“I just know it’s true,” Evan declared, jumping up and down repeatedly, trying to peek over the privacy fence into his neighbor’s fabled lawn. “I’ve heard the stories. Everyone at school says the grass is so much greener on the other side of the fence. Plus, my first drone, footballs and nerf darts are probably just lying over there waiting for me.”
The allure of Mr. Hill’s back yard has become the stuff of legend among the neighborhood kids. Rumors of lush, blades of Kentucky bluegrass that are soft as silk have been circulating for many summers.
“Russ from two streets over says he once saw a unicorn grazing there,” Evan claimed, eyes wide with wonder. “And if there’s a unicorn, then there’s definitely greener grass. Maybe even rainbow grass!”
Evan’s quest to see the fabled greener grass has led to increasingly inventive attempts to breach the perimeter. From stacking lawn furniture to makeshift catapults, the naive adventurer has tried it all. His latest plan involves a grappling hook fashioned from a jump rope and a coat hanger, inspired by a combination of cartoons and a YouTube DIY video.
“I almost made it last week,” Evan confided, showing off a bandaged knee from his last mission. “I was so close, I could smell the grass. It smelled better than any grass I have smelled before. I just know it’s better than it is here. You can’t convince me otherwise!”
Mr. Hill, a retired machinist who is not known for his lawn care, has become the unwitting antagonist in Evan’s quest. “It’s just regular grass,” Mr. Hill insisted, oblivious to the neighborhood rumors about his lawn being spread on the other side of his fence. “I water it, mow it, and occasionally use some fertilizer. Nothing special.”
At press time, it has been reported that Evan’s parents have turned his obsession into a life lesson, frequently reminding him that “the grass is always greener on the other side,” but it’s important to appreciate what you have. Evan, on the other hand, may need to learn the hard way someday that idealizing something you can’t see is a tale as old as time.
