Mama
" Now, we'll be back before nightfall," Frodo's mother kissed his forehead, " Good bye for now, Sweetie."
" Behave for your aunt and uncle Brandybuck, my lad," said his father, Drogo.
" Bye Mother! By Father!" Young Frodo gave his mother a long, loving hug.
His father patted him on the head, " Behave," he repeated.
Frodo waved at his parents as they disappeared into the distance. His aunt Esmeralda Brandybuck took his hand and led him inside where his uncle Sardoc Brandybuck sat reading, and his two year old cousin Meriadoc Brandybuck played on the floor.
Frodo ran to Meriadoc, or Merry, as everyone seemed to call him. " Hullo, little Merry! For the evening I'm going to teach you how to talk!" Frodo's uncle gave a grunt as if saying, " It's not possible," but Frodo ignored it. Frodo pointed to his uncle, "Merry, say 'Pa-pa!' 'Papa!' "
Baby Meriadoc looked at, tilted his head to one side, and sent him a confusing look that made his mother laugh. Frodo pointed to his laughing aunt, " Say 'Mama' Mama… laugh! Happy! Mama happy!"
Merry grabbed Frodo's finger which pointed to his aunt. The baby began to chew on it. He looked up at the disgusted Frodo and grinned, drool dripping from his small mouth.
" Eww…" said Frodo using the end of his blouse to wipe the mess from his finger.
" Eww!" exclaimed Merry with a laugh.
" Well, that's a start."
Time passed and soon it was nightfall. "I think it's time for bed," said Esmeralda.
Frodo rubbed his eyes sleepily, " But my mother and father aren't here… They said they'd come before nightfall."
His aunt smiled reassuringly, " I'm sure they'll come while you sleep."
Morning came and Frodo awoke to find himself still in the guest bed in the Brandybuck household and not in his own. He lay wondering what could have happened to his parents and why hadn't they come? He realized then he heard hushed voices out side his door.
"Drowned? Are you sure?"
"Aye, that's what they said, drowned in the lake."
"Frodo… the poor lad, what do we— Will he have to…"
Almost instantly Frodo found his feet carrying him to the door and his eyes layed upon his aunt and uncle. Frdod tried to piece everything he heard together. There was silence and Frodo search for his voice that seemed to be lost, "What has happened?" he managed to squeak.
" Frodo…" His aunt began. Frodo saw that his aunt held in her hands a bracelet— It was his mothers— He and his uncle Bilbo made it for her birthday.
"Mother's bracelet…" Frodo looked into his aunt's eyes, "Where's Mother?" He looked to his uncle, "Where's Father?"
Frodo's aunt handed him the bracelet, "It was found near the lake where…"
"They drowned…" Frodo finished. He studied the bacelet, spinning it round and round. Suddenly the world began to spin. Frodo fell to the floor; he sat there, rubbing the bracelet lovingly against his cheek.
" I'm sorry, Lad," he heard his uncle say.
Frodo sat beside his cousin Merry on the bed he assumed would now become his. He stroked the bracelet with his hands. His baby cousin placed his even small hand on top of Frodo's. Frodo stared at his cousin who seemed to be studying Frodo's face.
" Mama?" Merry squeaked.
Frodo would have been astonished if he hadn't been so upset. Frodo nodded at his cousin, "Mama."
A tear fell from Frodo's eye and Merry wiped off, " No," he said shaking his grubby finger, " No." Merry gave a short laugh, " 'appy."
Frodo shook his head, " No. No happy. Sad."
Merry protested, " No!" He placed his hands and tried to mold a smile on Frodo's face, " 'appy!"
Frodo grabbed the tiny hands, " No," he said, but as he said it he laughed a little.
" 'appy."
" No."
" 'appy."
" No. Sad."
" 'appy! 'appy! 'appy!"
Frodo couldn't help but smile. His cousin Merry's face stretched into a large grin too big for his small face and it caused Frodo to smile even more. Frodo shook his head laughing, " Merry… you… you little clown."
Merry's small body shook with laughter and his giggled pierced Frodo's ears, " 'APPY! 'APPY!"
Frodo laughed, "Aye, happy."
The end.
" Now, we'll be back before nightfall," Frodo's mother kissed his forehead, " Good bye for now, Sweetie."
" Behave for your aunt and uncle Brandybuck, my lad," said his father, Drogo.
" Bye Mother! By Father!" Young Frodo gave his mother a long, loving hug.
His father patted him on the head, " Behave," he repeated.
Frodo waved at his parents as they disappeared into the distance. His aunt Esmeralda Brandybuck took his hand and led him inside where his uncle Sardoc Brandybuck sat reading, and his two year old cousin Meriadoc Brandybuck played on the floor.
Frodo ran to Meriadoc, or Merry, as everyone seemed to call him. " Hullo, little Merry! For the evening I'm going to teach you how to talk!" Frodo's uncle gave a grunt as if saying, " It's not possible," but Frodo ignored it. Frodo pointed to his uncle, "Merry, say 'Pa-pa!' 'Papa!' "
Baby Meriadoc looked at, tilted his head to one side, and sent him a confusing look that made his mother laugh. Frodo pointed to his laughing aunt, " Say 'Mama' Mama… laugh! Happy! Mama happy!"
Merry grabbed Frodo's finger which pointed to his aunt. The baby began to chew on it. He looked up at the disgusted Frodo and grinned, drool dripping from his small mouth.
" Eww…" said Frodo using the end of his blouse to wipe the mess from his finger.
" Eww!" exclaimed Merry with a laugh.
" Well, that's a start."
Time passed and soon it was nightfall. "I think it's time for bed," said Esmeralda.
Frodo rubbed his eyes sleepily, " But my mother and father aren't here… They said they'd come before nightfall."
His aunt smiled reassuringly, " I'm sure they'll come while you sleep."
Morning came and Frodo awoke to find himself still in the guest bed in the Brandybuck household and not in his own. He lay wondering what could have happened to his parents and why hadn't they come? He realized then he heard hushed voices out side his door.
"Drowned? Are you sure?"
"Aye, that's what they said, drowned in the lake."
"Frodo… the poor lad, what do we— Will he have to…"
Almost instantly Frodo found his feet carrying him to the door and his eyes layed upon his aunt and uncle. Frdod tried to piece everything he heard together. There was silence and Frodo search for his voice that seemed to be lost, "What has happened?" he managed to squeak.
" Frodo…" His aunt began. Frodo saw that his aunt held in her hands a bracelet— It was his mothers— He and his uncle Bilbo made it for her birthday.
"Mother's bracelet…" Frodo looked into his aunt's eyes, "Where's Mother?" He looked to his uncle, "Where's Father?"
Frodo's aunt handed him the bracelet, "It was found near the lake where…"
"They drowned…" Frodo finished. He studied the bacelet, spinning it round and round. Suddenly the world began to spin. Frodo fell to the floor; he sat there, rubbing the bracelet lovingly against his cheek.
" I'm sorry, Lad," he heard his uncle say.
Frodo sat beside his cousin Merry on the bed he assumed would now become his. He stroked the bracelet with his hands. His baby cousin placed his even small hand on top of Frodo's. Frodo stared at his cousin who seemed to be studying Frodo's face.
" Mama?" Merry squeaked.
Frodo would have been astonished if he hadn't been so upset. Frodo nodded at his cousin, "Mama."
A tear fell from Frodo's eye and Merry wiped off, " No," he said shaking his grubby finger, " No." Merry gave a short laugh, " 'appy."
Frodo shook his head, " No. No happy. Sad."
Merry protested, " No!" He placed his hands and tried to mold a smile on Frodo's face, " 'appy!"
Frodo grabbed the tiny hands, " No," he said, but as he said it he laughed a little.
" 'appy."
" No."
" 'appy."
" No. Sad."
" 'appy! 'appy! 'appy!"
Frodo couldn't help but smile. His cousin Merry's face stretched into a large grin too big for his small face and it caused Frodo to smile even more. Frodo shook his head laughing, " Merry… you… you little clown."
Merry's small body shook with laughter and his giggled pierced Frodo's ears, " 'APPY! 'APPY!"
Frodo laughed, "Aye, happy."
The end.