Frodo, Sam, and Gollum found themselves in the land of Ithilien, the garden of Gondor. There were trees, green grasses, flowers, herbs, aromas, and life. Now far South of the Shire and protected by mountains the travelers could feel the onset of spring in that land. Sam found himself laughing, his heart so joyful of the surroundings. Yet even though the land looked and smelled fair it was in possession of Sauron. The land had not been defiled though signs here and there could be seen. "Sam scrambling below the outfall of the lake, smelling and touching the unfamiliar plants and trees, forgetful of the moment of Mordor, was suddenly reminded of their ever-present peril. He stumbled on a ring still scorched by fire, and in the midst of it he found a pile of charred and broken bones and skulls" (p. 259, The Two Towers).
The companions found a hiding spot to rest for Gollum would not move in sunlight in this land. Sam was feeling very hungry and asked Gollum if he would find them some food; he seemed to agree and disappeared. Frodo fell fast asleep but Sam would not with Gollum lurking about. As he watched Frodo sleep, in a deep peace, it seemed to Sam that a light shined from within his friend. Sam thought to himself: "'I love him. He's like that, and sometimes it shines through, somehow. But I love him, whether or no'" (p. 260, The Two Towers). These moments of Sam's love, respect, and admiration for Frodo are priceless. It's how friendship is supposed to be. Not long after Gollum returned with two small rabbits. Sam was overjoyed and began preparing them immediately asking Gollum to fetch some water for his pans. Gollum agreed but didn't understand why Sam would need it.
Sam gathered wood and stared a small fire, skinned the coneys, and prepared to cook. "All hobbits, of course, can cook, for they begin to learn the art before their letters (which many never reach); but Sam was a good cook, even by hobbit reckoning, and he had done a good deal of the camp-cooking on their travels, when there was a chance" (p. 261, The Two Towers). Gollum came with the water and was appalled to find that Sam had lit a fire and planned to cooking the rabbits. They had a sharp disagreement about the proper way to eat a coney. Sam, for the third time, asked Gollum for help: to fetch some herbs for his stew; chiefly bay leaves, sage, and thyme. Gollum was now tired and cranky and refused. Sam knew he'd have to make do with what he had but lamented the lack of turnips, carrots, and taters. This caught Gollum's ear: "'What's taters, precious, eh, what's taters?'" (p. 262, The Two Towers). Sam explained what potatoes were and declared Gollum could never refuse his fish and chips. Gollum declined the "nassty chips".
Sam gathered what he could and let the stew sit over the fire (which he was very careful to make so that it barely smoked) for an hour. Frodo then awoke (perhaps it was the smell of a nice meal?) around 8:30am and asked what Sam had made. Sam gave Gollum his credit saying he had caught the rabbits for them. Together Frodo and Sam, among the ferns of Ithilien, and enjoyed the closest thing a real meal they had partaken of in days. Sam offered some to Gollum but they found that he had disappeared again. Sam admitted he and Gollum hadn't exactly seen eye to eye while Frodo slept and that he was still worried about the evil side, Stinker, of Gollum.
As I close this post I want to pay homage to a friend of mine, a bro of bro's. This section of reading reminded me of him. He is Sam to my Frodo. In fact on my wedding weekend I did the traditional gifts for the groomsmen but with a non-traditional addition: action figures. (Nothing like grown men and action figures, right?). Seriously, I put a lot of thought into it: the different roles these dear men played in my life, what that character symbolized, and how the two coincided. There was Spider-man, R2-D2, Obi-Wan Kenobi and others. Then there was Sam Gamgee. That one could only go to Josh. No one has seen me worse: more selfish, more hypocritical. No one has seen me better: selfless, true. The affection I have for him and he for I mirrors the Frodo/Sam relationship. So when Sam watched his dear Frodo sleep it reminded me of Josh. And then the quote about Sam being an exceptional cook; that fits Josh to a T. He is a kick-ass cook; and funny, and loving, and wise, and a real man in every sense of the phrase. In many ways Josh is my hero. I hold a lot of memories from my wedding weekend dear to my heart (obviously) but one I cherish: a quick moment of just Josh and I when he expressed what he was thinking when the guys started opening their action figures: "I hope I get Sam." No worried, no one else would.
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3019, March 7th
Today's reading comes from: The Two Towers, pages 258-264
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