Dwight Cooper was a middle aged gentleman with two irrevocable passions: the stillness of the night and his beloved Andy Griffith show. After a lifetime filled with trials and tribulations, the mundane routines brought him a comforting tranquility he had craved for so long. However, tranquility in a neighborhood came with its fair share of tests, mostly revolving around Dwight’s neighbour - Tom.
Tom was a typical pickup truck owner; passionate, loud, and slightly inconsiderate. He had a peculiar habit of revving up his monstrous engine at the same time every evening, disturbing the otherwise serene ambiance of their otherwise peaceful neighborhood. This started to agitate Dwight as his relaxation time got disrupted every evening, right in the middle of his favorite TV show.
Hot-diggety! Not again! Why can't he do that at a sensible time?! Dwight exclaimed one evening, struggling to hear Barney Fife's wisecracks over the tumultuous revving of Tom's engine.
Evening after evening, he bore the sound pollution, fingers gripping tightly on the armrest of his old recliner. But one evening, as Andy Griffith’s soothing theme song began to play, he decided he had enough. Fed up with Tom's late-evening routine of noisy engine revving, Dwight snatched up the telephone from its resting place, his heart thumping against his chest. It was time to reclaim his peacefulness, his eyes stern as he dialed the familiar three digits: 9-1-1.
Yes, hello? I would like to report a nuisance in my neighborhood, Dwight reported as he emphasized each word, staring at Tom’s house next door, the cacophony piercing through the tranquility. He held his breath, watching as the street fell quiet.
Soon enough, a pair of red and blue flashing lights washed over Dwight’s house, and the entire neighborhood. Dwight pressed his cheek to the cool glass of his living room window, heart pounding as he watched Officer Milner approach Tom’s house.
Though he felt slightly guilty, Dwight could only think about the hushed tones of Andy Griffith and Barney Fife lulling him into tranquility in his quiet living room. His phone call to the police wasn’t about Tom. It wasn’t about punishing him, it was about reclaiming the peace and serenity of his humble life.
After all, even in the world of changing times, small joys like watching a television show in silence hold immense power. And Dwight was willing to do whatever it took to protect that. As the sound of the sirens faded, Dwight leaned back in his chair, turning up the volume on his TV.
It was once again him, the Andy Griffith show, and a whole lot of tranquility.