After grabbing a muffin for breakfast as he passed through the kitchen, Sam
headed outside to begin the day's chores. It was a beautiful sunny day, he
had noticed that morning when he had opened his curtains to let in the
sunlight, and he was much more well rested than the day before.
He could hardly believe that he had let himself become so lethargic that he imagined seeing a beautiful girl walk down the road! He would certainly never let it happen again.
When he had gotten out the door, he noticed his Gaffer weeding the vegetable garden. "Good morning, Pa!" He called out.
The Gaffer looked up from his work, wiping a hand across his sweaty brow. "Oh! Good morning, Sam. Say, are gonna be busy today?"
Sam thought for a moment. "No, I have nothing more to do except the regular chores and such. Why?"
Putting down his gardening tools, the Gaffer came to Sam and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know my friend Tom Cotton, right?"
"Yes," Sam replied. Although he didn't know the man very well, he had met Farmer Cotton a couple of times when he and his Gaffer went into town.
The Gaffer, seeing his son nod, replied, "Alright, well his oldest son has come down with something, and so the family's had a hard time getting work done on the farm with one less pair of hands. I thought that maybe you could go and help 'em out."
Sam answered without a moment's hesitation. "Sure, Pa. Just tell me their farm is and I'll head on over there."
The Gaffer smiled. "I knew you'd be willing to help, my boy."
After receiving brief directions, Sam headed down the road.
******************************************
A few minutes later, the Cotton farm was in sight. Sam left the main road, and walked up the path leading to the front door.
Halfway there, he stopped dead in his tracks.
It was not the Hobbit hole that caught his attention, nor the rather well kept garden of delicate flowers. It was just an ordinary Hobbit hole, down the round windows and doors, and though otherwise the blooms in the garden would have caught his eye, he ignored them as if they did not exist.
His entire awareness was centered on the young woman kneeling in the garden pulling out small weeds.
For the few moments that he stood there, Sam could only comprehend one thing: 'She was real. I didn't just imagine she was there.'
Sam continued staring. Although her hands were filthy from the digging in the dirt, her hair was sweaty and hung in her face, her dress was old and faded, and dirt had streaked her face, Sam could not grasp how such a gorgeous creature could possibly exist outside his dreams.
She looked up, seemingly noticing him for the first time. It was then that Sam could finally see her eyes. They were a deep, honey brown. Sam's breath caught in his throat as she leapt up from her work and skipped down the path to him.
When she reached him, she held out her hand, smiling, and said, "Hi! I'm Rose, but you can call me Rosie. What's your name? I expect you're here to see my father?"
Sam could only stare stupidly at her outstretched hand. 'Rosie . . .' he thought to himself, 'what a pretty name . . . if there was any name that could match her beauty, that would be it . . ."
He then realized that her smile had faded and she was staring at him curiously. What had she asked him again? Something about a name. Oh yes! His name! What was it, she had asked.
"My name . . ." Sam paused. What was it again? His mind was whirling around in confusion. ". . . um . . . Sam. Uh, Sam . . . Samwise Gamgee." He slowly extended his hand to shake hers, trying to stop it from shaking.
Her striking smile returned to brighten her features. "Oh! You must be my father's friend Mr. Hamfast Gamgee's son, right?"
Sam fumbled for the right words. "Uh, yeah. He . . . sent me to . . ." Sam paused again. "To . . . help Mr. Cotton with . . . the farm . . ."
She laughed, and Sam almost laughed himself at the cheerfulness that seemed to radiate from her. "Oh yes, he said that one of his friends was going to come help, since young Tom came down with the flu. But my goodness! You seem to have a lot of trouble getting words out of you!"
Sam felt his cheeks flush with heat, and seeing him blush set her off laughing again. "Aw, you're a shy boy. Well, my father and younger brother's are over by the barn. Go ahead and go on over there! It was nice meeting you Sam, hopefully I see you again sometime."
Sam managed to get a smile on his bewildered features. "Nice meeting you too . . . Rosie . . ." He almost didn't say her name for fear of sullying it. "I hope . . . your brother gets better."
Rosie waved as she headed back to her garden patch. "Of course he will! He's a fast healer. Bye Sam!"
"Bye . . . Rosie . . ." he managed to stutter out, but she did not hear him, for she was already busy again, yanking weeds out of the soil. Sam, after taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, turned and stumbled towards the barn.
It goes without saying that he had a hard time concentrating on his work.
TBC
He could hardly believe that he had let himself become so lethargic that he imagined seeing a beautiful girl walk down the road! He would certainly never let it happen again.
When he had gotten out the door, he noticed his Gaffer weeding the vegetable garden. "Good morning, Pa!" He called out.
The Gaffer looked up from his work, wiping a hand across his sweaty brow. "Oh! Good morning, Sam. Say, are gonna be busy today?"
Sam thought for a moment. "No, I have nothing more to do except the regular chores and such. Why?"
Putting down his gardening tools, the Gaffer came to Sam and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know my friend Tom Cotton, right?"
"Yes," Sam replied. Although he didn't know the man very well, he had met Farmer Cotton a couple of times when he and his Gaffer went into town.
The Gaffer, seeing his son nod, replied, "Alright, well his oldest son has come down with something, and so the family's had a hard time getting work done on the farm with one less pair of hands. I thought that maybe you could go and help 'em out."
Sam answered without a moment's hesitation. "Sure, Pa. Just tell me their farm is and I'll head on over there."
The Gaffer smiled. "I knew you'd be willing to help, my boy."
After receiving brief directions, Sam headed down the road.
******************************************
A few minutes later, the Cotton farm was in sight. Sam left the main road, and walked up the path leading to the front door.
Halfway there, he stopped dead in his tracks.
It was not the Hobbit hole that caught his attention, nor the rather well kept garden of delicate flowers. It was just an ordinary Hobbit hole, down the round windows and doors, and though otherwise the blooms in the garden would have caught his eye, he ignored them as if they did not exist.
His entire awareness was centered on the young woman kneeling in the garden pulling out small weeds.
For the few moments that he stood there, Sam could only comprehend one thing: 'She was real. I didn't just imagine she was there.'
Sam continued staring. Although her hands were filthy from the digging in the dirt, her hair was sweaty and hung in her face, her dress was old and faded, and dirt had streaked her face, Sam could not grasp how such a gorgeous creature could possibly exist outside his dreams.
She looked up, seemingly noticing him for the first time. It was then that Sam could finally see her eyes. They were a deep, honey brown. Sam's breath caught in his throat as she leapt up from her work and skipped down the path to him.
When she reached him, she held out her hand, smiling, and said, "Hi! I'm Rose, but you can call me Rosie. What's your name? I expect you're here to see my father?"
Sam could only stare stupidly at her outstretched hand. 'Rosie . . .' he thought to himself, 'what a pretty name . . . if there was any name that could match her beauty, that would be it . . ."
He then realized that her smile had faded and she was staring at him curiously. What had she asked him again? Something about a name. Oh yes! His name! What was it, she had asked.
"My name . . ." Sam paused. What was it again? His mind was whirling around in confusion. ". . . um . . . Sam. Uh, Sam . . . Samwise Gamgee." He slowly extended his hand to shake hers, trying to stop it from shaking.
Her striking smile returned to brighten her features. "Oh! You must be my father's friend Mr. Hamfast Gamgee's son, right?"
Sam fumbled for the right words. "Uh, yeah. He . . . sent me to . . ." Sam paused again. "To . . . help Mr. Cotton with . . . the farm . . ."
She laughed, and Sam almost laughed himself at the cheerfulness that seemed to radiate from her. "Oh yes, he said that one of his friends was going to come help, since young Tom came down with the flu. But my goodness! You seem to have a lot of trouble getting words out of you!"
Sam felt his cheeks flush with heat, and seeing him blush set her off laughing again. "Aw, you're a shy boy. Well, my father and younger brother's are over by the barn. Go ahead and go on over there! It was nice meeting you Sam, hopefully I see you again sometime."
Sam managed to get a smile on his bewildered features. "Nice meeting you too . . . Rosie . . ." He almost didn't say her name for fear of sullying it. "I hope . . . your brother gets better."
Rosie waved as she headed back to her garden patch. "Of course he will! He's a fast healer. Bye Sam!"
"Bye . . . Rosie . . ." he managed to stutter out, but she did not hear him, for she was already busy again, yanking weeds out of the soil. Sam, after taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, turned and stumbled towards the barn.
It goes without saying that he had a hard time concentrating on his work.
TBC