With a sigh, Rose sat down with her back to the tree, looking hurriedly
left and right to make sure no one else was around; she knew she shouldn't
have left home by herself with the Shire the way it was, but she wanted
some time to think. She took her hand and gently touched the bark on the
tree trunk. It was one of the few trees left. The ruffians had reduced
all of the others in the area to stumps. A lonely tear fell down Rose's
cheek. So many trees . . . gone, just like that. Suddenly, a sob shook
her shoulders. Sam would have cried too, if he had been here.
Quickly wiping the tears away, she turned her head to look down towards the road.
*Don't cry Rosie. I'll be back. I promise. *
Once again, she broke down into tears, silently scolding herself for not being able to hold them back. She had held onto hope all these past months that he would be back. She knew that he would do everything in his power to keep his word.
Nearly everyone she knew was concerned about her. They thought that she was simply clinging to hope that did not exist. Every morning, she gazed out the window, hoping for her lost special someone to come striding up to their doorstep, and every morning, her mother would say,
"Now, Rosie. I know it's hard for you. You cared for that boy so much, but I think its time you moved on."
'If they had their way, I would have given up on Sam and married someone else long ago.' Rosie thought sulkily.
It was true. She had cared for Sam. More than even she realized at the time. And it wasn't until that one fateful day that she realized that her Sam had cared for her too.
And yet she had let him leave, let him follow his master to Crickhollow. Then came the news that they, along with Frodo's cousins, Merry and Pippin, had been seen going into the Old Forest. By most, they were considered gone for good.
'But not me.' Not being able to keep them away, bitter thoughts filled Rosie's mind. 'Not Rosie. Nope. I can't deal with it. I have to keep making vain wishes that my Sam is going to just walk down the road someday.'
Rosie frantically rubbed tears from her cheeks, only to have more come splashing down. She thought back to the first night after he had left, and the vow her heart had spoken: 'I'll be here Sam. Even if you're gone 'til the Sun dies, I'll be waiting for you." Rosie grasped the faith in these words and, no longer trying to quell her tears, reached into her apron pocket.
She pulled her hand back out and opened it, revealing a small glass figure; it was a rose.
A teardrop fell from her eye, and she watched as it landed on the rose. Tear and glass rose; both beautiful, capturing light in their smooth and shining surfaces; both clear, colorless, and empty but for the grieving lamentations echoing from Rosie's heart.
TBC
Quickly wiping the tears away, she turned her head to look down towards the road.
*Don't cry Rosie. I'll be back. I promise. *
Once again, she broke down into tears, silently scolding herself for not being able to hold them back. She had held onto hope all these past months that he would be back. She knew that he would do everything in his power to keep his word.
Nearly everyone she knew was concerned about her. They thought that she was simply clinging to hope that did not exist. Every morning, she gazed out the window, hoping for her lost special someone to come striding up to their doorstep, and every morning, her mother would say,
"Now, Rosie. I know it's hard for you. You cared for that boy so much, but I think its time you moved on."
'If they had their way, I would have given up on Sam and married someone else long ago.' Rosie thought sulkily.
It was true. She had cared for Sam. More than even she realized at the time. And it wasn't until that one fateful day that she realized that her Sam had cared for her too.
And yet she had let him leave, let him follow his master to Crickhollow. Then came the news that they, along with Frodo's cousins, Merry and Pippin, had been seen going into the Old Forest. By most, they were considered gone for good.
'But not me.' Not being able to keep them away, bitter thoughts filled Rosie's mind. 'Not Rosie. Nope. I can't deal with it. I have to keep making vain wishes that my Sam is going to just walk down the road someday.'
Rosie frantically rubbed tears from her cheeks, only to have more come splashing down. She thought back to the first night after he had left, and the vow her heart had spoken: 'I'll be here Sam. Even if you're gone 'til the Sun dies, I'll be waiting for you." Rosie grasped the faith in these words and, no longer trying to quell her tears, reached into her apron pocket.
She pulled her hand back out and opened it, revealing a small glass figure; it was a rose.
A teardrop fell from her eye, and she watched as it landed on the rose. Tear and glass rose; both beautiful, capturing light in their smooth and shining surfaces; both clear, colorless, and empty but for the grieving lamentations echoing from Rosie's heart.
TBC