Putting On A Smiling Face
There's power in the smile
Ty and Rob were eating lunch in Oak Hills Mall, ten minutes away from RightVision, the place where they worked.
Ty had ordered Sesame Chicken from Hao Inn while Rob got two double cheeseburgers, small French fries, a medium HIC fruit punch, and an apple pie from McDonald's.
The two 29-year-olds had bonded with their love for NBA basketball, their disdain for the workplace, and the overbearing and incompetent team leaders in charge of the area where they worked.
Both guys enjoyed the silence at the mall after enduring four hours of noise in RightVision. Ty ate with joy on his face. He took a glance at Rob, who ate with an unpleasant look. Rob stared at his target, who was three tables away from theirs.
He maintained his gaze on another man who had a huge smile on his face while texting someone on his Android phone. The guy Rob had his eyes on wore rectangular glasses, a dark blue dress shirt, and black pants. The dark brown-skinned man looked to be around the same age as Ty and Rob.
Ty became concerned when he realized Rob refused to turn his eyes away from the man.
‘‘Rob? You alright? What’s the matter?’’ asked Ty.
‘‘Look at that guy over there, showing all his teeth and smiling. It insults me.’’
‘‘Oh, yeah. He does look happy. What’s wrong with that?’’
‘‘He’s cheesing and grinning; that’s what’s wrong with it.’’
‘‘You don’t like it when people smile or are happy?’’
‘‘I don’t like it when men smile and are happy. It’s repulsive and looks weak to me.’’
‘‘I see,’’ Ty said quietly, struggling to come up with what to say next to Rob. ‘‘Maybe, something great has happened in his life, like getting married, working at a great job, or meeting a woman who fills his heart with everlasting joy. Sometimes, men can’t help but smile and be happy.’’
‘‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get all that. But he doesn’t have to be smiling and grinning with all his teeth out. I just don’t like guys who smile at the time, it unnerves me. All that cheesing and grinning and going hehe hehe hehe hehe! ’’
‘‘It’s a pity you’re not a fan of guys smiling and showing joy. I think we don’t see enough of it in the world, to be truthful.’’
‘‘I disagree, Rob. I think we see too much of this smiling and grinning and hehe hehe hehe from men nowadays!’’
Rob's voice got intensely louder, which unnerved Ty and the other people nearby.
‘‘My father is like that, always grinning and smiling, and my mother loved him for it. He should have painted his face white and had balloon hair on his head with all the smiling he does. It was a clown show of a household that I grew up in. I resent that man to this day.’’
‘‘I’m… sorry to hear that, man.’’ said Ty.
Ty was looking for a way out to escape Rob and realized that he never wanted to be around his presence again.
‘‘Ah, don’t be, Ty. I only have disdain for men that smile like the BUFFOON THAT’S IN MY SIGHT!’’ yelled Rob.
Ty and everyone nearby were horrified by Rob’s outburst. The smiling man stared at Rob in confusion.
‘‘Yeah, I’m talking to you, smiling man. You and your kind make me sick, showing your teeth like a beaver. Close your freaking mouth!’’ yelled Rob.
Two police officers nearby Hao Inn heard Rob’s roaring voice and slowly walked towards his table. Officer Cornwell and Officer Stevens were heavily armed with police gear on their outfits. The 48-year-old Cornwell led the 28-year-old Stevens in security at the mall.
Both men had worked at the mall for two months and were used to all areas of the building. They were almost at the table. They notice the petrified look on Ty’s face and a yelling and animated Rob.
Ty slowly got up from his table and walked towards Officer Cornwell and Stevens’s direction. Rob was so locked in his yelling that he didn’t notice that Ty had left.
Ty silently walked until the officers stopped him from walking any further.
‘‘You know that yelling guy?’’ asked Officer Cornwell with his hands on his hips.
‘‘No…No, I don’t know that guy. I thought I did. I was wrong.’’ answered Ty.
Officer Cornwell waved his hand at Ty, letting him escape the scene. He and Officer Stevens approach the enraged Rob.
‘‘Sir, what’s going on over here?’’ asked Officer Stevens.
‘‘That man over there is smiling hard, that’s what's wrong!’’ yelled Rob, who didn’t even look at the officers behind him.
‘‘Could you maybe…tone it down or not look at the smiling man?’’ Officer Stevens asked.
‘‘No, I will do no such thing!’’ answered Rob.
‘‘Sir, you’re going to have to leave the mall. You’re disturbing the peace,’’ said Officer Cornwell.
‘‘No! I’m going to stay here and keep a strong frown on my face and leave when I’m ready to leave!’’ said a defiant Rob.
Officer Cornwell leaned near Rob’s left ear. ‘‘You sure about this? This is your last shot to do the proper thing.’’
‘‘I’m very sure.’’ an unflinching Rob said.
Officer Cornwell sighed before grabbing his walkie-talkie and pressing the button before speaking into it. ‘‘Ten four, we have a situation here. It’s a code frown. Requesting instructions.’’
Officer Stevens listened for directions with his hands on his hips.
‘‘Do what you have to do, Officer!’’ responded the voice on the walkie-talkie.
‘‘Ten four.’’ answered Officer Cornwell.
A concerned Cornwell looked at Stevens.
‘‘It’s your call, Chief,’’ said Officer Stevens.
‘‘I don’t like what we’re about to do, but it needs to be done to shut this guy down,’’ said Officer Cornwell.
Officer Stevens nodded, and the two men stared at Rob, who refused to let up on his complaining.
Ty was further down the mall. He felt relieved for abandoning Rob, who caused a big scene at the lunch area.
Out of the blue, he heard unpleasant shouting coming from his ex-friend that made all the hair on his body stand up and caused him to smile nervously.
Thank you for reading!