The day Frodo was elected mayor was one of the happiest days of our lives. There was a banquet held that night after the proper ceremony took place, in the same field as where Bilbo had had his famous birthday party, and there was good food and good company. I spent the evening talking to Rosie and Sam. It was the end of March and was still a bit chilly in the air, but nobody seemed to mind. It had rained earlier that morning and the children were running around jumping in mud puddles while the parents ran after them scolding them for getting so dirty.
To everyone's surprise, Gandalf even showed up and did some of his fireworks for the children.
"The King of Gondor informed me that Frodo was being elected mayor," he exclaimed when I questioned him. "You sent that letter to Lady Arwen and unfortunately they could not come themselves, so I decided to. I was visiting the city when your letter arrived and I left Gondor as quick as possible."
"Thank you so much for coming Gandalf. Does Frodo know you're here?"
"Yes, I spoke with him a few moments ago."
"You are always welcome to stay with us."
"Thank you, I shall take you up on that offer. Oh, those hobbit children are wanting more fireworks. I must go." He laughed and headed towards the whining children. When they saw him approach, they all squealed for joy.
"How are you feeling, Rosie?" I asked as I turned to her. I noticed she was watched the children and smiling with a yearning look on her face.
"Very well," she answered. "I'm very nervous of course, but I'm sure any first-time mother is nervous."
"How are you taking it, Sam?"
"I'm nervous as well. I hope I can be a good father."
"I'm sure you will be."
Just then, Pippin and his newest love, Diamond sat down beside of us and we all began talking about the weather and Sam and Rosie's new member of the family who was coming soon. Frodo was off preparing his speech, but eventually, the retiring mayor stood up on a chair and said, "Friends, we are gathered here tonight to celebrate both my retirement and to welcome the new mayor as well. I will not stand here and give a long speech to you; I'm sure your new mayor has one prepared, but fortunately, I don't." There were a few cheers at this. "I just want to say that being your mayor for the past seven years has been the best seven years of my life, and I've enjoyed working with all of you." Everyone cheered at this although few believed it. "So, without further adieu, I would like to introduce you to the new mayor of Hobbiton, Mr. Frodo Baggins."
Everyone was on their feet cheering and shouts of "Hurray Frodo" could be heard. Frodo shook the mayor's hand and then took his place on the chair as the former mayor stepped down.
"My fellow hobbits," he started. "I do have a bit of good news and this is that my speech is hopefully not as long as you fear it will be." There were shouts and cheers at this. Frodo then continued his speech, thanking the former mayor, the people, and even his friends and myself. He promised to be the best mayor he could and remarked that if anyone ever needed his assistance, he would always be there to help in times of need. Everything was going wonderfully until near the end of his speech when he said, "You are all excellent hobbits and I feel very lucky to know all of you."
At that moment, someone who probably had too much to drink shouted out, "Ah, Mr. Baggins, yer not goin' ta disappear like that there Mr. Bilbo did, are ya? I kin see that that there Mr. Gandalf is here. I heerd that there's always bad news when he's 'round, if ya know what I mean. They say Mr. Bilbo had some magic ring that what made him disappear."
A look of horror crossed Frodo's face and I saw Gandalf rise from his chair and look at the poor hobbit in the face and exclaim, "There will be no more talk about that."
After that was said, everyone became extremely quiet and I could feel the tension. Quickly, Frodo recovered himself and said, "A song. Let's have a song, shall we? Thank you all for coming tonight."
There were a few cheers as he descended. Most of the hobbits were probably still trying to figure out what had just happened, but as soon as the band began playing a song, they quickly forgot about it and began dancing. Frodo came over and sat down beside of me and I gently put his arm around his shoulders.
"How did I do? I mean, before they brought up the incident with Bilbo."
"It was beautiful, sweetheart."
"I think that there Mr. Bracegirdle needs to learn how to shut his mouth," Sam commented.
"He's just had a little too much to drink is all," Frodo replied, uneasily.
"Well, lets not let it spoil our evening," Rosie answered.
"You're right, dear. How about a dance?"
As Sam and Rosie went off to dance, Gandalf came over and sat directly across from Frodo.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Gandalf. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise to me that people still talk about Bilbo's disappearance. It was only a few years ago."
"All the same, you should not mention the Ring of Power. It will not do them harm now, but they could not possibly understand all that you went through, Frodo. I know it is not a pleasant subject for you to talk about and never will be. Two years ago tomorrow, the Ring was destroyed. How are you going to take it?"
"Probably the same as last year."
"I hope not," I answered. "It was terrible last year."
On the anniversary of the destruction of the Ring, Frodo suffered much emotional pain. He walked around the house all day and had a very far away look in his eyes. Sometimes he would cry out in what seemed like pain or trauma, and he would often grasp at his neck as if he was still looking for the Ring to be there. Then he would be horrified to find it missing. "It isn't there!" he would scream. "Where is it? Sam, do you have it? Sauron must have got it. We're all going to die! Middle-Earth is doomed and I have failed."
After the evening's festivities were over, Frodo, Gandalf, and I made our way back to Bag End. The next morning, I found that Frodo indeed was going through the same experience he had had last year at this time. Gandalf was there and tried to comfort him by telling him that the Ring was destroyed and that there was no longer any need to worry about it, but he would not listen. He even accused Gandalf of taking it.
"You took the Ring. You will give it to Sauron and together you will destroy Middle-Earth."
I spent the day in the living room as far away from my husband as I could. I could not bare to see him like this, and when I did see him that day, he would look at me as if I were something evil.
The next morning, he had no recollection of the previous day and everything was back to normal. Frodo and Gandalf spent the day together talking about the world outside of the Shire, but there was little to tell.
"How is Queen Arwen?" I asked at dinnertime.
"She is very well and when I told her I was coming to the Shire, she asked me to tell you that she misses you and hopes that you are happy. She and King Elessar has had a son and when I left, she was expecting another."
I looked at Frodo and smiled wistfully. He looked at me for a second and then stared back down into his cup.