Monday morning slapped me awake with the subtlety of a diesel engine backfiring.
I stumbled out to my mailbox in yesterday's work clothes, my coffee mug steaming in the crisp autumn air. I opened the perfectly matching, Willowbrook-approved mailbox. Inside, tucked away like a venomous snake, was an official crisp white envelope.
NOTICE OF COVENANT VIOLATION
Infraction: Unauthorized Commercial Vehicle Storage.
The citation claimed my work van—a perfectly ordinary Ford Transit with Rodriguez Family Auto painted modestly on the side—violated community standards.
Penalty: $200 fine.
Deadline: 48-hour compliance.
I looked up from the paper. Across the street, the blinds of a pristine white house twitched. Brenda Wilson was watching. I took a slow sip of my coffee, smiled, and walked back up the driveway. Game on.