The Fellowship’s Tales

Chapter Two

A Gardeners Memory

After hearing Legolas’ story, Sam found himself thinking back to his own love adventure in the Shire. He found himself thinking about Rosie Cotton. As usual, this memory caused a contented smile to form on his mouth. He thought back to a time he favoured above most. A time when he’d been nothing more than Samwise Gamgee, hobbit gardener…
* * *
It had been one of those cheerful days when young Sam had had nothing more crucial to worry about than his supply of pipe-weed, when he had been doing the garden for a certain Miss Cotton. He had truly not meant to listen in, but the grass was terribly overgrown under the windowsill. “I can’t help having to go under the window, can I Sam?” He had asked himself. After pausing for a moment before agreeing with himself, he headed over to the ledge.
“Rosie, I saw that Sam looking at you with my own eyes!” He heard Esmeralda Muckyfoot exclaim.
“Really?” Asked an uncertain Rosie.
“Of course, Rosie. Quite often too, if you don’t mind me saying”
As Sam silently and slowly trimmed the hedge, he felt himself blush. He had been quite shocked to find himself looking at the pretty barmaid, but had hoped desperately that nobody else had seen. He was ever so embarrassed.
“I wish he’d just talk to me. Every time I try to talk to him he blushes and hides behind Frodo. Especially after our dance at dear old Bilbo’s party.” He heard Rosie sigh, and poor Sam didn’t know what to think. Should he have spoken to her as Frodo was so often telling him? Or was he right to believe that he’d just be making a fool of himself? He felt quite sure that a hobbit as beautiful as Rosie could never love a humble gardener such as him.
“Sam,” Frodo had told him,” I’m sure that if you tried you’d find out that she felt the same way. But if you don’t…there are plenty of other eligible hobbits that would be willing to engage in a relationship with Rosie.”
“Well, maybe they’d be better off” Sam had grumbled.
But now, as he listened, he began to think that maybe Frodo had been right.
“Oh, Rosie, don’t be silly! Even Frodo will tell you that Sam is embarrassed because he loves you!” Esmeralda giggled.
“I know. It’s really very adorable, but if he doesn’t admit it, how do I know that it is true?”
“You will have to ask him, Rosie. Don’t let him hide behind Frodo or that stupid Took! Do you know what that Pippin did the other day..?” As Esmeralda carried on with her story about Pippin trying to steal her mushrooms, Sam couldn’t help but give a little snort of laughter.
“What was that?” Rosie asked.
“What was what?” Esmeralda replied, obviously completely oblivious to the hysterical gardener outside.
“Samwise Gamgee, have you been listening in on private conversations?” Rosie had said in a mock serious tone as she leaned out of the window.
Sam dropped the shears. “No ma’am. Honest. I was just cutting the grass here,” he indicated the half-trimmed verge under the ledge, “and I heard that little anecdote about Pippin. I wasn’t listening in, it’s just your voices came out and I couldn’t help but hear.”
Rosie laughed. To Sam, it was the most beautiful sound his hobbit-ears had ever heard. She smiled at him. “Well, Sam, it looks like you’ve been working very hard. Would you like to come in for some tea?”
Sam stood up rather quickly, nearly banging his head on the windowsill. He looked about the garden. Truth was, he’d hardly done any at all! “I wouldn’t want to impose, Miss Rosie, I mean Miss Cotton, I mean-”
Rosie cut him off, “You wouldn’t be, Sam. Now, will you please join me for tea?” She looked kindly at him, and he blushed.
He wanted to say yes, he really did. But he knew he’d say something stupid and then Rosie would probably never talk to him again. “I would love to, Miss Cotton, but I must get on.” He bent down to pick up his shears.
“It is not at all kind to turn down an offer of tea and crackers. But if you must.” Rosie resigned, looking crestfallen.
Sam, worried he’d offended her, stood up far too quickly, and this time he really did bang his head. “Ouch! I’m sorry, ouch!”
“Oh, Sam, are you alright?” Rosie cried, her voice full of concern. Within moments she had appeared from her round hobbit-hole door.
Sam patted his head, feeling quite dazed. “I’m quite alright, Miss Cotton.”
“Don’t be silly, Sam, you can call me Rosie. Now, that was a very nasty bump, so I insist you come inside for tea.” Rosie put her arm around his shoulders and steered him towards the door.
“Well, if you insist…Rosie. Is there any cheese to go with those crackers?”
“Why of course! What kind of a host would I be if I served crackers without cheese? And you can have as much of it as you like.” Rosie beamed at him, and he flashed a wonky little grin back. The pair of hobbit’s entered Rosie’s hobbit-hole, and Sam sat down in a chair in the kitchen. Rosie busied herself making tea for the two of them, and Esmeralda made a sly exit out of the back door.
“I’ll leave you two alone” She’d whispered into Sam’s ear as she disappeared.
Sam blushed yet again, and had no idea what to say when Rosie set the tea down in front of him. She sat next to him, and Sam could smell her sweet perfume.
Rosie looked at him expectantly. When he didn’t say anything, she decided to speak first. “Sam, I have a very important question to ask you, and I hope you will answer me truthfully.”
“Of course, Rosie. I’d never lie to you!”
“Oh, Sam, I know you wouldn’t, but I need to know the truth. People talk, Sam. I have heard something very interesting.” Rosie looked at him intently.
“Oh?” Sam replied, studying the woodwork of Rosie’s table.
“I have heard that you may have feelings for me. And I was wondering if it was true?” Rosie waited for an answer. She didn’t get one. “Because, if you did, I wanted you to know that I have feelings for you too.”
“Rosie, I, I, er…” Sam trailed off, not knowing what to say. She smiled at him, and he found his words. “Rosie Cotton I think I love you. In fact, I am most certain of it, but you needn’t humour me with stories. Perhaps I should leave.”
As Sam moved, as if to leave the table, Rosie placed a soft hand on his arm. “Sam,” she whispered, “I’m not humouring you.”
The two young hobbits regarded each other for a moment. Then Sam really did stand up.
“Well, Miss Rosie, would it be possible, I mean do you think, I mean would you like to, maybe, perhaps sometime, you would like to accompany me out somewhere?”
Rosie ran to him and threw her arms around him. “Sam, I’d love to!”
* * *

Sam thought back to that day, when he and Rosie had first become an item, and despite the trouble and worries around him, he couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“What are you so happy about?” Frodo asked him curiously.
“I was just thinking about my Rosie.” Sam told him, smiling happily.
“I’m sure you’ll see her soon, Sam. Very, very soon, and when you do, just think how much more impressed she’ll be with what you’ve achieved! You’re braver than you think, Sam, and Rosie knows that.”
“I’m sure she does, Mr. Frodo, I’m sure she does.”