A woman across the street shook her head while looking at the SUV.
The situation had become a neighborhood spectacle.
Brenda, who normally enjoyed being the person explaining rules to everyone else, was now the person whose vehicle had to be pulled out of someone else's yard.
She clearly hated it.
Arthur did not celebrate.
He did not laugh at her.
He did not make a speech.
He simply returned to his landscaping.
There was still mulch left to spread around the other sections of the garden.
He picked up his shovel and began working.
The sound of the shovel moving through the dark material was steady and ordinary.
Behind him, Brenda continued waiting for the tow truck.
Every so often, Arthur heard her speaking to someone on the sidewalk.
He did not turn around.
There was no need.
The problem had reached the point where it no longer required an argument.
The physical reality of the situation was doing all the explaining.
Nearly an hour later, a tow truck turned onto the street.
Its diesel engine echoed between the houses as it approached the corner.
The driver slowed when he saw the SUV.
Then he stopped.
For several seconds, he remained behind the wheel.
Arthur watched him examine the scene through the windshield.
The silver SUV sat low in the dark mulch bed, its front tires surrounded by loose material.
The tow operator climbed down.
He walked around the vehicle.
Looked at the curb.
Then at the front wheels.
He crouched to inspect the position of the tires.
Finally, he stood and looked toward Brenda.
"How'd you get it in there?"
Brenda's expression tightened.
"I parked."
The driver glanced at the garden bed.
Then back at her.
"On the mulch?"
Brenda looked toward Arthur.
"He put it here!"
The operator studied the yard.
Then the curb.
Then the SUV.
Arthur could see him working through the practical problem.
The vehicle needed to be pulled back onto the street without causing unnecessary damage.
The wheels were partly buried in loose landscaping material.
The angle was awkward.
And the tow truck could not simply drive onto the lawn without risking more damage.
The operator retrieved several long straps.
He worked carefully around the vehicle, checking the recovery points and arranging the equipment.
Arthur moved away from the work area.
Brenda stood near the sidewalk, watching every movement.
Several neighbors remained nearby.
The operator connected the recovery equipment.
Then returned to the truck.
The winch began pulling.
The SUV shifted slightly.
The front tires moved through the mulch.
Loose material rolled away from the wheels.
The vehicle resisted at first.
Then moved again.
Slowly.
A few inches at a time.
The operator paused, checked the straps, and adjusted the angle.
Then he continued.
The silver SUV gradually rose from the deepest part of the mulch bed.
The front tires reached firmer ground.
The rear wheels rolled backward.
And after several careful adjustments, the vehicle finally returned to the pavement.
The tow operator disconnected the equipment.
Brenda stood beside the SUV.
Her expression was unreadable.
Arthur looked toward the garden bed.