Enough
Tommy furiously ran through his yard. He had taken about as much harassment as he could stand and he was determined to put an end to it immediately.
He asked himself whether he was overreacting and thought about it for a second. “No”, he thought. She needed to be taught a lesson and he was the one who was going to do the teaching.
Not A Fighter
Tommy Mogan has always been known as a gentle and kind man. He did not like confrontation, but on this Monday morning, he was ready to take her on.
When he woke up at 6 A.M. he had no idea how different this day would be from his normal routine. He was ready for work at 8 A.M, as always, but then the day took an unexpected turn.
Something Unusual
While he was rinsing his coffee cup that morning, he looked out of the window into his yard. There was an elderly couple walking past and he noticed that they were looking at something in his garden.
He didn’t think much of it at first. He had been doing a lot of gardening lately and he just assumed they were admiring his handiwork. But then something else caught his attention.
What Are They Looking At?
At first Tommy was flattered that the old couple was admiring his garden. Then he realized that they were looking at something else.
Then the woman saw something in his garden and raised her hand to her mouth in surprise. Tommy had no idea what she could possibly be looking at in his yard that could have caused her strange reaction.
On A Run
A little while later, as he was leaving for work, he was reminded of the woman’s reaction by a jogger who also obviously noticed something shocking in his yard.
She was running in the direction of his house but suddenly stopped, made a face at what she saw in his yard, and continued on her run down his road.
Confused
Tommy couldn’t understand why his neighbors were acting so strangely. He was in a hurry to get to work though and he had no time to investigate.
He had a lot of work waiting for him in the office and he had no time to lose. He was not looking forward to his work day, but he had no clue what this day really had in store for him.
A Sign
He knew that a lot of the neighborhood kids rode their bikes to school and he always reversed out of his driveway carefully.
As he slowly advanced towards the end of the driveway, he glanced into his yard and saw what his neighbors had seen. What he was looking at made his blood boil. He couldn’t believe it.
His Dream
Tommy had always dreamed of having a big family and raising his children somewhere in the suburbs. Shortly after graduating from college, he met the woman he wanted to start his family with.
Tommy and Linda struggled in the first few years, but they loved each other and they were happy. Eventually they were in a position to buy a house in the suburbs and start their family.
White Picket Fences
The couple found the perfect place to raise their family in Rock Springs, Wyoming. They were over the moon to learn that they had a little boy on the way.
Tommy dreamed of being a father and he couldn’t wait for his son to arrive. He was especially excited to welcome a little boy to their family. They called their son Joshua.
Joshua
Soon Joshua was followed by two girls and Tommy got his wish for a big family. As Joshua grew older, Tommy started noticing that he wasn’t like other boys.
Joshua had no interest in cars and sports and would much rather play with his sisters’ toys. Tommy had an idea what was going on and was not surprised when 17-year-old Joshua eventually told them.
The Truth
The boy was shaking, his palms sweaty as he stood before his parents and two younger sisters. He wondered how his parents would react if he told them the truth. He was terrified.
“I’m just going to come out and say it,” He spoke in a shaky voice, “I’m gay,” He expected his parents’ reaction to be the worst, but he was beyond surprised when they stood up and hugged him.
Calm
“Oh honey, we already knew that,” His mother said, giving him a big hug. He couldn’t believe how calm they were, and when he turned to Tommy, his father had a massive smile on his face.
“We’ve always told you that we love you no matter what, and we mean it. I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you for being the way you are. I am proud of you, son,” Tommy said, and he meant every word. But one Monday morning, something terrible happened.
An Attack
Tommy Mogan had always been a gentle soul. His friends and family often joked and said he could never hurt a fly, but that all changed that Monday morning. You see, someone in his neighborhood decided to attack his family.
This day was supposed to be like any other. He awoke at 6 A.M. and was ready for work by 8, completely unaware of what had happened overnight. He never saw the attack coming.
The First Sign
He was in the kitchen when he spotted the first sign that something was wrong. Tommy stood by his kitchen sink, rinsing his cup of coffee when he looked through the window and noticed an old couple walking past.
At first, he didn’t think much of the fact that they were staring at his yard. He’d put a lot of work into it lately, and he assumed they were admiring it. But then he noticed something.
Her Reaction
As they walked past, the old man and woman stared into his yard shamelessly. But Tommy didn’t mind, it flattered him. But then, he noticed it. “What the heck?” He questioned, earning a few glances from his children.
The old woman paused in her steps and pointed into his yard. Then, she raised a hand and covered her mouth. Tommy was confused. What did she see that surprised her so much? But soon, they walked off, and he forgot about it.
Helping His Wife
He continued with his early morning tasks by helping his wife prepare school lunches for their children. Tommy would usually leave the house first, then his wife would take their children to school.
Joshua was eating a bowl of cereal, unaware of what was happening outside. But soon, they would all face the horrible truth.
Reminded
It wasn’t until a few minutes later that he was reminded of the old woman’s strange reaction. He was leaving his house, on his way to work when he spotted the jogger down the road.
She was headed straight for his house but as she was about to pass, she stopped. She was looking at something behind him. Again, he watched as her face twisted in horror before she continued on her journey down the road.
No Time To Waste
Tommy was confused by the strange reactions of his neighbors, but he had no time to waste. He had to get to work. He quickly threw his things into his car and strapped himself into the driver’s seat.
It was going to be a busy day at the office, and he was dreading it already. But he had no idea that his day was about to get a thousand times worse.
Leaving Home
He slowly reversed out of his driveway, his eyes focused on his rear view and side mirrors. Neighborhood kids often rode their bikes to school in the mornings and he had to be careful not to hit them with his truck.
He made it to the end of his driveway, and just as he was about to drive off, he glanced into his yard. That’s when he saw it. He couldn’t help the surge of anger that pumped through his veins.
Slamming The Brakes
The second he spotted the massive, white sign in his yard, he slammed on the brakes. What on earth was going on? He looked around him, noticing how many people were standing in the streets, staring at the sign in his yard.
Who could’ve done this to his family? It was a foul, horrible sign. Why would anyone put that in his yard?
Watching Them
People were laughing and chattering amongst themselves as he killed the ignition and stepped out of his truck. He glanced around at his neighbors, but who on earth could have done this?
That’s when he spotted the large black SUV on the corner of the street. As he looked into the windscreen, he could see the woman inside, laughing as she stared right back at him. He knew just who had done this.
Stuck Up
Maggie Smith lived a few houses down, and she and Tommy had never gotten along. She was conservative and stuck up, and she didn’t agree with the way Tommy and Linda raised their children.
Noticing the look on his face, she stepped out of her car and began making her way over. Tommy was just seconds away from losing it. He was beyond angry.
They Were Watching
“What is wrong with you?” He shouted at the top of his lungs, “Why on earth would you do this?” Slowly, more neighbors walked into the street and stared at the pair as they yelled at one another.
“You have no proof that I had anything to do with this,” She smirked cockily. Tommy was only growing more furious. This was an attack on his family.
Calling The Police
“This has your name written all over it, Maggie! You’ve had a problem with my family since we moved in here, and I am honestly not surprised that you would stoop this low! I’m calling the police!” He threatened.
But she didn’t seem phased at all. “You have no proof. The police will come here, remove the sign, and leave again. Good luck trying, though,” She glared. But what did the sign say?
“Gender Insanity”
The sign was for local candidates that called policies for lgbtq youth “gender insanity”. Maggie knew that Tommy had a gay son, and she had taken an issue with it.
Hearing the commotion outside, Linda and the children came rushing out of the house. Tommy was heartbroken when he noticed his son’s gaze on the sign, tears burning behind his eyes. He had to protect him.
Nothing Could Be Done
But Maggie was right. The police wouldn’t be able to do anything about this. He had to take matters into his own hands.
He turned to his family, his eyes sad when he saw the hurt on his wife’s face. “Go inside, guys. I’ll handle this,” He said. His mind was flooded with anger and confusion.
An Impulsive Reaction
Linda took the kids into the house while Tommy remained outside. He wasn’t sure what to do next, but he decided to act impulsively.
The smirk on Maggie’s face made him a thousand times more angry. How could someone be so cruel to a teenager? Joshua had done nothing to Maggie, and now, she was humiliating him in front of everyone. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for work,” She said.
Onwards
Tommy’s blood was boiling as he stormed through his backyard. He’d had enough of the harassment and cruelty. He couldn’t let her get away with this any longer.
He paused for a second. He had to think this through. In a fit of rage, he’d thought up the perfect plan to get his revenge, but was he taking this too far? With a shrug of his shoulders, he ventured onwards. She messed with the wrong man.
Activating The Sprinklers
He made it into the back of their garden and twisted his hand around the tap, turning it on full blast.
The sprinklers came on behind him, and he heard screaming from the front yard. When he came around the front, he was pleased to see the horrible woman soaking wet in the middle of the yard. Her clothes and makeup were destroyed.
Protecting Him
“How could you?” She screamed at the top of her lungs and stormed off. He tried to suppress his laughter, but it was impossible. When he turned to look at his house, he saw Joshua through a window.
He was laughing even harder than his father. It was a beautiful sight. Tommy promised his son that he would protect him no matter what, and that’s exactly what he did.