Chapter 2
"Samwise Gamgee"
October 6th 1421
Sam held Elanor for hours. The fire died and turned to ember. The little hobbit lass fell sound asleep, and Rosie eventually leaned down to take the baby to bed.
"Not yet," Sam said quietly barely taking his eyes of the sleeping child. "But Sam," Rosie said gently "it will be morning soon." He turned to her and put his hand on top of hers. He wanted to explain to her that some how he had to postpone tomorrow for as long as possible. All he got out was "just a moment longer." She smiled and kissed him gently on his cheek. He smiled til she left the room and then he held Elanor close to him to hold back the tears. Tomorrow was the first day without Frodo for the rest of his life.
The morning sun found Sam asleep in his chair with Elanor gurgling in his lap. Rosie came and gently touched his shoulder. He awoke slowly and remained groggy. "What time is it?" he said rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Almost ten,"she said removing Elanor for her breakfast. The door shut and Sam was alone. He tried to feel if he was still hurting as badly as the night before and found he was numb all over. Nothing could rouse him. He tried picturing Bill Kerney who could always get him angry- nothing. He thought of sweet Elanor- nothing still. Somehow no matter what his memory called up all he actually saw was Frodo's starry blue eyes, filled with tears. Then the image would pan out and he would see him on the deck of the white ship, Gandalf and Bilbo beside him. He held Galadrial's phial aloft. The image began to move and the boat slowly floated away into the distance. Those eyes became harder and harder to see until all that remained of Frodo in middle earth was the blinding pinprick of his phial. In an instant that too was gone. No matter what he thought of this was the only thing before Sam's eyes. It was as if it was a printed on see-through paper that dangled before him. He could barely make out the room around him. All there was, was sky and endless open sea.
1427
It was Rosie's voice that awoke Sam. He was in his chair. The sun had gone down behind The Hill. One of his round windows was open and a chill breeze was in the room. "Sam, wake up, we're late!" Rosie said in an urgent whisper. The light of the dying sun sent strange purple shadows through the room. The orange glow still lingered in the sky and illuminated Rosie's face. "Late for what?" Sam said. "Your acceptance dinner- they made you mayor remember?" Sam sat up and smoothed his fine silk waistcoat. It was one of Bilbo's. Frodo gave it to him. "Remember Sam, you're no longer just a gardener, you're a hero," Frodo had said as they had dressed for their first Harvest Day home. Here he was on what seemed like the most amazing moment in his life and he was alone. The door to the study opened and Elanor skipped in, her night gown practically falling of her shoulders. Rosie motioned to her and she came to her father. "Say goodnight child." Elanor looked up at her father "Goodnight dad." He didn't move or look at her. He stared off into space. Rosie looked at him her face pained. He had become almost unreachable the closer this night had come. She sent Elanor off to bed and turned to Sam. "Are you coming?" she said softly but her concern marked each word. But Sam didn't hear her, he was on the deck of a white ship and a gentle voice called to him "Yes Frodo, Im com-," he met Rosie's eyes with an alarmed look. They stood there locked for a moment. Sam burst into tears. He fell into her arms. She held him close and brushed his hair from his face as he shook from grief. She gently raised his chin so that she could look into his eyes. He sniffed and looked into hers. "I understand," she said. "You're my Frodo, and you went away. I didn't ever think you were coming back. You didn't even say goodbye." She put a hand on his cheek. He pulled her close and didn't let go until they really were late for the dinner.
"Samwise Gamgee"
October 6th 1421
Sam held Elanor for hours. The fire died and turned to ember. The little hobbit lass fell sound asleep, and Rosie eventually leaned down to take the baby to bed.
"Not yet," Sam said quietly barely taking his eyes of the sleeping child. "But Sam," Rosie said gently "it will be morning soon." He turned to her and put his hand on top of hers. He wanted to explain to her that some how he had to postpone tomorrow for as long as possible. All he got out was "just a moment longer." She smiled and kissed him gently on his cheek. He smiled til she left the room and then he held Elanor close to him to hold back the tears. Tomorrow was the first day without Frodo for the rest of his life.
The morning sun found Sam asleep in his chair with Elanor gurgling in his lap. Rosie came and gently touched his shoulder. He awoke slowly and remained groggy. "What time is it?" he said rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Almost ten,"she said removing Elanor for her breakfast. The door shut and Sam was alone. He tried to feel if he was still hurting as badly as the night before and found he was numb all over. Nothing could rouse him. He tried picturing Bill Kerney who could always get him angry- nothing. He thought of sweet Elanor- nothing still. Somehow no matter what his memory called up all he actually saw was Frodo's starry blue eyes, filled with tears. Then the image would pan out and he would see him on the deck of the white ship, Gandalf and Bilbo beside him. He held Galadrial's phial aloft. The image began to move and the boat slowly floated away into the distance. Those eyes became harder and harder to see until all that remained of Frodo in middle earth was the blinding pinprick of his phial. In an instant that too was gone. No matter what he thought of this was the only thing before Sam's eyes. It was as if it was a printed on see-through paper that dangled before him. He could barely make out the room around him. All there was, was sky and endless open sea.
1427
It was Rosie's voice that awoke Sam. He was in his chair. The sun had gone down behind The Hill. One of his round windows was open and a chill breeze was in the room. "Sam, wake up, we're late!" Rosie said in an urgent whisper. The light of the dying sun sent strange purple shadows through the room. The orange glow still lingered in the sky and illuminated Rosie's face. "Late for what?" Sam said. "Your acceptance dinner- they made you mayor remember?" Sam sat up and smoothed his fine silk waistcoat. It was one of Bilbo's. Frodo gave it to him. "Remember Sam, you're no longer just a gardener, you're a hero," Frodo had said as they had dressed for their first Harvest Day home. Here he was on what seemed like the most amazing moment in his life and he was alone. The door to the study opened and Elanor skipped in, her night gown practically falling of her shoulders. Rosie motioned to her and she came to her father. "Say goodnight child." Elanor looked up at her father "Goodnight dad." He didn't move or look at her. He stared off into space. Rosie looked at him her face pained. He had become almost unreachable the closer this night had come. She sent Elanor off to bed and turned to Sam. "Are you coming?" she said softly but her concern marked each word. But Sam didn't hear her, he was on the deck of a white ship and a gentle voice called to him "Yes Frodo, Im com-," he met Rosie's eyes with an alarmed look. They stood there locked for a moment. Sam burst into tears. He fell into her arms. She held him close and brushed his hair from his face as he shook from grief. She gently raised his chin so that she could look into his eyes. He sniffed and looked into hers. "I understand," she said. "You're my Frodo, and you went away. I didn't ever think you were coming back. You didn't even say goodbye." She put a hand on his cheek. He pulled her close and didn't let go until they really were late for the dinner.