T.A. 3018

Myrtle Boggs had to admit that she had been confused and bewildered when her neighbor Bingo Boffin had announced that he was going to leave Michel Delving the following weekend. For as long as she could remember it had hardly happened that a hobbit would actually leave the Shire out of their own volition. That was why Myrtle had to blink a couple of times when Bingo had given her the unusual news.

Hobbits were respectable folk and were content with the lives that they were living far away from the evil in Middle-Earth. No hobbit in their right mind would be excited to venture their on their own. Especially not someone like Bingo who would already scream at the sight of pony.

How was such a person going to defend himself out there?

Myrtle was convinced that Bingo would make it as far as Frogmorton before he would return with his tail between his legs. He was simply too accustomed to the luxury of his beloved hobbit-hole that he wouldn't last one day in the wild. Hobbits simply weren't made for such conditions and they were perfectly content with that.

Myrtle saw herself as a good and caring neighbor. She had written a petition to have Bingo put in the Lockholes so that he couldn't undertake this foolish adventure of his. Many notable hobbits had even signed it. She had given the petition to Maylor Withfood so that he could rule on it.

If Bingo wouldn't leave Michel Delving he would've been spared from an embarrassing attempt of an adventure. Bingo had no idea what was out there waiting for him if would peruse this illusion of his. Myrtle merely wanted to keep the respectable name of her neighborhood. If Bingo would leave then everyone in Michel Delving would know that this would be the neighborhood that Bingo had desperately tried to leave.

Pretty much hobbit knew that if Bingo would go that there would no chance that he would return from the wild ever again. It was nothing but foolish that Bingo wasn't even considering those facts. The man had always been someone who had his head in the clouds. But this time he was toying with his own life.

It wasn't that Myrtle was very fond of the man. The two of them had hardly held any conversation since Bingo had moved here about thirty years ago. She wasn't going to weep for him if he would indeed leave. She knew that she wouldn't miss Bingo too much, only those moments when he would ask her about her well-being. Myrtle had to admit that Bingo was always concerned about the other neighbors and was especially kindhearted. Bingo had once told her that he cared for her. He had even given her flowers to let her know that he appreciated having her as a neighbor. Sure Myrtle was stubborn but Bingo had been anything but a bad person.

Myrtle let out another sigh as she pondered about this. Perhaps she should talk with Mayor Withfood again to ask his opinion about the petition. It would be her only chance of trying to make sure that Bingo wouldn't leave her. He would thank her in the end for helping him avoid a huge mistake.