit of a rash for the rest of the night.) I kept inching backward as fast as I could when the lights came on again and the truck started. I quit moving because I wasn't sure if he'd be able to see me or not. The front door was locked, and I wasn't anywhere near the backdoor.
He looked like he was leaving, and I figured I'd just wait until he was on his way then I'd go inside. Oh no, not so easily done. He started driving down the road towards Radley. His lights were bright enough that he was lighting up the fields on both sides of the road. Which meant that he was going to see me, laying down or not. Not a good situation.
Before he got too close, I stood up to where I was hunched over, and I sprinted around the corner of the house. I still should have been seen, but I was hoping I had either moved quickly enough that the lights hadn't hit me yet or he was too drunk too notice. Again, this was all split-second stuff since they really aren't that far from us and he was speeding like a fool.
He didn't slow down until he was past my house, and even then it wasn't like he may have seen me. I think he was just hoping to see who may have been out. He came back by a few minutes later, but I kept my butt in the house after that. The sheriff must have decided things were OK, though I don't know why. I never saw him leave, but I definitely heard a gun shot after that. There were more off and on through the night, and I wondered if maybe someone wasn't hoping the cops would be called again.
From then on it was more drunken shouting and fighting. At one point I heard the worthless brother yell, "Fine, leave then bitch!" which made me think the girlfriend probably was there. Sometimes I'd hear the other brother talking loudly but calmly, trying to get the other brother to calm down. That apparently failed because he finally lost his temper as well.
After that, things did settle down though. The mother or girlfriend talked to the drunken brother (well, talked loudly since I could still make out voices), and the front door slammed which makes me think the good brother went in the house. More yelling, another car door slam, and I went to watch to see if drunken brother was going to kill someone on the road. It was someone else that left though. More lights went off, and I hoped that meant the show was definitely coming to a close.
By this time it's 1:00 a.m. and I'm way past tired of the whole mess. Nothing seemed to be escalating further, and I decided to finally finish things up in peace. That's when I heard the drunken brother yell, "Hey, (Larry? Gary? Some 'arry' sounding name.) Come on out here for a minute." He had that sound of coming off his drunken high and realizing he'd done fucked up. I heard a woman's voice say something in the tone of, "Just leave it alone for the night, will ya?" and the drunken brother going, "Wha?" The rest of the lights went off then, and I kind of wonder if they hadn't locked the guy out of the house for the evening. I know I would have been tempted.
But that's the story of Tuesday night. If there was more fighting, I didn't hear it. The next day I saw the brother who I think may be the only semi-decent family member, and he waved just like usual, but I thought he looked a little sad. Hell, he had to know we probably heard them, and I'd guess he was embarrassed.
Last night was quiet as far as I know. Of course, it was raining and my windows were closed. Still, that was the first time things had ever gotten that bad with them. The fighting never gets that loud or drunken, and they don't fight on a nightly basis. I still think the full moon was a part of the problem. It seems to be effecting everyone right now.
ETA: It just occurred to me that I've not seen any signs of the other people living there, just the non-drunken brother. Maybe he really did shoot them all for some peace and quiet.