Mr. Frodo's Waiting
by Linaewen
September 23 1482 S.R.
Grey Havens
Dear Master Merry,
Hope this letter finds you well. I'm not much
of a letter writer, always seemed best to go myself and talk face to
face, if you know what I mean. Still, I've been doing a fair bit of
writing, what with keeping up with the Red Book and all. Nothing like
Mr. Bilbo, bless his soul, nor Mr. Frodo, either, but I guess it'll do.
You're probably wondering why I'm writing a letter to you in the first
place, but I'll come to that. I'm hoping you'll share this letter with
Mr. Pippin. I expect you'll be seeing him soon enough. There's a little
note to Goldilocks and the family put in with the letter, and I'd be
pleased if you could make sure Pippin delivers it.
It was good to spend some time with you two
this past Forelithe, after the funeral. It was a busy time having all
the family and arrangements to be made and all. It helped having you
there, to cheer me up a bit when I needed it and to let me alone when I
didn't. I'm not one to tell folk things like this, but seeing as how
this is a special occasion, I thought you'd like to know I'm grateful.
I won't get a chance to tell you after this.
I've been pretty busy lately getting things
organized and putting my affairs in order. You see, I've decided to
move on. I've been feeling kind of strange lately, unsettled-like.
Never thought I'd see the day when the Shire wasn't good enough for me,
but I'm feeling now like there's nothing here for me anymore. Sure,
I've got family, but what with Rosie gone, it just ain't the same. Mr.
Frodo said to me once, before he took ship: "You cannot always be torn
in two. You have to be one and whole, for many years. You have so much
to enjoy, and to be, and to do." Well, I guess I've been it, and I've
done it, and I had a good time doing it, while my part of the Story
went on. But I feel like it's time to let the Story go on without me.
My part's done.
I've been missing Mr. Frodo more than ever
these past few months, so I thought maybe it was about time I followed
him. So I am. I've handed things over to the family, my boys'll look
after Bag End and all. I've taken my leave, and seen Elanor, too. I
gave her the Red Book, she'll see that it's kept up proper. Funny, she
didn't seem too surprised to hear I was going.
I was worried that they might not let me sail
on one of the Elvish ships, but it seems like they were expecting me
somehow. The sea sure is something to see, I can tell you! I'm not one
for boats, as you know, but somehow seeing the white ship on the big
water, and hearing the waves sighing kind of lonesome-like, it makes me
feel funny inside, like I want to cry, but in a happy way. Somehow I
don't feel afraid to go out on that water, I want to see what's on the
other side. That's where Mr. Frodo is, so I expect I'll do fine, as
long as I see him waiting when I get there.
I hear tell from the Elves that are still
about the Havens that the land we'll be sailing to is a real nice
place, like the best garden in the world that never stops blooming
because winter never comes. It'll be good to have a bit of a rest in a
place like that, to spend my last days with Mr. Frodo.
I expect it'll do Mr. Frodo good to see a
familiar face, no doubt Mr. Bilbo's passed on by now. Elves and even
Gandalf are fine and all, but there's nothing like good hobbit talk to
give comfort to a body. There's a lot of Shire news to catch up on, not
to mention what's been happening in the Wide World. I've packed a new
pipe and a bunch of the best Longbottom Leaf to surprise him with. I
don't know if pipeweed is allowed in the Blessed Realm, as they call
it, but I guess Gandalf will back me up. I got a pipe for him, too, in
case he forgot his. I'll be sure to give them your regards. Oh, and be
sure to give Strider my regards if you ever see him, and anyone else
who might remember me.
Well, this letter turned out to be a long
one, didn't it? Looks like the ship is about ready to sail. That Elf
Cirdan who's in charge here is waiting for me to finish up so's he can
escort me to the boat. He's been very respectful to me, though I don't
know why exactly. Just good manners, I expect. Why, he must be about
the most important elf around! Anyway, he's going to see that this
letteer gets to Elanor so she can pass it on to you. If you see fit,
maybe you could let her have the letter back when you're done with it.
She'll be keeping up the Red Book, and she's been collecting things to
put in it. She might like this letter, too, being my last words, so to
speak.
Well, this is good-bye. It's high time I was on my way. Mr. Frodo's waiting.
Most sincerely your humble servant (and friend),
Samwise Gamgee
