It wasn’t about the flag. It was about what it meant to me. I’d hung it out front the day I moved in—not to make a statement, just to feel a little more like home. New street, new neighbors, new everything. I was the outsider. Everyone knew it. Nobody said it, but you can feel that kind of thing. So when I stepped outside and saw the pole empty, just the little plastic clip swinging in the wind, I felt this weird knot in my chest. Anger, sure. But mostly just… disappointed. Like I’d lost more than fabric.

I didn’t even mention it to anyone. But the next morning, I found a piece of notebook paper under my doormat. Torn edges. Handwritten, kind of messy. It said:

“I SAW KIDS STEAL YOUR U.S. FLAG.
I KNOW YOU ARE THE ONLY WHITE GUY IN THIS AREA.
WE AREN’T ALL THE SAME.
BUY A NEW FLAG WITH THIS.
—NEIGHBORS”

And taped to the note?

A crisp twenty.

I sat on the stoop for a long time with that paper in my hands, not even sure what to feel. Grateful. Humbled. Seen. But when I finally walked to the corner store to get a replacement flag, the cashier handed me something with the receipt—folded small, no name on it. Another note. This one read: “Don’t trust too quick. Not everyone is good.”

The handwriting was different from the first note—tighter, almost angry. My stomach twisted as I stared at it. What did it mean? Was someone warning me or messing with me? I couldn’t tell. But I decided to keep it to myself—for now.

The next few days passed quietly. I put up the new flag, feeling a mix of pride and unease. The neighborhood seemed normal enough during the day—kids playing basketball down the block, folks walking their dogs—but at night, things felt different. Shadows moved where they shouldn’t, and car lights lingered longer than necessary outside my house. Then came Thursday evening. I was sitting by the window reading when I heard footsteps crunching through the gravel driveway. Peeking through the blinds, I saw an older man standing there, his silhouette outlined by the dim porch light. He carried a toolbox under one arm and wore a flannel shirt patched at the elbows.

He knocked softly before calling out, “Hey, neighbor! You home?” I opened the door cautiously. “Yeah, hi. Can I help you?” He smiled warmly. “Name’s Walter. Just moved into 412 last week. Thought I’d introduce myself.” His gaze flicked to the flagpole. “Nice touch, that flag. Brings some spirit to the place.”