When I first saw the nasty message written on my grandpa’s dusty car, I was beyond angry. But finding out who did it was just the start. What I did next made sure this rude neighbor would never forget the lesson she was about to learn.
It all began two months ago. I was at work when my phone rang. It was Mom, and I could tell something was wrong. Her voice was shaky as she told me that Grandpa had been rushed to the hospital after a heart attack. My heart sank. Grandpa Alvin isn’t just my grandpa—he’s my hero, my best friend, the person I look up to the most. The thought of losing him was terrifying.
I don’t even remember the drive to pick up Mom or the rush to the hospital. Those 45 minutes on the road felt like forever, filled with fear and worry as Mom quietly cried beside me. When we finally got there, the doctor told us that Grandpa had made it through the surgery, but he would need a lot of rest, a strict diet, and no stress at all.
A few days later, Grandpa was able to go home, but since he lived in another town, we couldn’t be there every day to help him. So, we hired a full-time nurse to take care of him, cook for him, and make sure he was getting better. For two months, he stayed in his apartment, focusing on his recovery.
Last week, I realized it had been way too long since I’d seen him. During breakfast, I told Mom I planned to visit him that weekend, and she eagerly agreed to join me. I was excited to see Grandpa, imagining how happy he would be when he saw us.
On Saturday, I bought a bouquet of his favorite sunflowers and drove with Mom to his place. As we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed Grandpa’s old car was covered in a thick layer of dust. It was clear he hadn’t driven it since he got sick.
But as we got closer, I saw something that made my blood boil—a cruel message scrawled across the back window: “YOU ARE A DIRTY PIG! CLEAN UP YOUR CAR OR GET OUT OF THE COMMUNITY. SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!”
I was furious. Who could be so heartless to write something like that on an old man’s car? Especially when he’d been too sick to even leave his apartment. Mom was shocked too, but she gently reminded me not to let Grandpa see how upset I was. We quickly headed up to his apartment, and the joy on his face when he opened the door momentarily made me forget the awful message.
We talked for a while, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that hateful message. Eventually, I told Mom I needed to take care of something and headed straight to the security office.
At first, the guard didn’t want to show me the security footage, but when I explained what had happened, he agreed to help. As we watched the footage, I spotted an older woman with a snooty attitude casually writing that awful message on Grandpa’s car. The guard told me her name was Briana from 4C, and she was well-known in the building for causing trouble.
Apparently, Briana had been giving Grandpa a hard time for months—complaining about everything, from how his newspaper was left out to the color of his potted plants. She even tried to get him fined for small things. It was clear she had no intention of being kind to him.
I knew I had to do something, so I came up with a plan. The next day, I printed a screenshot of the security footage showing Briana in the act and made a big sign that read: “SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! Lady from Apt 4C is abusing elderly neighbors.” I taped it in the elevator, where everyone in the building would see it.
Within a day, Briana became the talk of the complex, and not in a good way. People started avoiding her, and she couldn’t harass Grandpa or anyone else without facing the judgment of the whole community.
When I visited Grandpa again a few days later, he greeted me with a big hug and mentioned the drama with Briana. He didn’t know I was behind it, and I pretended to be surprised. But inside, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Sometimes, you have to stand up for what’s right. Being kind is important, but when someone like Briana refuses to show respect, you have to take action.
What would you have done in my place?
