DEAR FRODO...

Frodo put the new strongbox on the bed, and unlocked it. There would be plenty of room in it for the things he meant to leave. Perhaps no one would ever come across them, or perhaps Sam might find them. He’d not mind if Sam *did* look through them, for though the papers he was going to put in there were both very special and intensely personal, they held nothing embarrassing. It was just that he could not bring himself, after all these years, to discard them. There was only so much he could take with him on this journey after all.

He went to the bureau, and removed the bottom drawer. It was filled with old letters and papers, neatly sorted into bundles, tied with ribbons of different colors. He began to transfer them into the strongbox, when he looked down at the childish handwriting on the first one. Tears stung his eyes, but he smiled, and untying the blue ribbon, he opened the top letter. It was written in a childish scrawl, and there were blots on ink, and the signs of tearstains:

“Dear Frodo,

Your room is very  emtey  empty. It makes loud noises now when I am in there. Mum says we must find some things to put in there for when you visit.

I wish you could come home. But Da says you are home now at Bag End.

 I hate Cousin Bilbo.  No. I’m sorry. I don’t really. Don’t be mad. I miss you.

Love,

Cousin Merry"

Frodo shook his head sadly, and opened the next one. With a full heart, he began to read through the stack:

 "Dear Frodo,

I miss you lots. Mum says it won’t be long until Lithe, and I will see you at Great  Smiles Smials. She gave me a calendar to strike off the days. She says it won’t be long but there are many, many days until then. I counted them. It is 48 whole more days until Lithe.

Do you miss me?.

Love,

Cousin Merry”

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“Dear Frodo,

I really liked your letter. I am glad you miss me. I liked the picture you drew for me.

Da says I can have a pony of my own, now I am tall enough to ride by myself. I am almost as tall as Berilac now.

What should I name my pony?

Tell Sam hello for me.

Bye for now,

Merry,”

___________________________________________

“Dear Frodo,

Da agrees that ‘Brandy’ is a fine name for a Buckland pony. That was a good idea. I wish that you could see him. He is  butifal bueteful beuatifl  very nice looking. I want to show him to you now. I asked Da if I could ride him to Bag End to show you and Cousin Bilbo and Sam. But he says not. It is too far for me by myself. Do you know it is 29 days until Lithe? I wish it was quicker. Will you be glad to see me?

Love,

Merry”

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“Dear Frodo,

Did you know that three weeks is 21 days? That is how long until I can see you. Maybe sooner. We are going to ride on our ponies instead of the  caridge  carriage so we can go on the  fary  ferry instead of the bridge so we will get to Tookland faster and he said that you and Cousin Bilbo might get there sooner too since Bag End is closer so maybe it will only be 20 days till I see you and then you can see Brandy!!!! That was such a good idea for a name. Grandda Rory says so. I think he misses you too.

Is Sam coming with you?

Love,

Merry

P.S. Mum says I should write slower and ask her about spelling things because then I would not send messy letters. Do you think my letter is messy?”

_________________________________________

“Dear Frodo,

It is only two more weeks until we go there! That is 14 days. I packed my things this morning, but Mum made me unpack them. She says a little planning ahead is good but I am carried away. She said it was too soon to pack. I don’t think so, because if I wait too long I might have to hurry and forget things. She thought it was funny. I do not think it was funny.

I am sorry that Sam cannot come. But I guess it is all right if he goes to the fair with his da instead. Sometimes it is not fun being little.

I did not mess up any words in this letter.

Love,

Merry”

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“Dear Frodo,

I was very glad that you were so proud of me about not messing up any words. I will try not to mess any up in this letter too.

I am glad that Sam said hello to me. Tell him hello back.

Mum said I can pack some of my things now, but not all of them since I might need some of them. But it is only one week. That is 7 days. But we are going to leave in 4 days. That is exciting. And then when we get to the Great Smials, you will be there. And Cousin Bilbo. And we will see Uncle Paladin and Aunt Tina too and Pearl and Pimmie and Vinca because they are coming from Whitwell. And Auntie Primrose and Auntie Peridot. And a lot of other people too. But those are the ones l like most.

Love,

Merry

PS. Really I did mess up a couple of words, but Mum let me copy it over so it wouldn’t be messed up.”

Frodo smiled to himself at the memory. He and Bilbo had walked cross-country, and arrived two days before the holiday, “So that,” Bilbo had said, “we can get paying our respects to Old Lalia out of the way, and have time for our more congenial relations.”

Frodo had found himself the object of much attention, much more as Bilbo’s adopted heir than he had received as Saradoc’s orphaned ward. He soon grew weary of having his cheeks pinched--he was too old for that. And he grew equally weary of the mothers of daughters seeking him out--he was too young for that!

So the next morning he had gone down to the lane, and sat atop the fence, and was there for the arrival of his Brandybuck relations. Merry was mounted atop a lovely little chestnut pony, and he had scarcely waited for his little steed to come to a stop before he tried to fly from its back. Frodo had managed to catch him, and found himself gripped by a nearly strangling hug.

Finally his armful of hobbit-lad wriggled out of his arms, only to grab hold of him once more, holding so tightly Frodo thought he’d never let go.

“I missed you, Frodo,” said Merry.

Frodo had bent down and taken him once more in his embrace, and breathed in the scent of this precious little one. “I missed you, too, sprout. It’s good to see you.”

It was only now, Frodo realized, that he understood how deeply Merry had been hurt by his leaving, how abandoned his little cousin had felt, how bereft.

And in only a few more days, he thought ruefully, I’ll be doing it to him again.

“Forgive me, Merry, but I cannot stay,” he whispered.