After the Ball

He was smiling as he walked up the hill to BagEnd. Behind him, in the PartyField, he heard the music and laughter and chuckled. He opened the round green door, went inside, banked the fire and lit the lamps. As he came into the Front Parlour, he looked up at the portrait of Frodo over the mantel and made a little salute. He unpinned the Star of Dunedain and locked it away before he hung up his Mayoral robe. Next, he collected pipes and a box of Longbottom leaf and a small firkin of ale and several mugs.

Proudly he recalled his fourteen children, Rose, Pippin and Diamond under the Lady's great Mallorn, grown from a small seed in the box she gave him so many years ago.

Elanor had married Fastred at Court, before the King and Queen, Frodo, now named Gardner, was wed in Crickhollow at the request of his wife's ailing mother and Rose had quietly become Jasper's wife at Brandy buck Hall.

Goldilocks and Faramir, however, wanted a large family wedding. No Took was ignored, nor any resident of Hobbiton-indeed, of the Shire. How his heart had sung to see them so happy and his friends so fond and willing to celebrate!
He looked up at Frodo's ever young face - "You would have enjoyed every minute! Truly, Mr. Frodo, it was almost as great as Bilbo's last birthday!"

Just then, The Took came quietly in. "Always enjoyed a party did Frodo! - I really missed him today, Sam. I kept wishing Faramir had known him."

"He saw them all in his dreams, Pip. He described them to me before he went away so long ago!" A tear rolled down Sam's face.

There was a bang! --- and Merry came bouncing in, if a four foot Hobbit can bounce --- In a trice he read their faces and grabbed a mug.

"A toast!" he cried. "Frodo, best of Hobbits!"

They raised their mugs.

"To the father of the lovely bride!" Sam beamed.

"To the father of the noble groom!" Pippin preened.

"To all fathers. I'm one myself!" and there in that small snug room, four friends were together again, in spirit, under a cloud of fragrant smoke and a cloak of happy memories.

Eglerio.

Back to Tilkal, Issue 3, eJournal of Tol Harndor