Chapter 5
Return of Meriadoc
Change will come as surely as the seasons and twice as quick. Frodo, now entering into his tweenage years, was growing rowdier. His relatives were grateful that Frodo had recovered a great deal from his emotional breakdown due to his parent's death, and they felt they could go on again sith their own lives. "Frodo! Merry's coming home!" Angelica Baggins cried, dashing outside into the garden where Frodo knelt, working in his little flower/vegetalble patch. Wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead, the tweenager stood up. "So he is well then?"
Five-year-old Merry, the only son of Esmerelda and Saradoc Brandybuck (Merry's full name was Meriadoc but the nickname stuck), went to stay for a few weeks with his Aunt Eglatine and Uncle Paladin Took in Tuckburough. While there the poor little lad came down with a nasty case of the measels. Esmerelda, terrifed, had written telling the Tooks to keep her young son in bed and NOT to send him back to Buckland till the spots were gone. The recovery had been slow but now Merry was almost fully recovered and supposedly on his way home again.
Angelica nodded, playing with her long curly blonde hair. "Still has a few spots, but his fever is gone."
Frodo grinned. "Poor Merry--he was so excited to visit Tuckburough." He picked a small violet and handed it to his cousin who smiled sweetly. "For you." he said. Angelica giggled.
"Your garden is turning out nicely, Frodo. It was kind of Auntie Esmerelda to let you start one." A few birds chirped causing the hobbits to look up at the sky.
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Frodo asked. Angelica nodded.
"Well--I'm going to go and wait for Merry to arrive. I will see you later then." shepaused. "Thank you for the flower." she put it in her hair and kissed Frodo on the cheek before hurrying off. Frodo grimaced, wiping his cheek with disgust as he watched her disappear around the corner of Brandy Hall. It had been a full five months since his parent's death, and still Frodo felt the ache of the loss every now and then...especially at night before he went to sleep. Bilbo had left Brandy Hall a few weeks following the funeral and the older hobbit's strange manner had left Frodo in a sulky mood for a little while.
"Merry!" Frodo heard Angelica shout, and dropped his hoe, dashing towards her. He saw his Aunt Esmerelda standing in the doorway of Brandy Hall and could see a horse and cart coming up the dirt road. When it got close enough, both female hobbits ran to greet the driver. As soon as the driver pulled the chesnut pony to a stop, he dismounted and opened the door.
"Mama!" Merry cried, and let out an excited squeal when Esmerelda drew her young son into her arms.
"My little baby--I am so happy you are home at last," she cooed, nuzzling Merry's cheek. The little hobbitlad coughed, burrying his face into his mother's dress. "I still have polka-dots, Mum." he whimpered.
Frodo and Angelica laughed, causing Merry to lift his small head again. "Hulo." He greeted.
"Hi, Merry." Frodo gave his little cousin a hug and a kiss. "I'm glad you are feeling better."
Esmerelda smiled. "You still look weak, though." she felt Merry's forehead. "I'm going to put you into your nice cozy bed and let you take down a nice cup of tea. How does that sound?"
Merry let out a soft moan as his mother carried him inside. Frodo and Angelica shared the task of carrying Merry's bags and blankets inside as their Aunt had to carry Merry himself. "Careful," Frodo warned when Angelica nearly ran into the wall with her box, as it was covering part of her blue eyes. "Can't see..." she said in a muffled voice.
"Follow my feet then. I don't know why you chose to carry the largest thing. Come on." They carried the things to Merry's bedroom where Esmerelda was tucking him in. "Oh--thanks for helping, you two."
Frodo nodded. "Do you need anything else, Auntie?" Angelica asked quietly as Merry closed his chocolate-coloured eyes.
"No, dear."
Angelica leaned over to whisper into Frodo's ear "I'm hungry--let's get a snack or something."
They left, walking back down to the kitchens. "We'd better be careful," Frodo whispered back to her. "We already snuck an apple today."
Out of all of his cousins at Brandy Hall, Frodo felt closest to angelica and Merry even though they were half his age. As they walked, Frodo wondered again what life would be like if his Uncle Bilbo adopted him.
'Stop getting your hopes up, Frodo Baggins.' he scolded himself mentally. 'Bilbo has a lot to do after all.' Still, there was that little light of hope in the back of his mind. They reached the old wooden double doors that opened into the kitchen facilities and stood on tiptoe to peer inside. The smells of the cooks preparing the dinner meal was wonderful--a mixture of herbs and spices, melted butter, honey--Frodo felt his mouth water.
"You know..." he began, "perhaps we ought to just imagine what will appear on the table tonight."
Angelica and Frodo slid down the wall till they were sitting on the floor, and Angelica closed her eyes. "Mmm...I can only imagine...what do you think it smells like?"
Frodo closed his eyes. "I think it smells like lovely lambchops with rosemary seasoning...I smell melted butter so certainly we will have mashed potatoes...perhaps an apple pie for dessert..."
"Honey dipped carrots..." Angelica added.
"Fluffy muffins..." said Frodo.
Angelica giggled. "Oh stop it, Frodo Baggins...you're making me hungry!"
Frodo laughed. "I could just sit here all day. Couldn't you? Either here or in the library." he paused. "Actually, there was a book I wanted to look at for a while...you don't mind if I go off alone, do you?"
Angelica shook her head. "No, I'll go and see how Merry is doing." After she had stood up and left, Frodo made his way upstairs again.
Return of Meriadoc
Change will come as surely as the seasons and twice as quick. Frodo, now entering into his tweenage years, was growing rowdier. His relatives were grateful that Frodo had recovered a great deal from his emotional breakdown due to his parent's death, and they felt they could go on again sith their own lives. "Frodo! Merry's coming home!" Angelica Baggins cried, dashing outside into the garden where Frodo knelt, working in his little flower/vegetalble patch. Wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead, the tweenager stood up. "So he is well then?"
Five-year-old Merry, the only son of Esmerelda and Saradoc Brandybuck (Merry's full name was Meriadoc but the nickname stuck), went to stay for a few weeks with his Aunt Eglatine and Uncle Paladin Took in Tuckburough. While there the poor little lad came down with a nasty case of the measels. Esmerelda, terrifed, had written telling the Tooks to keep her young son in bed and NOT to send him back to Buckland till the spots were gone. The recovery had been slow but now Merry was almost fully recovered and supposedly on his way home again.
Angelica nodded, playing with her long curly blonde hair. "Still has a few spots, but his fever is gone."
Frodo grinned. "Poor Merry--he was so excited to visit Tuckburough." He picked a small violet and handed it to his cousin who smiled sweetly. "For you." he said. Angelica giggled.
"Your garden is turning out nicely, Frodo. It was kind of Auntie Esmerelda to let you start one." A few birds chirped causing the hobbits to look up at the sky.
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Frodo asked. Angelica nodded.
"Well--I'm going to go and wait for Merry to arrive. I will see you later then." shepaused. "Thank you for the flower." she put it in her hair and kissed Frodo on the cheek before hurrying off. Frodo grimaced, wiping his cheek with disgust as he watched her disappear around the corner of Brandy Hall. It had been a full five months since his parent's death, and still Frodo felt the ache of the loss every now and then...especially at night before he went to sleep. Bilbo had left Brandy Hall a few weeks following the funeral and the older hobbit's strange manner had left Frodo in a sulky mood for a little while.
"Merry!" Frodo heard Angelica shout, and dropped his hoe, dashing towards her. He saw his Aunt Esmerelda standing in the doorway of Brandy Hall and could see a horse and cart coming up the dirt road. When it got close enough, both female hobbits ran to greet the driver. As soon as the driver pulled the chesnut pony to a stop, he dismounted and opened the door.
"Mama!" Merry cried, and let out an excited squeal when Esmerelda drew her young son into her arms.
"My little baby--I am so happy you are home at last," she cooed, nuzzling Merry's cheek. The little hobbitlad coughed, burrying his face into his mother's dress. "I still have polka-dots, Mum." he whimpered.
Frodo and Angelica laughed, causing Merry to lift his small head again. "Hulo." He greeted.
"Hi, Merry." Frodo gave his little cousin a hug and a kiss. "I'm glad you are feeling better."
Esmerelda smiled. "You still look weak, though." she felt Merry's forehead. "I'm going to put you into your nice cozy bed and let you take down a nice cup of tea. How does that sound?"
Merry let out a soft moan as his mother carried him inside. Frodo and Angelica shared the task of carrying Merry's bags and blankets inside as their Aunt had to carry Merry himself. "Careful," Frodo warned when Angelica nearly ran into the wall with her box, as it was covering part of her blue eyes. "Can't see..." she said in a muffled voice.
"Follow my feet then. I don't know why you chose to carry the largest thing. Come on." They carried the things to Merry's bedroom where Esmerelda was tucking him in. "Oh--thanks for helping, you two."
Frodo nodded. "Do you need anything else, Auntie?" Angelica asked quietly as Merry closed his chocolate-coloured eyes.
"No, dear."
Angelica leaned over to whisper into Frodo's ear "I'm hungry--let's get a snack or something."
They left, walking back down to the kitchens. "We'd better be careful," Frodo whispered back to her. "We already snuck an apple today."
Out of all of his cousins at Brandy Hall, Frodo felt closest to angelica and Merry even though they were half his age. As they walked, Frodo wondered again what life would be like if his Uncle Bilbo adopted him.
'Stop getting your hopes up, Frodo Baggins.' he scolded himself mentally. 'Bilbo has a lot to do after all.' Still, there was that little light of hope in the back of his mind. They reached the old wooden double doors that opened into the kitchen facilities and stood on tiptoe to peer inside. The smells of the cooks preparing the dinner meal was wonderful--a mixture of herbs and spices, melted butter, honey--Frodo felt his mouth water.
"You know..." he began, "perhaps we ought to just imagine what will appear on the table tonight."
Angelica and Frodo slid down the wall till they were sitting on the floor, and Angelica closed her eyes. "Mmm...I can only imagine...what do you think it smells like?"
Frodo closed his eyes. "I think it smells like lovely lambchops with rosemary seasoning...I smell melted butter so certainly we will have mashed potatoes...perhaps an apple pie for dessert..."
"Honey dipped carrots..." Angelica added.
"Fluffy muffins..." said Frodo.
Angelica giggled. "Oh stop it, Frodo Baggins...you're making me hungry!"
Frodo laughed. "I could just sit here all day. Couldn't you? Either here or in the library." he paused. "Actually, there was a book I wanted to look at for a while...you don't mind if I go off alone, do you?"
Angelica shook her head. "No, I'll go and see how Merry is doing." After she had stood up and left, Frodo made his way upstairs again.