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Sam stood
on the shore at the Grey Havens, watching as the ship gracefully glided into the horizon, taking away from him the one he
ever loved, the one that ever mattered, the one he had said he would follow to the end of the world, and even done that. And
now he was gone… away from his arms, from his loving embrace… but never away from his heart. His Frodo had gone
through all the dangers one small halfling could possibly encounter in the world… but he had saved Middle-Earth, their
home. Now Frodo was at peace… at a heavenly peace he truly deserved, in the company of the great rulers of Middle-Earth…
he was safe now. The majestic grey ship slowly disappeared into the sunset, and Sam could look no more – partly because
the sun blinded his vision… and partly because of something else… his tears, that now fell in endless streams.
Valinor. Never before
had Frodo seen such a wondrous place. Everything seemed to be in such harmony here… an over worldly peace. He slowly
exited the ship and as his feet touched land, he felt a rush of happiness and relief rush over him. The ground felt wonderful
and cool under his feet. A light breeze flew above him from the sea and softly touched his cheek and playfully ruffled his
hair before continuing its journey towards the encircling Pelóri Mountains. Frodo lifted his gaze towards the great mountains towering above him, and for
the first time beheld their constant beauty and might. Although he was happy, and although he knew he was to stay in this
beautiful, blessed place for eternity, he still had this sinking feeling of sorrow, of longing. There was something he missed…someone.
He turned around again, back to face the Encircling Sea, and sighed. If only the one he missed could be with
him now. If only Sam could see the beauty and wonder of this place…oh, if only! But no, Sam had to carry
on with his own life, back in Hobbiton, together with his family. And yet… Frodo knew that someday… someday, somehow
they would meet again.
And time passed. Many
long years went by, and nothing was anymore the way it had once been. The world had changed… only one thing remained.
Only one thing that made Frodo look to the sea every day in longing… his undying love for Sam. This day was not any
different. Frodo walked on the seashore like he had done each day since he first arrived in Valinor, gazing into the horizon,
listening to the waves gently brushing up against the shore… thinking of dear Sam. As each day had passed, his longing
for Sam had gotten deeper, and more hard to bear. He wrapped his arms about himself and locked his gaze on the quietly splashing
waves. The day was not very sunny, but not altogether grim either. Frodo sighed and turned to continue his stroll, when he
suddenly felt a strong presence near him. He twisted his head around took look behind him and saw Elrond approaching him with
a gentle smile on his noble face. “I thought I would find you here, Frodo” he said. “My lord Elrond…”
whispered Frodo and bowed his head. Elrond walked over to stand beside Frodo and, placing his arm around the hobbit’s
shoulders, he, too, gazed out to sea. “You have been coming down here a lot lately, Frodo” said Elrond, “and
I have seen the sad look on your face while your eyes stare into the void. Are you not happy here?” Frodo quickly turned
to look at Elrond, “Oh, yes, of course! I am happy…” but his voice trailed off and he could say nothing
more. “But that is not all, is it?” said Elrond wisely and looked intently at Frodo. The hobbit shook his head.
He could not lie to Elrond. And yet, he could not find the words to tell him how much he missed Sam and wished for him to
be happy too, how much he wanted to see him again… Frodo opened his mouth to speak of his emotions, but he could not
make a sound. It was too overwhelming for him. “I am sorry…” he whispered, and took a few steps away from
Elrond, feeling too ashamed of showing his feelings like that in front of the Elf. Elrond decided to let Frodo gain control
of his emotions in peace, and therefore waited politely for a moment, until walking up behind him again. “I know what
it is you desire” Elrond said quietly, “I know that you miss him”. Frodo kept looking at the sea again,
standing with his back to Elrond. “You are wise, lord Elrond, and you are right” Frodo said, “It is as if
you can see into my heart, and read its deepest wishes… I do miss him, more than anything I left behind me. Many times
I have dreamed of seeing him, and every time I woke up, I was so sad, since it had all been a dream… and he hadn’t
actually been with me after all. He means the world to me… and even here, in this amazing, beautiful place, I feel that
I am lost without him! My longing hurts me deep, lord Elrond! So deep, that it can never be mended. But still… ever
since we parted at the Grey Havens so long ago, I have felt that we shall be together again someday. I simply do not know
when or where… but my heart tells me that it will happen”. Elrond looked at the hobbit in amazement. Never before
had he encountered bonds that go so deep, a trust that does not end, a love that does not extinguish. He knew that time was
slowly starting to take its toll on Sam, and he also knew that, across the sea, Sam was thinking of Frodo too, sharing his
feelings and his longing. Now, he had to tell the truth to Frodo. He deserved to know.
“Frodo…”
Elrond whispered, “Sam’s time will soon come. He is very ill, and he will not last through the winter. His beloved
wife has already passed on, and their lovely children have grown up. I have seen this. And I can assure you, dear Frodo, that
he misses you too, very dearly”. Frodo turned around, clasping his hands together in front of his chest, tears in his
eyes. “If everything is as you say it is, may I say this prayer for Sam?” “Of course, Frodo” replied
Elrond. Frodo looked up at the Elf lord in sorrow, his tears now starting to blind his vision, and let his feelings burst
out of him. He lifted his gaze to the sky and spoke in a low voice, trembling with emotion, “If only I could see him
again! If only for a little while! There was so much that I never got the chance to say to him… so much that I never
showed him. I should have told him how much he means to me, I should have thanked him in all humility, for without his help
and support I would not have made it to Mount Doom! But I never did any of those things! If only he was here
in my arms, I would tell him! I swear I would tell him everything! For he deserves nothing but happiness and love and joy.
It is he who should have been allowed to travel here instead of me! I do not deserve such an honour. And still I wish with
all of my heart that the day would soon come when we will meet again! For I cannot bear it anymore… I cannot stand to
be away from him any longer… I know I am selfish, forgive me… I know that I must be patient. But what if I am
wrong? What if my heart is only wishing that we will see each other again? I just do not know anymore… Oh, Sam…”
He sighed as the tears ran down his cheeks and fell down onto the soft, white sand.
Ten days had now passed
since Frodo and Elrond had stood together on that shore. And still Frodo came down there every day. As he walked down a small
path leading to the shore, he suddenly felt a peculiar feeling he could not quite explain. It was as if something different
was about to happen… something was about to change. He shook the thoughts out of his head and continued walking. His
longing for Sam was getting even more intense… he even saw a vision of Sam standing at a small distance away from him
on that very same shore, smiling lovingly at him… ‘No’, Frodo thought, ‘You must get a grip of yourself,
Baggins… you’re starting to see things that aren’t there’. He shook his head and started to run back
in the direction he had just come from and ran all the way back along the small path until he reached the edge of an enchantingly
beautiful small forest he sometimes walked around together with Gandalf and Bilbo. Feeling a bit out of breath, he sat himself
down on a small boulder and, trying to calm himself, he buried his face in his hands. He could not have seen Sam, that was
impossible… impossible…
All at once he felt
a strange, cool wind blowing into his neck, and to his amazement, a thin mist descended slowly upon the ground. “Frodo…”
said a soft female voice behind him. He quickly stood and looked up to see Celeborn and Galadriel standing there in all their
glory. Both of them nodded their heads to Frodo in form of a greeting but Frodo produced a low bow, and remained in that position,
awaiting for them to command him to stand. They never did. Carefully, Frodo raised his head, and nearly fell over at what
he saw. From behind the king and queen of the Elves emerged someone Frodo thought he would never see again. He looked the
same as he always had and he wore a breathtakingly beautiful smile on his face. Not believing his eyes, Frodo completely forgot
where he was, forgot why he was there… he did not even realize to stand, when he at last heard that wonderful voice
say, “I’m here, Mr. Frodo”. Frodo stood up slowly and closed his eyes with a small smile, afraid to open
them again, fearing it would all just be another dream. A gentle hand that softly caressed his cheek told him that it this
was definitely not a dream… but as real as the ground beneath their feet. Frodo sighed and leaned contently into the
touch. He could not believe his luck. For so many years he had longed for Sam to come and find him, to tell him about the
life back in the Shire, to hold him in his arms and never let go… and now, here Sam was, standing before him, granting
Frodo his dream. That was when Frodo finally understood that it really was Sam he had seen down on the shore, and not a mirage
or a dream at all. He had gotten too confused and ran away in such haste, not even stopping to look closer. But it did not
matter anymore. Never before had Frodo felt such happiness, and he knew that Sam felt the same too. As they leaned into each
other in a heart-warming embrace, they wept such happy tears as there had never been wept before in that place. Celeborn and
Galadriel smiled at each other, and when the hobbits eventually let go of each other and gazed into each other’s eyes
in wonder, Celeborn spoke, “Frodo…” Frodo and Sam looked up at him. “I was told by master Elrond about
how you were feeling. He told me about how you felt that you and Sam would meet again. You were indeed right. Sam has now
been granted permission to dwell here as well. Your heart did not lie to you after all, Frodo…” Celeborn then
offered his arm to Galadriel, and after giving the two hobbits a dazzling smile, they walked slowly away and disappeared into
the glittering mist
For a moment the two
hobbits simply stood and beheld each other, both completely lost for words. At length, Sam took Frodo by the hand and said,
“You knew, Frodo? How did you know that we would see each other again?” Frodo smiled. It was a smile that came
straight from his heart, as it had not done for a long time. “I guess no one will ever be able to explain it, Sam. I
felt it in my heart, in my very soul, that someday we’d be reunited again… Eventually I started to doubt that
it would ever happen…” “But here we are, Frodo” finished Sam, “Here we are…” “Yes…
” whispered Frodo, and smiled again, and they held onto each other for a long time, as the grey mist swirled slowly
about them for a moment, before rising into the air and disappearing with the wind to the sea.
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