The Return of the King
Last evening, Bill took rather ill. As neither of us could sleep, he suggested we put on his favourite movie for when he is feeling unwell. As you can imagine, it is The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. He says, sometimes, that he believes there are pieces of his Heaven painted into the scenes. I believe him. If there is any man who can make his own Heaven, it is mine.
As one might also imagine, we stayed up through many pauses to watch the entire trilogy. As we reached a certain scene in The Return of the King, he sat up as best he could and held my hand and wept. I post this scene on his request:
Pippin: I didn't think it would end this way.
Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path--one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it.
Pippin: What, Gandalf? See what?
Gandalf: White shores...and beyond. A far green country, under a swift sunrise.
Pippin: Well, that isn't so bad.
Gandalf: No. No, it isn't.
And Bill says (and dictates how I should type this): "All this time, it was right here."
"What was, baby?"
"The answer."
I did not immediately understand what he meant, but he calmed down and eased into my arms and said, "It will not be so bad, Brody. It will be beautiful."
I suppose I will never be able to watch these movies again. But I post, on his request, Into the West by Annie Lenox:
As one might also imagine, we stayed up through many pauses to watch the entire trilogy. As we reached a certain scene in The Return of the King, he sat up as best he could and held my hand and wept. I post this scene on his request:
Click to viewPippin: I didn't think it would end this way.
Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path--one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it.
Pippin: What, Gandalf? See what?
Gandalf: White shores...and beyond. A far green country, under a swift sunrise.
Pippin: Well, that isn't so bad.
Gandalf: No. No, it isn't.
And Bill says (and dictates how I should type this): "All this time, it was right here."
"What was, baby?"
"The answer."
I did not immediately understand what he meant, but he calmed down and eased into my arms and said, "It will not be so bad, Brody. It will be beautiful."
I suppose I will never be able to watch these movies again. But I post, on his request, Into the West by Annie Lenox: