Envy the Unfeeling

The Neighborhood

The golden sky radiated its light upon the earth, warming the roads as the sun slowly started to hide behind the suburban neighborhood. The air was cool but humid enough to feel like it was sticking to the skin. It was quiet, hauntingly so. In Crestwood Parks, children always played in their backyard with their parents.

The Crestwood Parks neighborhood was observant, constantly finding something to point out. Today was a slow day, and no one had done anything relevant. However, most days, the playground was bustling with energetic kids and worn-out mothers and fathers. There was also the occasional jogger on the sidewalk, coupled with a particular elderly couple who refused to let go of their youth.

The neighborhood eventually learned everything about each resident. There was no hiding from them. This is why they knew that a couple of houses down from the main road was the Landry family, who refused to lower the volume of their music. They began blasting their songs as early as five AM and lasted until eleven PM at night. Everyone had called the police on them at one point, but they never took it as a threat.

The Crestwood Park moms always loved talking about Mrs. Duncan; she constantly went to the store and bought more flowers for her garden, exceeding capacity. She knew she should stop, but it brought her joy that she couldn't quite put into words. She won lawn of the month every time and continued to amaze the judges on the annual lawn survey. She was a bundle of Southern joy, a sweet soul, and loved to give to the community. She was exemplary, hosting her baking and cooking class every other week. She received constant praise about how she ran her household and enjoyed it.

Praise, admiration, and cooking were the only sources of entertainment she had before she walked into her house and cared for her husband. He was a loving husband and used to give his everything to his darling until he ended up in a car accident. It was a miracle he survived, and now he's left in the care of his wife, relying on her for everything. No one knows she felt burdened by the responsibility, which tested her love for him daily. But she remains strong, knowing she will be in this constant loop until her inevitable end.

The Shermans were a silent family with two children. They led a quiet life in Crestwood Parks, never attending neighborhood events, and both parents worked from home. The older teenager, Teegan, was an odd one. Rain or snow, blazing heat or subzero temperature, she wore her hoodie and ripped jeans and roamed the neighborhood.

What began as a quick clothing option to get out of the house became a part of her personality, as walking in solitude was the only time she had to herself before returning home. When she opened the door to her house, yelling could be heard from the streets away, and the joy that was once on her face vanished quickly, leaving no trace of ever being there.

The neighborhood often observed Mr. Hartman, a particularly good-looking man who could always be seen running with his golden retriever. He was a fast man with an even faster dog, and they often ran around aimlessly, almost as if he ran as a distraction. Observers didn't know how running ended up being his relaxation, but it started with his dog forcing him out of the house, which was history from then on.

He became relevant when he ran past Crestwood Parks and into the forest beyond. He'd instantly turn the bend into the forest, get down on his knees, and let out quiet and sad sobs. It was later discovered that the only place he felt comfortable enough to cry was here because when he returned home, he returned to a home where no one loved him; they loved his money.

There was that one house with the unkept lawn on Starfield Way. People never found out who owned it, but the sight was enough to make it relevant. The lawn was an awful sight in a well-maintained neighborhood. Vines grew on the side of the house, and weeds infested the grass; the neighborhood looked at the house in shame.

Crestwood Parks would later find out the person living there had clinical depression. An ambulance wheeled them out one day; the few people who walked past looked inside. Trash was piled up to the ceiling. No one was found living there again.

A street behind the unsightly lawn housed one particular wine mom, Mrs. Howe. The neighborhood was at its wits end with her. She was known for making her business known on her side of the street and loving to be seen. She always sat on the porch while working, mostly in meetings or exercising in front of her well-cared-for yoga garden. People had her pegged for a weird, wealthy woman who was above everyone.

The neighborhood later found out her husband was having an affair, and the only reason she hadn't left him was because he was an abusive one. After one public fight on the front lawn, she never came outside for work. When she did, she sported a new bruise that matched the litany of others.

One house a street away from the Howe's housed the Washington family. The Washingtons were a quiet but filthy rich family that chose to live a simple life in Crestwood Parks. However, they had one little girl who always had a business stand. Everyone hated that little rascal, but she had some damn good lemonade and fruit cake.

There was one girl, Victoria, who constantly wandered the streets. No one found out where exactly she lived, but one thing was for certain. She could always be found on her phone. She had a world hidden there, which only she resided in. She looked miserable every single time she went to school, and always seemed pleasant when she came back from it. No one figured out until later that year.

She disappeared without a trace, running away from home with a man she had met on social media. Her body was found five states away. She was never spoken about again, but a constant flame was lit in the middle of the neighborhood center in remembrance of her.

The neighborhood hated a certain father who sat at the top of the hill and was a complete outlier from the other dads people saw. He was present, never on technology when with his children, was loving and attentive to his wife, and seemed to live the life he had dreamed of since he was a kid. One could tell he had a horrible childhood. Now that he was older, he was giving his kids the life he wished he had. He led the perfect family. It annoyed the other fathers of the bar he was setting, and wives hated him for being perfect. He ended up being the talk of most conversations, silently respecting and loudly declaring hatred for him.

A house away from the Howes had one quiet kid who stayed outside studying. He was addicted to Lo-Fi and had zero friends, but he was the kindest person who lived in Crestwood Parks. No one ever figured out what happened to him later in life, but they always thought about how he'd laugh and smile when someone walked past his house. Everyone hopes he is living a life that is as calm and peaceful as his personality.

The neighborhood frequently observed Mr. Case down the street from the pool. He always seemed stressed out and had no patience for anything besides coming home from work and screaming and crying in his car for hours before eventually trudging his way up his steps.

Years later, by sheer coincidence, a resident of Crestwood Parks saw his YouTube channel about his van life. He'd quit his job and now lived off the road. He only had ten thousand subscribers. But he was so happy that someone commented on his video last month that he didn't care. He got a couple more thousand subscribers months later, and it only continued from there, but he remained humble and never got off the road, even when his van broke down five times and was torn apart by a brown bear.

Lastly, in Crestwood Parks, someone could always find two boys who walked together daily. They refused to let a single rotation of the earth go by without being in their other's presence. The ones who stayed in the neighborhood the longest always smiled and laughed at the boys, seeing them walk the same route repeatedly. Seeing two drastically different friends in ethnicity, race, and personality surprised everyone, but they realized how normal it was for the two friends. The neighborhood knew they'd stay together forever, most likely living together and having a life filled with wonder and bliss.

They'd later discover that one was in love while the other was oblivious.

They fell apart years later before joining the working world.

The neighborhood never observed another soul again.