Journey's End?
The time had come. I could feel it in the air, in the water, in the land.
I had lived a good life. All my children were grown. They have children of their own now. I had done as much good in the time that had been allotted to me. My wife has gone, passed away these few weeks. It was time to leave the Shire in my children's capable hands.
I said good-bye to them all. They didn't understand, couldn't understand, my leaving. And yet in their own way they did. They had grown up on his story and so they understood the reason why I had to go. There was only one child left that I had not taken my leave of and that was of Elanor, my eldest. It was upon her I would leave my legacy.
My hands shook slightly upon giving her the Red Book. There were quite a few tears. She, of all my children, even more than the one that bore his name, understood. She had been a mere child the day he left, but she still remembered him. Elanor remembered how she had made him laugh unlike no other hobbit, except maybe Masters Merry and Pippin. There had always been a sadness in his eyes, she said. Even when he was happiest surrounded by those he loved, he was still sad. His wound had never truly healed. She said my eyes had taken on that same sadness the day he left, never to return to Middle Earth.
I bid my child farewell, knowing I left the Red Book in good hands. She, like my other children, would never let our ancestors forget the bravery of ordinary people suddenly thrust into perilous and dangerous times. And therefore the great names that blazoned those pages-Aragorn the King, Bilbo and Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli, Merry and Pippen, Frodo the Ringbearer, and many other names of rank and consequence including Samwise, yes even a hobbit as simple as I, would live on in their hearts and memories so that no one would ever take their peace and prosperity for granted again. Future generations of hobbits, dwarfs, elves, and men would remember the time they came together to rid the world of evil. In this way that which had been forgotten would never be forgotten again. These names and deeds shall live on long after my passing, after all of us, have vanished from this earth.
I proceeded on the path that I had come with him so long ago. It was the place I was destined to go. I needed to see him from whom I had been parted so long ago. I am weary, tired, ready for rest.
When I came to the gate, I saw the boat waiting for me, as I knew it would be. Elves were going aboard. The long bearded Shipwright came forward smiling. "I haven't seen you in a long time Mister Gamgee."
I smiled as I stepped inside the boat. Shortly we set sail riding into the mist. For once I was unafraid, unafraid of the water despite my inability to swim. A river had nearly drowned me once when my Master had nearly left me to face danger alone. I was stubborn and refused to leave his side, would not let him face peril alone. He would have done no less for me.
Gladness lifted my spirits, a gladness I had not felt in a very long time. In some ways it felt as if the sun had suddenly gone cold upon his departure. But now warmness filled me once again even as we swept through the mist. My heart swelled like the mighty sails and my heart threatened to burst.
We finally reached the shore, the land of the Gray Havens. It was then a fear filled my heart. I had changed so much. I was no longer the young hobbit that I once was when I followed my master to Mount Doom. Of course he would be the same. But would he recognize his own Sam? Or had the years changed me too much? Worse yet, would he even care that I had come? Would he be waiting for me?
Fear consumed me as I walked down the plank onto the shore. For a second I nearly fell off, into the water, at seeing my own reflection there. I looked the same as I had back then.
Still in astonishment, I came off the plank and looked in wonder at all the elves that had come down to greet their fellow elves. Suddenly, I felt out of place, a simple fat hobbit amid all their beauty. That was until I spied him.
There he was standing between a smiling Gandalf and Bilbo. Frodo looked exactly as he had the day we had parted, only this time happiness marked his face. His smile lit his eyes to the brightest blue I had ever seen. He was the same, dear master, dear friend, that I had loved, had always loved.
He laughed and shouted, "Sam!" as he came rushing forward to greet me. I too rushed forward. Meeting halfway, we threw our arms around each other in a hug. Laughter rang out as tears of joy fell from our eyes.
Frodo kissed me on the cheek as he leaned back. With his arms outstretched he held my arms and looked at me tenderly. "I have missed you, Samwise Gamgee. And I'm glad you are here, here at the end of all things."
"Me too, Mister Frodo, me too," I said feeling more deeply than my feeble words could muster. It was then that a wonderful idea came into my head and I had to tell him. "But perhaps, perhaps Frodo, it is the beginning of things."
Frodo's smile just grew even bigger and I am sure my face mirrored his own.
The End
"I have a journey, sir, shortly to go. My master calls me, I must not say no."-Shakepeare-"King Lear"
"Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot. But he'll remember with advantages what feats he did that day. Then shall our names, familiar in his mouth as household words, Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, be in their flowing cups freshly remembered. This story shall the good man teach his son and Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, from this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered, we few, we happy few, we band of brothers."-Shakespeare-"Henry V"
I
The time had come. I could feel it in the air, in the water, in the land.
I had lived a good life. All my children were grown. They have children of their own now. I had done as much good in the time that had been allotted to me. My wife has gone, passed away these few weeks. It was time to leave the Shire in my children's capable hands.
I said good-bye to them all. They didn't understand, couldn't understand, my leaving. And yet in their own way they did. They had grown up on his story and so they understood the reason why I had to go. There was only one child left that I had not taken my leave of and that was of Elanor, my eldest. It was upon her I would leave my legacy.
My hands shook slightly upon giving her the Red Book. There were quite a few tears. She, of all my children, even more than the one that bore his name, understood. She had been a mere child the day he left, but she still remembered him. Elanor remembered how she had made him laugh unlike no other hobbit, except maybe Masters Merry and Pippin. There had always been a sadness in his eyes, she said. Even when he was happiest surrounded by those he loved, he was still sad. His wound had never truly healed. She said my eyes had taken on that same sadness the day he left, never to return to Middle Earth.
I bid my child farewell, knowing I left the Red Book in good hands. She, like my other children, would never let our ancestors forget the bravery of ordinary people suddenly thrust into perilous and dangerous times. And therefore the great names that blazoned those pages-Aragorn the King, Bilbo and Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli, Merry and Pippen, Frodo the Ringbearer, and many other names of rank and consequence including Samwise, yes even a hobbit as simple as I, would live on in their hearts and memories so that no one would ever take their peace and prosperity for granted again. Future generations of hobbits, dwarfs, elves, and men would remember the time they came together to rid the world of evil. In this way that which had been forgotten would never be forgotten again. These names and deeds shall live on long after my passing, after all of us, have vanished from this earth.
I proceeded on the path that I had come with him so long ago. It was the place I was destined to go. I needed to see him from whom I had been parted so long ago. I am weary, tired, ready for rest.
When I came to the gate, I saw the boat waiting for me, as I knew it would be. Elves were going aboard. The long bearded Shipwright came forward smiling. "I haven't seen you in a long time Mister Gamgee."
I smiled as I stepped inside the boat. Shortly we set sail riding into the mist. For once I was unafraid, unafraid of the water despite my inability to swim. A river had nearly drowned me once when my Master had nearly left me to face danger alone. I was stubborn and refused to leave his side, would not let him face peril alone. He would have done no less for me.
Gladness lifted my spirits, a gladness I had not felt in a very long time. In some ways it felt as if the sun had suddenly gone cold upon his departure. But now warmness filled me once again even as we swept through the mist. My heart swelled like the mighty sails and my heart threatened to burst.
We finally reached the shore, the land of the Gray Havens. It was then a fear filled my heart. I had changed so much. I was no longer the young hobbit that I once was when I followed my master to Mount Doom. Of course he would be the same. But would he recognize his own Sam? Or had the years changed me too much? Worse yet, would he even care that I had come? Would he be waiting for me?
Fear consumed me as I walked down the plank onto the shore. For a second I nearly fell off, into the water, at seeing my own reflection there. I looked the same as I had back then.
Still in astonishment, I came off the plank and looked in wonder at all the elves that had come down to greet their fellow elves. Suddenly, I felt out of place, a simple fat hobbit amid all their beauty. That was until I spied him.
There he was standing between a smiling Gandalf and Bilbo. Frodo looked exactly as he had the day we had parted, only this time happiness marked his face. His smile lit his eyes to the brightest blue I had ever seen. He was the same, dear master, dear friend, that I had loved, had always loved.
He laughed and shouted, "Sam!" as he came rushing forward to greet me. I too rushed forward. Meeting halfway, we threw our arms around each other in a hug. Laughter rang out as tears of joy fell from our eyes.
Frodo kissed me on the cheek as he leaned back. With his arms outstretched he held my arms and looked at me tenderly. "I have missed you, Samwise Gamgee. And I'm glad you are here, here at the end of all things."
"Me too, Mister Frodo, me too," I said feeling more deeply than my feeble words could muster. It was then that a wonderful idea came into my head and I had to tell him. "But perhaps, perhaps Frodo, it is the beginning of things."
Frodo's smile just grew even bigger and I am sure my face mirrored his own.
The End
"I have a journey, sir, shortly to go. My master calls me, I must not say no."-Shakepeare-"King Lear"
"Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot. But he'll remember with advantages what feats he did that day. Then shall our names, familiar in his mouth as household words, Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, be in their flowing cups freshly remembered. This story shall the good man teach his son and Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, from this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered, we few, we happy few, we band of brothers."-Shakespeare-"Henry V"
I