"The
tents began to go up. There was a specially large pavilion, so big that the tree that grew in the field was right inside it, and stood proudly near one end, at
the head of the chief table. Lanterns were hung on all its branches. More
promising still (to the hobbits’ mind): an enormous open-air kitchen was
erected in the north corner of the field. A draught of cooks, from every inn
and eating-house for miles around, arrived to supplement the dwarves and other
odd folk that were quartered at Bag End. Excitement rose to its height".
I love this picture, taken from Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf and Bilbo enjoying the preparations, knowing what this birthday party will mean for the hobbit. I love the lights: that of the sun which has set and the lanterns which will make up for its absence. It smells of autumn, which is almost there, as it is almost here. I am extremely tired, having arrived from Alicante in time to have something to eat and rest a bit before my first class of this semester. I, too, am excited. It's always thrilling to begin a new academic year, meet new students, see again old ones who have decided to take the optional course English Language Literature and Other Artistic Discourses. Granada is more alive in September, with the arrival of students. How can anyone say that autumn is a sad season?
I was thinking that, if it was not today 13 years ago, it was very much around this time that I met for the first time Berlioz and Princesse. Before then, they were just Matthias's dogs, names to which I add added faces, bodies and personalities in my imagination. From that moment, they became part of my family. I miss them so much, but I love them even more.
It's Sunday today. I am travelling to Alicante, where I will be a member of the examination board of an excellent Ph.D. thesis on Ted Hughes's children's literature. Things are still hectic in Hobbiton and I don't think Bilbo will have much time to relax the Sunday before his 111 birthday, so I'll leave him writing invitations, preparing gifts and just getting excited - and a bit annoyed at some of his fellow hobbits - while undoubtedly finding the time to smoke a pipe with Gandalf.
Later, much later. In Alicante.
I was already in bed but I've just got up to write this. I need it. I've phoned Matthias when back in the hotel after dinner. When we're not spending the night together, I always ask for every single member of our furry family. Michi, he tells me, is crazy, playing with a ball he thought was lost. "¿Portos y Mani", I ask. "Están fuera". And then, a pang: "Oooh, ¿y mi Pinche?" "Princesse está dentro". She was spoilt and, being an old lady, we allowed her to spend most of the nights inside, particularly in winter. This is going to be the first winter without her company in the sofa. I was thinking a couple of days ago about the next season of The Walking Dead and, bang! Another punch in the stomach thinking that she won't be there, watching it with us.
The pain has caught me again, and I've cried. I've spoken to her, telling her how much I miss her, what I would give to feel her body, her big body, sleeping next to mine, with her sometimes taking most of my side of the bed. I was happy then. And then, I've started remembering, and the memories bring me comfort, although one of them was of the last time she hurt herself trying to jump into bed. I remember being asleep and listening her step going up the stairs (sometimes she would stop if Michi was in the vicinity, but at night he was locked in his room), coming to our bedroom, open the dor (yes! she opened doors!), come in, tip, tip, tip, tip, and jump into bed. Turn, turn, turn, found her place and, sleep time, very often with a sight.
And then, just in a flash, came her face in the morning, when Matthias got up and, if I was still in bed, she would remain there, but looking attentively at Matthias (wow, I see her profile so clearly). Matthias would tell her to stay put until it was time to go for a walk, but the moment he started going down the stairs, she left the bed and followed him. Her happy tail, leaving the bedroom, going down the stairs. God, I miss you, Princesse!
I had decided that today was going to be the day that Gandalf entered the narrative when I realised that I've made a mistake. Although it is true that this part of the text is not very precise concerning dates ("Days passed and The Day drew nearer. An odd-looking waggon laden with odd-looking packages rolled into Hobbiton one evening and toiled up the Hill to Bag End"), I should have read what I'm reading now almost a week ago, since Gandalf makes his entrance "At the end of the second week in September". This year, September started in the middle of the week, on a Thursday but, officially, the first week of September ended on Sunday 4th, so now we're almost ending the third week and Gandalf is running late. The dwarves have already been introduced, some of them remained at Bag End and now it's Gandalf's turn. He's waiting.
"At the end of the second week in September a cart came through Bywater from the direction of Brandywine Bridge in broad daylight. An old man was driving it alone." And then Gandalf is described. With a series of brushstrokes, Tolkien created an indelible image of the wizard in my mind when I first read the book, one that corresponded very much with the one Bakshi had envisioned for his 1978 film. From that moment on, I was hooked. Gandalf had grabbed my imagination and my journey had started.
Tolkien hints at so much about Gandalf in over one paragraph. What about the mystery "His real business was far more difficult and dangerous but the Shire-folk knew nothing about it." Gandalf is much more than fireworks, and in his brief conversation with Bilbo at the end of page 37 we already sense that there's going to be much more to Bilbo's birthday party than hobbits expect.
More carts rolled up next day (sorry I'm not waiting till tomorrow since I'm already reading late) and invitations are beginning to pour out; in fact, they have been doing so all this week and acceptance cards have already being received. It's a busy period in Hobbiton, and an exciting one!
Fast-forward to 2016, it's not being a very exciting day (well, this is exciting, I looked up and it's 20.20!) I'm travelling on Sunday to Alicante for a Ph.D. viva and I'm making the final comments to the thesis. I'm tired, have had a new extractor hood installed today and I'm cleaning up the kitchen between readings. Not as exciting as Bilbo's Party, is it?
