Second Chances: The Return of Gollum

Chapter 38

A few days later, Sméagol and Gollum decided to pick up lunch for the three of us at the 711––hotdogs, Doritos, and slurpees. While they were shopping, Sméagol saw something through the window that grabbed his attention––a seemingly distressed woman by one of the gas pumps. He looked over at Gollum.

"What is it, Sméagol?" Gollum asked.

"Sméagol be right back, Precious," said Smeagol,. "Does it know how to pay for everything?"

Gollum nodded.

Sméagol hurried out the store, and approached the woman. He suddenly realized she was the woman he'd met in the park that summer, the one who tried to bully him, but he didn't care. She looked like she needed help. "Miss?" he said timidly. "What's the matter?"

"I need to buy gas for my car," said the woman, "but my fuckin' card got declined." Then, she looked up, and her face turned white when she saw who was talking to her. "Oh, shit."

Sméagol smiled warmly. "It's alright. I won't hurts you." He reached in his pocket for his wallet. "How much does it need?"

The woman looked at him, puzzled. "Why would you wanna help me after all the shit I said to you?"

"Because you needs help," Sméagol said sweetly, "and Sméagol loves to help."

"I don't have the ring, you know."

Sméagol grinned. "I don't wants it, not anymore. Only caused pain and suffering it did."

"Well... I don't have anything you'll want, so..."

"I don't wants anything from you. I only wants to helps you. Now, how much does it cost?"

The woman hesitated. "$36."

Sméagol reached in his wallet, and handed the woman two $20 bills. "Keep the extra $4," he said with a sweet smile.

The woman hesitantly took the money. She sighed heavily. "I'll pay you back when I get my next paycheck," she said reluctantly.

"No. It doesn't have to pays me back. It's a gift."

The woman was completely taken aback by Sméagol's kind gesture. "Why are you being nice to me?"

"Because, I cares. I know you don't believes it, but very true it is. You are right about me. I did horrible things, and I will never forgives myself for them. I will lives with regrets for the rest of my life, but that's why I wants to helps people. I wants to be a better person. I don't wants anything in return, only to makes people happy." He smiled sweetly at her. "Sméagol does not believes you are a nasty person. No, Sméagol sees in your eyes that you have a kind heart, but you hides it behind so much anger and sadness. Whatever it is you've been through, your suffering matters, but it will get better, my precious. Sméagol promises."

The woman's eyes began to fill with tears, but she swallowed them. "I can't take your money, sir." She tried to hand it back to Sméagol, but he refused to take it.

"No. Takes it. You needs it. Please."

The woman stared at Sméagol for a second, completely baffled by his kindness, and at a complete loss for words. Then, she finally found them. "Okay... the truth is... I'm going through a divorce."

"What?"

"My husband and I, we wanted kids, so we tried for fifteen fuckin' years. One miscarriage after another, I was ready to give up... until we had Bradley." Tears welled up in her eyes. "He was the best thing that ever happened to me, the most... beautiful little boy. He was my whole world. Then, one day, I took him to the doctor for a checkup. They said he had stage four Leukemia."

Sméagol's jaw dropped.

"There was nothing they could do. Three months later, he was dead."

Sméagol's heart broke.

"Almost immediately after, I got served with divorce papers. When I asked my husband about it, he said I was damaged goods. It was my fault our son died, because my body was somehow contaminated with death. That's why I had so many miscarriages. Now, he never fails to remind me every goddamn day what a piece of shit I am."

"Oh, you poor thing. Come here." Sméagol pulled her into a big hug as she broke down sobbing in his arms. "Sméagol's so sorry," he sniffled.

"That's why I'm such a bitch. I hate my fuckin' life."

"You are not a bitch. You're hurting. So much you hurts, but you are not a horrible person. You are not damaged goods, and it is not your fault Bradley died, not at all, Precious. Very devastated your husband is, too, but he shouldn't takes it out on you. He shouldn't blames it on you. Sometimes, life is unfair and cruel to us. That's why we needs to be there for each other, love each other. All the pain you've been through, you don't deserves it. You deserves to be happy, and Sméagol believes you will find it someday. I knows you feels worthless now, but you are not. Very wrong your husband is. Your life matters. You matters. So precious you are."

"Damn it," the woman huffed.

"What is it, Sweetie?"

"I was wrong about you. You're not a bad guy, Sméagol. I'm sorry for all that shit I said to you in the park."

"It's alright."

"No, it's not. I should know better than to judge someone. Bradley would be so pissed at me. He was the least judgemental person I knew. He was only five when he died, but he never saw the bad in anyone. He only saw good, and he would get so mad at me whenever I made a rude remark about someone. 'Be nice, Mommy,' he always said."

Sméagol giggled. "Awwww."

"He was right. I can picture him screaming that at me from heaven after all that stuff I said to you."

Sméagol smiled. "You believes in heaven?"

"Yeah.... Because I wanna believe he's not gone."

"He's not, Precious. Always he is with you, watching over you, smiling down on you, loving you. He understands why you blows up at Sméagol. He sees the pain in your heart. Not angry he is, no. Sméagol doesn't believes that."

"Thanks, Sméagol."

"You're welcome, Precious."

"And, I promise I'll pay you back."

Sméagol smiled. "You already did." Then, he reached in his pocket, and handed the woman one of his heart cards. "Here. Read this whenever you feels worthless, whenever your husband tries to tear you down. Remind yourself what's really true, that you are precious... and loved so much."

The woman read the card to herself, and more tears poured out of her eyes as she threw her arms around Sméagol. "Thank you so much."

"Awwww, bless you." Sméagol kissed her forehead. "Bless you forever."