Chapter 4
Keeping Mama Happy
"Meriadoc, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Mama."
"You've been sitting out here on the front porch looking awfully glum for hours..." She sat down next to her son and placed a comforting arm on his shoulder, "What's wrong?" she repeated.
"Mama, I'm just tired. It was a long night."
She smiled, "Your Papa and I saw you and Estella Bolger dancing last night."
"You... you did?"
"Aye, reminded us of ourselves when we were young... O, but that was ages ago!" she sighed, " Those were the days..." Her eyes twinkle with far away dreams, and Merry smiled. "Well," his mother said with a jump, "What say we invite Estella and her folks for dinner tomorrow night?"
Merry thought for a bit, "Mama I don't think--" he stopped and starred at his mother's wide grin. She looked happy, almost the happiest he'd seen her. "Sure, Mama. That sounds great."
His mother's smile grew even bigger, "Perfect!" She opened the door to go inside, "Are you coming?" Merry shook his head. "OK," she smiled and left.
Merry sighed. He wasn't sure he was ready to see Estella again. Pippin was angry with him... maybe he should apologize to Pip, but why? He couldn't see how it was his fault. Merry looked off into the distance, as if expecting Pippin to come riding over the hill. Pippin would come and say, "Merry, I'm sorry." And he would say, "No it was my fault," and all would be well. This is what he was hoping for since he had finished his breakfast, when he sat on the porch steps more than two hours ago. Merry rubbed his forehead with frustration, "Come on, Merry," he said to himself, "What do you think Pip's doing right now? Waiting for you? No, he's probably with that Diamond right now." That same awful feeling of jealousy came back. He clenched his fists, "Peregrin Took doesn't care about you anymore, Mer, just face it..." Merry stood and kept his eyes on the road, "He's not coming." He turned and went inside.
Pippin walked angrily to his room. How can Pervinca take Merry's side? His own sister! Pippin looked around his empty room; he didn't have much furniture, and half of his clothes were still at the Brandybuck household because he stayed there so often. He spent sometimes weeks at a time there and only came home for weekends. "Well that's going to change!" he snarled. He sat on his bed, "Selfish! She called me selfish! I am not selfish! It was MY birthday!" he crossed his arms, "I'm not selfish." Pippin caught his reflection in a mirror that hanged on the wall. He had to look twice; the angry face didn't look at all like his. Pippin was silent for a while, reflecting on what happened last night and this morning. He heard his father cough from the next room. Pippin completely forgot to visit his father. He quickly walked to the next room, "Father?" Pippin said peering into the room.
"Hullo, Pippin," His father said sitting up straighter in bed, "What is it, lad?"
"I just came to see how you felt."
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I am, of course, upset about missing your birthday, son."
"It's fine, Father. I just hope you are well soon."
His father was silent, but smiled. Pippin always felt uneasy around his father. He always felt as if he were judging him, trying to find a fault in his son. Pippin stood, silent, with his head bowed, waiting for his father to say something or dismiss him.
"Peregrin?"
"Father?"
"Yesterday, was your thirty third birthday. Yesterday, you became a man, but I feel you have been one since you returned..."
These words made Pippin blush with pride.
"You will be Took and Thain after I... when my time comes--"
"Father, don't talk like that..." Pippin lifted his head and looked at his father. It was the first time he really looked at him while he was ill. He looked tired, worn, and pale. How sick was his father? His mother said he was better, but she would lie to him just to keep him happy, especially after she missed her son's coming of age party. "Father, please, tell me..." Pippin paused, looking his father straight in the eye, "What's wrong?"
His father thought for a while, cleared his throat, "Go help with your mother with dinner."
Pippin stood there for a moment, realizing that he wasn't going to get an answer. He reluctantly turned and left.
Keeping Mama Happy
"Meriadoc, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Mama."
"You've been sitting out here on the front porch looking awfully glum for hours..." She sat down next to her son and placed a comforting arm on his shoulder, "What's wrong?" she repeated.
"Mama, I'm just tired. It was a long night."
She smiled, "Your Papa and I saw you and Estella Bolger dancing last night."
"You... you did?"
"Aye, reminded us of ourselves when we were young... O, but that was ages ago!" she sighed, " Those were the days..." Her eyes twinkle with far away dreams, and Merry smiled. "Well," his mother said with a jump, "What say we invite Estella and her folks for dinner tomorrow night?"
Merry thought for a bit, "Mama I don't think--" he stopped and starred at his mother's wide grin. She looked happy, almost the happiest he'd seen her. "Sure, Mama. That sounds great."
His mother's smile grew even bigger, "Perfect!" She opened the door to go inside, "Are you coming?" Merry shook his head. "OK," she smiled and left.
Merry sighed. He wasn't sure he was ready to see Estella again. Pippin was angry with him... maybe he should apologize to Pip, but why? He couldn't see how it was his fault. Merry looked off into the distance, as if expecting Pippin to come riding over the hill. Pippin would come and say, "Merry, I'm sorry." And he would say, "No it was my fault," and all would be well. This is what he was hoping for since he had finished his breakfast, when he sat on the porch steps more than two hours ago. Merry rubbed his forehead with frustration, "Come on, Merry," he said to himself, "What do you think Pip's doing right now? Waiting for you? No, he's probably with that Diamond right now." That same awful feeling of jealousy came back. He clenched his fists, "Peregrin Took doesn't care about you anymore, Mer, just face it..." Merry stood and kept his eyes on the road, "He's not coming." He turned and went inside.
Pippin walked angrily to his room. How can Pervinca take Merry's side? His own sister! Pippin looked around his empty room; he didn't have much furniture, and half of his clothes were still at the Brandybuck household because he stayed there so often. He spent sometimes weeks at a time there and only came home for weekends. "Well that's going to change!" he snarled. He sat on his bed, "Selfish! She called me selfish! I am not selfish! It was MY birthday!" he crossed his arms, "I'm not selfish." Pippin caught his reflection in a mirror that hanged on the wall. He had to look twice; the angry face didn't look at all like his. Pippin was silent for a while, reflecting on what happened last night and this morning. He heard his father cough from the next room. Pippin completely forgot to visit his father. He quickly walked to the next room, "Father?" Pippin said peering into the room.
"Hullo, Pippin," His father said sitting up straighter in bed, "What is it, lad?"
"I just came to see how you felt."
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I am, of course, upset about missing your birthday, son."
"It's fine, Father. I just hope you are well soon."
His father was silent, but smiled. Pippin always felt uneasy around his father. He always felt as if he were judging him, trying to find a fault in his son. Pippin stood, silent, with his head bowed, waiting for his father to say something or dismiss him.
"Peregrin?"
"Father?"
"Yesterday, was your thirty third birthday. Yesterday, you became a man, but I feel you have been one since you returned..."
These words made Pippin blush with pride.
"You will be Took and Thain after I... when my time comes--"
"Father, don't talk like that..." Pippin lifted his head and looked at his father. It was the first time he really looked at him while he was ill. He looked tired, worn, and pale. How sick was his father? His mother said he was better, but she would lie to him just to keep him happy, especially after she missed her son's coming of age party. "Father, please, tell me..." Pippin paused, looking his father straight in the eye, "What's wrong?"
His father thought for a while, cleared his throat, "Go help with your mother with dinner."
Pippin stood there for a moment, realizing that he wasn't going to get an answer. He reluctantly turned and left.