CHAPTER 3
After a while, the two older hobbits' conversation moved to more serious subjects. Pippin sat quietly against the tree with his eyes closed, even while he started to feel better. If they knew he was listening closely, they may stop talking, considering him too little to understand such things.
"So, Mer, visiting your Uncle Paladin again, eh?"
"Yep.", Merry sighed, blowing smoke rings.
"What about your father? Does he know you're gone this time?"
"I think so..." He inhaled and passed the pipe back over to Frodo.
Frodo held it and looked at it for a moment before he went on. "Merry...you know you're always welcome at Bag End; just make sure you're father knows next time!", Frodo said with a sad grin, and puffed on the pipe.
Pippin was learning a lot, here! Merry went to Bag End and never told his father?! He ran away from home! The realization hit Pippin like a rock. He knew of Merry's estrangement with his father, but never in his wildest dreams did he think Merry would run away from home.
Then the voices grew more quiet.
"I saw her, Frodo! The day after you and I last spoke!", Merry smiled.
"What did she say?"
"She said hullo!", Merry quipped, and they both snickered, "...and then she asked me if I was going to your birthday dance!"
"No! She asked you?!"
"Yes!"
"Well of all the luck! What did you say?"
"I told her I'd think about it!"
"Merry Brandybuck! If you told her any such thing, I'll rap you over the head myself!", laughed Frodo. "I envy you, Merry! No lass has ever asked me to a dance--not even my own!" They both laughed at the notion.
Pippin listened closely at this...Merry was sweet on a hobbit lass!
Merry became flushed and smiled.
"Come, Merry! What else?", prodded Frodo.
"We, um,....nah. I better not say", throwing a look in Pippin's direction.
Frodo gazed over to Pippin. "Looks like he's asleep."
"Don't believe everything you see with Pippin!", and gave Pippin a nudge with his foot.
Pippin didn't move, so Merry got up and started to tickle Pippin. "Stop!", said Pippin, laughing uncontrollably. "Stop!! That wasn't fair!"
"Neither is eavesdropping!", said Frodo
"I wasn't eavesdropping! You both spoke so loud even the Barrow Wights beyond the Old Forest could hear you!"
Frodo shook his head. Pippin was like...a troublesome little brother--which he never had. He now understood what Merry saw in befriending this little cousin of theirs. Never before had he met a young hobbit with so much spunk; and this lad was sharp-witted, too. Frodo didn't let on, but he was beginning to like Pippin.
CHAPTER 4
Merry lazed upon one end of the old log while Frodo dozed on the other. Thin tendrils of smoke floated up into the sky. Then Merry realized the sun was well past its apex. "Pippin!", he bolted up, "we're supposed to meet your father this afternoon!"
Pippin jumped to his feet. They both reeked with smoke, and as Pippin stood up, he felt the queasiness come back. Merry grabbed the pipe from Frodo and tapped it on the log to empty the contents. "Sorry, Frodo." And ran.
"Well, don't let me stop the two of you! It was good to see you again, Merry! And nice to meet you, too, Pippin--again!", Frodo shouted as he waved them off.
The two younger hobbits took off running from the little grove they stopped in. Uncle Paladin will have our hides if we don't show up soon!, thought Merry.
Both he and Pippin were running at full speed as he saw the fields in the distance. They should have arrived some time ago. Merry's only task was to take the pig to town, and then meet uncle Paladin here--only a few miles away. He knew he was in trouble.
They flew past the wooded gate and raced to the empty baskets. Each boy grabbed one and headed for the furthest corner of the field, so as not to be noticed. Little did they know, Paladin saw everything from his wagon platform.
Merry plopped himself to sit on the ground, sweating and out of breath for a while. Pippin wasn't too far away, also out of breath, knelt down and began picking tomatoes off the vine. Merry looked at Pippin, and Pippin looked at him. Hopefully, Paladin didn't see them run in...late; very late. The two boys worked quickly and quietly; usually they laughed and sang silly childish songs while harvesting. If anyone knew them better, one would guess they were trying to hide.
They worked the rest of the afternoon until one of the field hands called for a water break. Merry and Pippin stayed put and sat down in front of a thick row of tomato vines. All the better to stay out of Paladin's view.
"Do you think we're in the clear?", asked Pippin, peering over the tops of the vines.
"Of course not! Your father sees all, Pip, and your backside knows that better than anyone!"
Silence.
"What were you going to tell Frodo?", Pippin ventured
"What?", Merry wiped sweat from his forehead.
"What were you going to tell Frodo?", Pippin repeated.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't be coy, Merry! What were you going to tell Frodo that suddenly you can't say to me?"
The water bearer came into their clearing holding a large bowl of water. They each took a drink and sat back down.
"So?", Pippin continued, wiping his mouth.
"It's private! And if you remember, it wasn't for your ears anyway!", said Merry.
"We've never kept secrets before--why now?"
"Because it's none of your business!", Merry was growing annoyed.
Neither spoke for a moment. "Did you kiss her?!", Pippin smirked, knowing he pushed the right button.
"Since you must simply know all my business, yes, I kissed her!! There! Are you happy?!"
Pippin gasped. "You kissed her?"
Someone called from a distance that the water break was over.
Merry ignored Pippin and got up to get his basket.
"Wait! What was it like--and who's her?"
"Never you mind!!" Merry snapped.
Pippin now felt guilty over badgering his cousin. "I'm sorry, Merry."
"You should have thought about that before!" Merry was very angry now; actually he did want to talk about it, but wasn't sure to whom. Pippin was too young to understand, and his own father was out of the picture--and this is what enraged Merry the most. Frodo had Bilbo, and Pippin had Paladin, but whom did he have? Who would he be able to talk to when he was older and things went beyond a simple kiss? The anger built up in Merry until he exploded and took it out on the nearest person...Pippin. He stopped picking tomatoes and addressed his cousin who was in the next path over picking tomatoes of his own.
"Did it matter, Pippin?! I mean, now that you know--did it really matter?!" Pippin stopped and looked at his older cousin. "What was it worth to you?! I'm not a little boy anymore, Pip!! There are certain things that I don't wish to tell you--is that so bad?!" Merry picked up his basket. "Is our friendship based upon what you know of me?"
Pippin studied the teenage hobbit. Friendship? Did Merry consider him his friend? If Merry regarded him a friend, why was he suddenly attacking him? If I stepped over the line, then just tell me--don't yell at me! However, if friendship was indeed the case, then he stood his ground and said, "Yes, Merry, it is!"
Merry shot a look at Pippin and crouched down to pick more tomatoes. "Why?! The details of my life are none of your concern!!"
Pippin stooped to put the tomatoes in his arms into his basket. "Don't be an ass, Merry!! I'm not talking about the details! I like to know what you're into because....", Pippin stopped, feeling his thoughts out.
"Because why?" , Merry demanded, and stood up waiting for an answer, 'is my personal life the talk of Whitwell?!'
Pippin stood up, too, "You are a complete ass today, aren't you! Do I need to tell you why?!", he shouted angrily.
"Yes!! And don't call me an ass!" Merry shouted back.
"Because I care about you, Merry!" Pippin was incensed. "You're the only cousin I care about, and the only brother I will ever have!! And in case you haven't noticed, my whole family cares about you!! And I'll call you an ass if I want to!!"
"Well don't!!", Merry yelled.
"Don't what? Don't care about you, or call you the ass that you are?!" Pippin couldn't believe what he just heard.
"Just pick up your damned tomatoes and keep walking!!", growled Merry, snatching his own basket from the ground and stomped off. Why was Pippin being such...a child?! Here he was having an argument with an eight-year-old; and the eight-year-old was winning!!
Actually, Merry was being an ass; he was frightened at the prospect of anyone, let alone a whole family, caring about him and what he did with his life. Merry's was quite confused in his thoughts and needed time to sort them out. Uncle Paladin had been the one to "raise" him, so to speak, for the last several years. Grateful as Merry was, he wanted a father of his own...his own father to love him. Paladin is my father! No, you idiot, he's your uncle! Such were the war of words in his heart.
Pippin grabbed his nearly full basket and began to walk. He was furious with Merry. What in Middle Earth had he done or said that upset Merry so much? And why was he yelling at him? Merry visited every summer since Pippin could remember; and they were as close as any brothers could be--why was it so hard for Merry to open up? Pippin seethed at Merry's hurtful words. He stopped and slammed his basket down, picked up a nice soft tomato and threw it at Merry. Right on target! "If you dislike me so much, why are you here?!" Pippin shouted. "Why don't you go back home!" Pippin thought Merry would keep walking, but Merry turned around, dropped his basket, picked up a tomato of his own and hurled it at Pippin. Pippin tried to dodge the red mass, but wasn't quick enough. He had red tomato all over his back. Pippin picked up another tomato and wound up for his delivery---
"Drop it!! NOW!!", both boys froze; it was Paladin.
