Flowers, Gems And Estella - Chapter XI
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The day of Sam and Rosie’s wedding was expected to be sunny and bright, with flowers surrounding the pavilion under the mallorn at the Party Field, and lots of people dressed in their best at this most joyous occasion – which was why Estella was not pleased to see black clouds in the distance that foretold a spot of rain.
“Looks like it might not come for a while,” she said, looking out the window from Bag End where they were currently preparing for the wedding, “But that your wedding should be ruined by rain – I’m so sorry, Rosie!”
Rosie herself took a look at the oncoming rain clouds. “I’d say mid-evening – the ceremony should be done by then, and we’ll all be under the tents feasting and dancing, I wouldn’t worry about it, Estella,” she said, smiling, “You’re acting like a jittery bride – and you’re not even the bride!”
“Well, of course, Rosie dear,” Rosie’s mother said as she was hemming the bottom of her dress, “You know, when your father and I were married, I could tell that my youngest sister was perfectly petrified – and she wasn’t even in the wedding party! She was helping me to do my hair, while all my other sisters were busy with their own dresses and hair – and the ribbon she was tying in my hair was too long, so she got some scissors to cut it – and she cut off a lock of hair!”
The two girls broke up into laughter – Rosie’s hair fell out of the elaborate bun Estella had put it in.
Rosie’s mother continued. “So, my sisters all tried to comb it over the back of my head, and that wouldn’t work – so they put some pins and stuff in it, and were able to reattach the hair that had been cut out, and for a while it looked like it might actually be okay – until after the ceremony, when I had to toss the bouquet. When I threw it, I guess it skimmed over the back of my head, and took the hair that had been cut along with it!”
There were several ladies in the room – members of the wedding party, and friends who had volunteered to help out. Those who had not been in hysterics before were now crying with laughter.
“And it was your mum that caught it, Estella! She caught the bouquet – along with my hair!”
“I know that catching the bouquet means that you’ll be the next one to get married,” Estella whispered, “But what does it mean when you catch the bride’s hair as well?”
“It means that your daughter has to style the bride’s daughter’s hair on her wedding day – that hair isn’t going to put itself up, you know,” Rosie said, still wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
“What will everyone think when you walk down the isle, crying because of a funny story your mother told?” Estella asked.
“I’d rather like to know what they’ll think when I suddenly burst out in laughter during the ceremony because of a funny story my mother told!”
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Sam had been checking his appearance in the mirror for an hour, and hadn’t changed a thing about it – to say that it was beginning to get on Merry’s nerves, was an understatement.
“Do you think I should wear my vest buttoned or unbuttoned?” He buttoned up the dark-blue velvet vest and gazed at his reflection in the mirror, showing it off for the others in the room – he then unbuttoned it, and did the same.
“Sam, it really, really doesn’t matter to me – whichever one works for you,” Merry said, leaning his head back in the cozy chair. Hazy threads of daylight were streaming in through the window – combined with his full stomach from the morning’s breakfast, the effect caused Merry’s eyes to fog over with slumber.
“I think I’ll go with it buttoned up – unbuttoned looks too casual, you know – everyone out there’s going to be dressed all fancy-like, it won’t do for me to look less than perfect, you know – and, also –”
“All right Sam! We get the point!” Pippin argued, looking up from where he had been carefully brushing the soft tangle of fur on his feet, “You know, I’ll bet when we get out there, all the ladies will be less jittery than you!”
Sam disregarded Pippin’s comment with a wave of his hand. “When you get married, Peregrin Took, you will be twice as nervous!”
“Why do you say that?” Pippin’s face held a look of confusion.
“Because out of respect for your new wife,” Frodo said as he entered the room, “You won’t drink anything the evening before!”
“Just as Sam did last night!” Merry chimed in.
“And just as you didn’t do last night!” Sam said, adjusting the cuffs on the end of his sleeves.
Pippin spoke up. “Yeah, but last night wasn’t the night before my weddi –”
“And since on most occasions, you normally drink twice as much ale as Sam, you’ll be twice as nervous!” Frodo interrupted.
“As jumpy as a cricket, Pip! Hope you can handle it,” Merry said, standing up from the cushy seat.
Pippin sighed, and, cupping his chin in his hand, prepared to speak – he wasn’t permitted to, though, as Sam’s father – who would be performing the ceremony – entered the room then.
“You ready, son?”
“Oh, of course!” Sam said eagerly, then looking around before composing himself, “I mean – yes, father.”
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Estella’s head gazed around the flap of the tent that Rosie and the other lasses were currently situated in – it was customary for the groom not to see the bride on the day of the wedding until her walk down the aisle, so the wedding party now sat in the covered pavilion which had been set aside for the feast afterwards.
The lasses were all tired of waiting – it had grown hot and humid, and they were all getting grouchy – one in particular was complaining quite loudly as she waved off the hot air with her bouquet. “The lads always complain that we take so long to prepare for dinner, or to go out, or something like that – and here we are, waiting for them, and they’re not even here yet!”
The lass sitting next to her spoke up. “If that Samwise doesn’t come soon – well, I don’t know about Rosie, but I would most certainly –”
“Hush yourself!” Rosie said to them, “Sam will come when he comes, and that’s the best we can hope for!”
“Here they come!” Estella whispered, her head still gazing out of the tent, “There’s Sam, who looks nervous, I suppose he should be – and his father behind him, he’s supposed to be performing the ceremony – Frodo, Merry and Pippin behind them – Pippin needs to comb his hair, it looks quite unruly – and a few more lads there, don’t know who many of them are – oh look, there’s Fredegar! I remember, he had to buy that vest brand new – couldn’t find anything else that fit him – and they’re under the tree now.” Estella closed the tent flap, “Guess that’s our cue then, Rosie,” she said, looking to her.
It was customary for the bridesmaids to enter before the bride – Estella wished Rosie good luck as she and the other lasses, including Rosie’s mother, walked out on the petal-strewn path. Estella, at the front, looked up to the gathering under the tree – on the one side was Sam, standing wringing his hands nervously – she chuckled softly to herself when she saw this. He was nervous, but also happy – the smile on his own face outshone her own. Behind him stood Frodo, looking distinguished as always – next to him was Merry, with a large grin on his face. Estella might have shaken her head and sighed at the sight of it, had his grin not nearly matched her own. For once, perhaps, she would not think of Merry as a silly young fool.
Pippin, though, was a different story – he stood beside Merry, not even looking at the lasses as they entered. His face was gazed down at his feet, or at a bird that flew overheard, or at anything else that didn’t have to do with the current situation. She looked to see Mrs. Eglantine Took give him a stern look from where she was sitting in the audience. He quickly stopped, and held a straight face as the lasses took their place opposite them under the mallorn tree. Estella was gazing at the streamers hung from the lower branches of the tree, when she heard a sharp intake of breath nearby – it came from Sam, and she soon saw the reason why.
All eyes looked back to see Rosie, clutching the arm of her father, make her way slowly down the petal-strewn path. Her soft amber eyes moved over the gathering of friends and family – she smiled at her mother sitting in the front, whose eyes were filled with blissful tears. Looking to those gathered under the mallorn, she grinned happily at Estella, who returned the gesture. Congratulations, Rosie, she thought.
More than once, but not too often, Rosie had been nervous and perhaps a little scared about the prospect of getting married – she never considered herself truly brave, but tried always instead to do what was right, and what her heart told her. That morning, she awoke thinking that she was doing what was right, and what her heart was telling her – but not until she looked into Sam’s blissful face did she know it for certain. Always in her youth she had thought that she might never be as happy as those other lasses in the Shire who had money and wealth – she might have fallen in love and married someday – or not, and spent the rest of her life working on her father’s farm just to get by. But on that day, a day full of brilliant sunshine with just the tiniest threat of rain clouds on the horizon – she quite simply felt like the richest lass alive, to be marrying the lad that she loved, with friends and family looking on.
She seemed to walk down the aisle for a blissful eternity – but before she knew it, she was standing with the others under the tree, in front of Sam, gazing into his shining face. She smiled back, and took his hand as his father spoke before them.
“Family, friends and otherwise – we are gathered here today, to share in the happiness of these two hobbits, as they devote their lives to one another in the joyful union of marriage.”
His father’s words passed into a blur for Sam, as he stared back at Rosie, still in disbelief that he was here – here, on this beautiful day, marrying this beautiful girl whom he loved, and who loved him back, with all his friends and family there as well – he came out of his trance just as Rosie was reciting her vows.
“I know that we may not be as lucky as many hobbits in the Shire – and I know that we may never have as nice a home, or as nice things as they may have – and I know that like anyone else, we may have troubled times, times when life seems difficult, and we feel like we want to give up – but I also know that you’ve always had the most admirable faith in yourself, and in everyone around you, that we might all rise above our dilemmas. I am honored that you would have such faith in me, and want to spend your life with me – and I know that whether we live our lives in contentment or distress, we will live them together – and that is the best that anyone can hope for, to be loved, as I am by you, Samwise Gamgee.”
A wide smile crept over Sam’s features as he begun his own vows. “From the beginning of my days, I remember above all a saying that I heard often from my mother – ‘Every stormy night has a bright and sunny morning to follow.’ During my travels, I kept those words with me, repeating them when things seemed the most drastic – I believe that everything that has led up to this moment in time, either good or bad, belongs to some part of that stormy night. Without you, Rose Cotton, I have felt as though I’m stumbling around in the dark – but just the thought of you brings on the glorious morning of bright sunshine that warms my heart. I am glad to have reached that sunny morn with you, and hope to share many more with you in the future, as your husband.”
By this time several lasses and even a few of the lads could be heard sniffing tears of joy from their eyes – Estella’s silk handkerchief was no longer of any use to her, nearly soaking wet.
Sam heard his father telling him that he may now kiss his bride – he needed no further assurance, and drew in for a kiss with his new wife. Not his girlfriend or lover or friend, but all of those things rolled up into one simple, convenient and official title. Wife.