Chapter 10
The Wake
Sam opened the door to his bedroom and walked out heading towards the living room. He could hear crowds of hobbits visiting among each other. He knew that the Wake had started. Sam had feared that he would faint again or break down sobbing at the site of his dear mother lying in her coffin. Sam did not want to make a stir of things or draw every ones attention to himself. In Sam's heart he had already said his good-byes to his mother and he could not bring himself to do it again.
Summing up his courage he slowly entered the living room, but he would not walk any further then just pass the entrance.
Standing just inside the doorway, Sam saw almost all of his relatives gathered together and mingling between each other. Even their closest neighbors, the Two Foot's gathered in a nearby corner of the room. There were hobbits from By Water that Sam had known most all of his life, some very rustic hobbits. Then there were other hobbits from Hobbiton that he was not very fond of, Sandyman, the miller and his son Ted. 'No doubt just looking for a free meal,' Sam thought to himself.
In the center of the room, was the coffin draped in beautiful flowers and ribbons. Sam watched it wearily. He could feel his heart in his chest pounding and the pain of knowing his mother who lay in there. He did not know if he would have the courage to look upon her.
Old Mrs. Two Foot approached Sam first and greeted him. "Sorry I am about your dear sweet mother, Sam. I have loved her as if she was my own sister. Many a time I have spent visiting with her, as we would gather our vegetables together from the gardens. Often she has told me how proud she was of her Sam."
"Thankee, Mrs. Two foot. I appreciate your telling of this," Sam said. Her comment brought a slight smile to his lips as Sam remembered all the times his mother would tell him that after he had finished something that she had asked him to do.
Sam walked a little further into the living room and he saw his mother's sister, May Goodchild and her brother Dale. They were both talking with Halfred. May was a gently aged hobbit, just a couple years older than his mother was. May was the first to spot Sam as he slowly approached them. May immediately reached out her arms and embraced Sam with a warm gentle hug. "Oh, my dear sweet Sam. You grown since last I visited Bagshot Row. Tis' hard to believe that she is now gone. I just received a letter from her last week and she said in her letter that she had just finished making you an apple pie. Know one could make an apple pie as well as your mother. She loved you both so very much."
Sam nodded as his thoughts went back to the day his mother made him that pie. 'Sam, run and bring me the finest apples you can find in Bagshot Row!' his mother's voice echoed in his thoughts. Sam remembered sitting at the table watching his mother cut the apples into thin slices. In his thoughts, Sam could hear his mother's laughter and it lifted his heart from despair. Sam found comfort in his memories, just as Mr. Frodo said he would.
Sam slowly lifted his gaze towards his mother's coffin, but he still could not bring himself to walk over by it. "Sam, I saw Mama in her coffin and she just looks like she is asleep. I will go over with you if you want me too," Halfred softly spoken to his younger brother.
Sam shook his head no and lowered his eyes down to the ground. "Well, then Sam. When ever you are ready. Just let me know. Look there, the Cottons have just arrived. I will go over and greet them," said Halfred.
Sam looked up to see Rosie's beautiful face from across the room and watched as she hugged Halfred as he greeted her. A pain traced its way across Sam's heart as he watched them. He wished he could approach Rosie and get a hug too, but he did not want Rosie's pity. Sam retreated to the corner of the living room to be by himself.
~*~
Some of the men folk brought kegs of ale and they place them in the living room on the base of the hearth because there was no more room in the kitchen. The tables were full of food and fixings.
The Gaffer announced that the luncheon was now being served and the table was full of every type of hobbit food you could imagine. The hobbit women out did themselves in the preparations for Bell's Wake.
The room suddenly became quiet as everyone turned to see who just arrived.
Mr. Bilbo Baggins and Frodo walked into the dinning room were everyone gathered to fill their plates. Hobbits took heaping piles of food on their plates and wandered into the living room so others could fill theirs.
Some of the guests were surprised to see a hobbit of importance attending a simple hobbit's Wake. A few of them commented of the oddities of Bilbo Baggins. They hoped that Bilbo would not be speaking as he tended to get rather long winded. While the other hobbits, knew the kindness of Bilbo and had expected his arrival.
The Gaffer greeted them warmly and brought them a plate of the finest fixings that Bagshot Row had to offer.
The simple folk of Bagshot Row paled in their attire compared to the finer clothing that Bilbo wore. If there was a place in the Shire where Bilbo felt the most comfortable, it was with the simple folk of Bagshot Row. These gentlefolk were truer than any of the more important hobbits of the Shire. Bilbo held them in great respect.
While Sam leaned up against the corner of the wall, he observed his relatives hammering a spigot into a keg of ale. A plate of food suddenly appeared in front of him. Sam raised his eyes to greet those of Frodo. "Here Sam, I want to eat. We can go outside if you would like?"
Sam nodded and took the plate from Frodo.
Bilbo stood in front of the kegs of ale and raised his hands to gain everyone's attention and waited while the hobbits settle themselves so they could listen to his speech. "That Bilbo could pick a time to speak, as long as we had food in front of ourselves he knows we'll be more willing to listen, but it will be dry eatin'. I should of grabbed a pint before taking my vittles," said Old Noakes
Daddy Two Foot nodded in agreement, "but if he goes into song or story, I'm forcing my way behind him to pour me a stout one."
"I'll be two strides behind you, Daddy."
The two hobbits scooped up a big spoonful of vittles and turned an ear towards Bilbo
Sam and Frodo stopped to listen to what Bilbo would say.
"It is an honor to be among the decent folk of Bagshot Row." Bilbo began. The hobbits all together shouted, "Here, here!"
"And no finer a hobbit there was than Bell Gamgee. She will long be remembered and loved by all who were lucky enough to have known her."
Again the hobbits shouted, "Here, here!"
"Mother, wife, sister, cousins, distance relatives and friends, she was all of these things to those among us. We grieve at her passing and we celebrate the life she had lived and how she had touched our lives. She made our lives better by it. She comforted us, she talked to us, she cried with us and she laughed with us. Even her scolding gave us no worse for the wear."
The hobbits nodded their heads in agreement. Then Bilbo continued saying, "Bell was like a golden key to a box with hinges, a lid open to all and inside of her heart a treasure of warmth and caring."
The hobbits looked at each other, thinking old Bilbo had lost more of his senses comparing Bell to a box.
"She saw trouble sooner than trouble saw of her. When I was in need of a wish word, Bell spoke of it in her common tongue. Which reminds me of a poem and a story."
The hobbits rolled their eyes and let out a deep sigh. A low groan was heard in and amongst the hobbits that gathered eating and listening.
Sam's ears perked up, as he wanted to hear more of Bilbo's stories.
Old Noakes had enough and he could barely swallow his last bite. He walked around behind Bilbo and opened the spigot to pour himself a pint.
As soon as the handle was lifted, the spout burst from the keg. The white foam billowed outward, hitting old Bilbo from behind. Bilbo who had faced trolls, goblins and slimy creatures that lived under a mountain without so much as a twitter, let out a howl that would of frighten even the scariest troll back into its cave in the mountain. The white foam poured down his coat tails and pant legs. He dove away to the side to escape from it.
The hobbits howled and rolled in laughter, while other more stout hobbits who had a bigger taste for the ale grabbed buckets to fill trying to catch the last of the ale before it was wasted on the floor.
Sam stood their shocked looking at Bilbo, while Frodo burst out laughing. Within moments Sam's laughter mixed with Frodos. Frodo placed his arm around Sam's shoulder as they both looked at each other still laughing.
Hamson approached Sam and Frodo saying, "Now Mama would have enjoyed that most of all. She loved to laugh."
Sam thought to himself that Hamson was right. He could not remember a time that his mother gave way to her tears, but found laughter in even the smallest of things. Sam knew at that moment that everything was going to be okay. He could let his Mama go.
Sam turned to look at his mother's coffin and he slowly approached it. When he stood before it a small hand reached up and touched Sam shoulder. Sam turned to see who had touched him and his eyes met those of Rosie.
The Wake
Sam opened the door to his bedroom and walked out heading towards the living room. He could hear crowds of hobbits visiting among each other. He knew that the Wake had started. Sam had feared that he would faint again or break down sobbing at the site of his dear mother lying in her coffin. Sam did not want to make a stir of things or draw every ones attention to himself. In Sam's heart he had already said his good-byes to his mother and he could not bring himself to do it again.
Summing up his courage he slowly entered the living room, but he would not walk any further then just pass the entrance.
Standing just inside the doorway, Sam saw almost all of his relatives gathered together and mingling between each other. Even their closest neighbors, the Two Foot's gathered in a nearby corner of the room. There were hobbits from By Water that Sam had known most all of his life, some very rustic hobbits. Then there were other hobbits from Hobbiton that he was not very fond of, Sandyman, the miller and his son Ted. 'No doubt just looking for a free meal,' Sam thought to himself.
In the center of the room, was the coffin draped in beautiful flowers and ribbons. Sam watched it wearily. He could feel his heart in his chest pounding and the pain of knowing his mother who lay in there. He did not know if he would have the courage to look upon her.
Old Mrs. Two Foot approached Sam first and greeted him. "Sorry I am about your dear sweet mother, Sam. I have loved her as if she was my own sister. Many a time I have spent visiting with her, as we would gather our vegetables together from the gardens. Often she has told me how proud she was of her Sam."
"Thankee, Mrs. Two foot. I appreciate your telling of this," Sam said. Her comment brought a slight smile to his lips as Sam remembered all the times his mother would tell him that after he had finished something that she had asked him to do.
Sam walked a little further into the living room and he saw his mother's sister, May Goodchild and her brother Dale. They were both talking with Halfred. May was a gently aged hobbit, just a couple years older than his mother was. May was the first to spot Sam as he slowly approached them. May immediately reached out her arms and embraced Sam with a warm gentle hug. "Oh, my dear sweet Sam. You grown since last I visited Bagshot Row. Tis' hard to believe that she is now gone. I just received a letter from her last week and she said in her letter that she had just finished making you an apple pie. Know one could make an apple pie as well as your mother. She loved you both so very much."
Sam nodded as his thoughts went back to the day his mother made him that pie. 'Sam, run and bring me the finest apples you can find in Bagshot Row!' his mother's voice echoed in his thoughts. Sam remembered sitting at the table watching his mother cut the apples into thin slices. In his thoughts, Sam could hear his mother's laughter and it lifted his heart from despair. Sam found comfort in his memories, just as Mr. Frodo said he would.
Sam slowly lifted his gaze towards his mother's coffin, but he still could not bring himself to walk over by it. "Sam, I saw Mama in her coffin and she just looks like she is asleep. I will go over with you if you want me too," Halfred softly spoken to his younger brother.
Sam shook his head no and lowered his eyes down to the ground. "Well, then Sam. When ever you are ready. Just let me know. Look there, the Cottons have just arrived. I will go over and greet them," said Halfred.
Sam looked up to see Rosie's beautiful face from across the room and watched as she hugged Halfred as he greeted her. A pain traced its way across Sam's heart as he watched them. He wished he could approach Rosie and get a hug too, but he did not want Rosie's pity. Sam retreated to the corner of the living room to be by himself.
~*~
Some of the men folk brought kegs of ale and they place them in the living room on the base of the hearth because there was no more room in the kitchen. The tables were full of food and fixings.
The Gaffer announced that the luncheon was now being served and the table was full of every type of hobbit food you could imagine. The hobbit women out did themselves in the preparations for Bell's Wake.
The room suddenly became quiet as everyone turned to see who just arrived.
Mr. Bilbo Baggins and Frodo walked into the dinning room were everyone gathered to fill their plates. Hobbits took heaping piles of food on their plates and wandered into the living room so others could fill theirs.
Some of the guests were surprised to see a hobbit of importance attending a simple hobbit's Wake. A few of them commented of the oddities of Bilbo Baggins. They hoped that Bilbo would not be speaking as he tended to get rather long winded. While the other hobbits, knew the kindness of Bilbo and had expected his arrival.
The Gaffer greeted them warmly and brought them a plate of the finest fixings that Bagshot Row had to offer.
The simple folk of Bagshot Row paled in their attire compared to the finer clothing that Bilbo wore. If there was a place in the Shire where Bilbo felt the most comfortable, it was with the simple folk of Bagshot Row. These gentlefolk were truer than any of the more important hobbits of the Shire. Bilbo held them in great respect.
While Sam leaned up against the corner of the wall, he observed his relatives hammering a spigot into a keg of ale. A plate of food suddenly appeared in front of him. Sam raised his eyes to greet those of Frodo. "Here Sam, I want to eat. We can go outside if you would like?"
Sam nodded and took the plate from Frodo.
Bilbo stood in front of the kegs of ale and raised his hands to gain everyone's attention and waited while the hobbits settle themselves so they could listen to his speech. "That Bilbo could pick a time to speak, as long as we had food in front of ourselves he knows we'll be more willing to listen, but it will be dry eatin'. I should of grabbed a pint before taking my vittles," said Old Noakes
Daddy Two Foot nodded in agreement, "but if he goes into song or story, I'm forcing my way behind him to pour me a stout one."
"I'll be two strides behind you, Daddy."
The two hobbits scooped up a big spoonful of vittles and turned an ear towards Bilbo
Sam and Frodo stopped to listen to what Bilbo would say.
"It is an honor to be among the decent folk of Bagshot Row." Bilbo began. The hobbits all together shouted, "Here, here!"
"And no finer a hobbit there was than Bell Gamgee. She will long be remembered and loved by all who were lucky enough to have known her."
Again the hobbits shouted, "Here, here!"
"Mother, wife, sister, cousins, distance relatives and friends, she was all of these things to those among us. We grieve at her passing and we celebrate the life she had lived and how she had touched our lives. She made our lives better by it. She comforted us, she talked to us, she cried with us and she laughed with us. Even her scolding gave us no worse for the wear."
The hobbits nodded their heads in agreement. Then Bilbo continued saying, "Bell was like a golden key to a box with hinges, a lid open to all and inside of her heart a treasure of warmth and caring."
The hobbits looked at each other, thinking old Bilbo had lost more of his senses comparing Bell to a box.
"She saw trouble sooner than trouble saw of her. When I was in need of a wish word, Bell spoke of it in her common tongue. Which reminds me of a poem and a story."
The hobbits rolled their eyes and let out a deep sigh. A low groan was heard in and amongst the hobbits that gathered eating and listening.
Sam's ears perked up, as he wanted to hear more of Bilbo's stories.
Old Noakes had enough and he could barely swallow his last bite. He walked around behind Bilbo and opened the spigot to pour himself a pint.
As soon as the handle was lifted, the spout burst from the keg. The white foam billowed outward, hitting old Bilbo from behind. Bilbo who had faced trolls, goblins and slimy creatures that lived under a mountain without so much as a twitter, let out a howl that would of frighten even the scariest troll back into its cave in the mountain. The white foam poured down his coat tails and pant legs. He dove away to the side to escape from it.
The hobbits howled and rolled in laughter, while other more stout hobbits who had a bigger taste for the ale grabbed buckets to fill trying to catch the last of the ale before it was wasted on the floor.
Sam stood their shocked looking at Bilbo, while Frodo burst out laughing. Within moments Sam's laughter mixed with Frodos. Frodo placed his arm around Sam's shoulder as they both looked at each other still laughing.
Hamson approached Sam and Frodo saying, "Now Mama would have enjoyed that most of all. She loved to laugh."
Sam thought to himself that Hamson was right. He could not remember a time that his mother gave way to her tears, but found laughter in even the smallest of things. Sam knew at that moment that everything was going to be okay. He could let his Mama go.
Sam turned to look at his mother's coffin and he slowly approached it. When he stood before it a small hand reached up and touched Sam shoulder. Sam turned to see who had touched him and his eyes met those of Rosie.