Brandon Gilbert

January 17th is mine and TheBrandNewMom’s wedding anniversary. This year is our 7th year of marriage. January 15th is the anniversary of how long we’ve been a couple. This year marks 11 years we’ve been together. I wanted to tell the story of how we met and record here it for Ryne. In honor of his favorite movies being the Shrek series, let me take you to a land far, far away…

There once was a young man named Brandon. He was living in a towne called Florence in the north of Alabama near the great river of Tennessee. He was attending a University, training to work with Minstrels and other merry-makers. Like many other young men, a fair maiden captured his attention and made his heart flutter when she passed by. He was a shy young man, but finally gathered enough courage to ask the fair maiden to accompany him to a meal followed by a night at the theatre. The young man was smitten but, alas, the fair maiden fancied another.

Heartbroken, but determined to win the heart of his fair maiden, he did what most young men of his ilk do in that situation; he decided to travel the road of friendship with her. In his mind, after friendship the next logical step would be “Happily Ever After.” Don’t blame the young man for such lofty thoughts, however. He was young, being of only 18 years, and having just left the care of his mother and father. He had also moved many days’ carriage ride away from his village. He was just learning the ways of the world and of love (or infatuation).

After a long, long while, he traveled home to his village for Christmas time. The University let all of the young men and ladies take a break from their studies for two fortnights to celebrate the holiday. After the young man returned to the University, there were a few days before classes would resume. The fair maiden had gathered a group together to go enjoy a meal and to play rounds of ninepins. She was celebrating the journey of her friend, another young maiden from her village, to our University. Her friend had not yet finished her primary classes in her own village.

The group set out together and shared a meal at a local grille owned by a man named Arby. The group then ventured to the ninepins arena where they bowled many games and engaged in much merriment. It was during the rounds of ninepins that the young man began noticing that this new maiden had excellent *ahem* “form” when rolling her ball down the lane (once again, remember he’s just a young man). The young man began to take more notice of the way this new maiden moved and of her smile. He decided he would like to know more about her.

After they were done with their rounds of ninepins, they went to a late-night establishment known as “The Waffle Abode.” This is where the young man and the maiden began learning more about one another. They talked until the group was ready to return to their lodgings for the night. A smaller group including the young man, another male friend (a Scotsman), the maiden, and her friend adjourned to the Scotsman’s home in order to hear a story about terrible deeds called “Seven.” After the story was finished, the young man left the group to return to his own lodgings for the night.

The next day, it was time for the new maiden to return to her village. Though she lived fairly close to the towne of Florence, it was still quite a long carriage ride for her to get home. The young man was interested in her, but alas, she had to leave him to return to her family. He did not know when he would see her again, but the pair promised to write to keep in touch. That night as he lay in bed, he was wondered how long it would be until he heard from her again. He wondered how long it would be until she could visit again. He was suddenly startled by a noise at his window, and even more startled to find the noise was a carrier pigeon. The message attached to its leg invited the young man to visit the maiden’s village so that they could see each other again.

The young man sent word back that he indeed would be there the following week. In the days leading up to his visit to the maiden’s village, his classes resumed at the University, but his head was in the clouds at the possibilities with this new maiden. Finally the time came for him to make his journey to the village of Trinity, where his maiden lived.

That evening they went to the theatre to watch a play in which Angelina Jolie was cast in the lead role. Afterward they spent several hours talking and getting to know each other even better. This is where their romance started. Thoughts of the other maiden faded quickly to the background and this new lady became his one true love. Five months later he requested her hand in marriage. Three and a half years later they were wed after he finished his studies at the University. Today the two live in the City of Nashville where they live happily, working on their “ever after.”