Accidental Payback

Love Thy Neighbor, Fender Benders and All

When our daughters were in elementary school, we built a home near the entrance of a large neighborhood on the southeast side of Indianapolis. We lived there for 15 years and had good relationships with many of our neighbors. Among them were Jack and Donna, whose home was built the year after ours in the lot directly across the street. Jack and Donna’s grandchildren lived across the U.S., so I am sure our girls brought them joy as they watched them grow.

We took care of each other’s properties when we took vacations. We would water their plants and gather their mail, and they would do the same for us. We had a bond of trust.

One time, Jack asked whether they could borrow my minivan to transport their family from and to the airport when one of their children’s families came to visit for the week. We were happy to help. I loved that Pontiac Montana. We used it to haul our girls and their gear when they were in sports, dance, Girl Scouts, you name it. It took a beating. Why wouldn’t I want to help a neighbor with his simple request?

I remember the look on Jack’s face when he came over to tell me that someone had sideswiped my van while they were on I-465. He felt awful. Of course, he took care of the necessary repairs.

Not long afterward, I got even. Donna and I attended a women’s bible study together at our Methodist church. Sometimes I would give her a ride. When I did, my routine was to back out of my garage and continue across the street and into their driveway, so she could walk straight to the passenger door from their front walk. Sometimes our routines make us careless … like the day I did not see that Jack had parked their car in the driveway instead of the garage. I still remember the crunching sound as I rear-ended their vehicle.

I do not recall our bible study lesson that evening, but we did learn to love thy neighbor, fender benders and all. Perhaps my counter-crash also lessened any feeling of guilt Jack and Donna held from the prior incident with my minivan. What I know for sure is that my accidental payback gave us all a memory that made us laugh.