Smiley Tie - 10

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The rest of the evening was more fun than Anton had had in ages. That evening was the most fun he'd had in ages. They finished feeding the ducks and played at the playground, a sadly dilapidated affair that should have been overhauled years ago, Anton noted. When they were tired and thirsty, they wandered downtown for ice cream sodas at the soda shop.

Now, Herman, Joseph and Pauline had him skipping to the movie theater. Of course his shoes were not made for such frivolity and he didn't want to ruin his smiley socks. He tied the laces of his shoes together and did the same with the ankles of the socks, making it easy to swing shoes in one hand, socks in the other. When he skipped past Meeker's Drugstore he happened to catch a glimpse of himself in the plate glass window along with his three companions.

This is what Peter Pan is all about, he thought to himself. Staying young. He thought about the three children and how quickly they had formed a bond. So why was he stuck in a corporate world with nothing but stuffy old men who spent their afternoons snoozing in leather chairs at The Club? Why did he associate with airhead women who had nothing but position, power and money on their mind, when there were people out there like Pauline, who knew the precious value of loyalty and self-sacrifice. Perhaps he didn't fit into his father's world, because he didn't belong there. There was really no shame in leaving. Only the opportunity to be happy.

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10 Years Later

THE LUNDSFORD DAILY -- Page 14

LUNDSFORD--Lundsford's most eligible bachelor, Mr. Anton Brewer, son of the late business tycoon Harold Stevenson Brewer and his former wife Patricia, was married in an outdoor ceremony Saturday. He and the former Miss Pauline Turner were married by the duck pond in Tracer Park at 6:00 in the evening. Reverend Steve Stout officiated.

The bride wore a simple white satin gown trimmed with pearls. Her bridesmaids were dressed in yellow satin. The groom and his groomsman wore black tuxedos, their bow ties and cummerbunds patterned with yellow smiley faces.

The only flaw in an otherwise idyllic setting was the tendency of the bold ducks to flock around the couple.

Mr. Brewer has made his mark designing innovative playground equipment that gives a high priority to safety. Over the past ten years, he has become a self-made leader of the industry, establishing his headquarters in Columbus. Once his father passed away and left him the estate, Mr. Brewer returned to Lunsford and opened his first satellite company here, employing 400.

Mrs. Brewer is a speech therapy specialist. She reports that their romance blossomed when the pair collaborated on a special needs playground project. Rumor has it that they knew each other several years ago.


Their reception was held at the Brewer Manor, where the bride and groom danced shoeless; both wore socks patterned with smiley faces. The balcony was opened to the local school children who wanted to attend the festivities.

They will live, "happily ever after" according to the groom, at Brewer Manor, after a honeymoon trip to Disneyland.

The End

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