Nashira.
I was named after a star. In the language of my ancestors I am told my name means 'the lucky one'
I don't really believe in luck.
I thought fast and acted fast. I did what I had to do to stay alive.
I sigh as I start to pack my things into my bag. Why do I have to mentor again? Why this year? I've already been so busy and really what's the point of me travelling all way to District 3, only to return to the Capitol a matter of hours later? Do they really need me at the reaping? For Jupiter's sake, all do I sit on a chair and I don't even say anything. Is it really necessary?
There are only 3 other district 3 victors; Beetee, Wiress and Hibiki. I alternate with Wiress to be the female mentor, which I think is utterly unfair. Wiress doesn't even do anything. She doesn't have business in the Capitol like I do, none of them do - They are either too old or quite frankly, too unattractive to have the sort of burdens I do. I am the youngest of the district 3 victors, being only 16 when I won 5 years ago. Hibiki was the first ever district 3 victor. He has always been much bigger than the average in our district; his size is what helped him to win his games. Now he looks rotund, I would wager he is the fattest man in the whole district. I see men like that all the time in the Capitol but not back home. We District 3 folk are short and naturally small framed. A typical district 3 man would be like Beetee. He is 51 but still decidedly boyish looking- all timid and scrawny. Wiress can't be older than 40 but is slightly off, shall I say. They are a couple, which is cute yet simultaneously gross.
People in the Capitol waste their money on all kinds of frivolities but I can't imagine anyone ever wanting to waste their money on those three. I am of course, not trying to be mean here- it's just the truth. I don't dislike them; we are all close, I suppose. Hibiki and I mentor together since Wiress and Beetee cannot bear to be parted, so I've especially built up a rapport with him. Hibiki has become friendly with my father too and often our families will have a big dinner together. It is nice to have someone from home that has had the 'arena experience' but it's not the same. They all get to sit around in the victors' village while I am carted off here and there. They don't understand at all.
This year particularly I've had no time for anything. Every time I get called to go the capitol I've no choice but to go and this year I've been called a lot. I guess things are how they are though. Mentoring is so tedious and ultimately quite futile. I've tried, I really have but everyone knows our tributes won't make it and if they do make it, well that won't be down to my help. I didn't win thanks to Wiress or Beetee. I won because of me. Whether a tribute wins or not is down to them and their actions. The best mentor can't save the worst tribute from dying and the worst mentor wouldn't stop the best tribute from winning. Even with the things I know, if someone doesn't have the potential, if they give up on themselves as soon as their name is picked- what use I am?
I guess the one positive thing about this pointless excursion is that I'll see Isis and Aqil, even if only briefly. They are two of my eight siblings, my two favourites. Isis is the eldest- married with 3 young children. She has always been so kind and motherly to me. I always look forward to seeing her and her husband Firdaus. Firdaus works in one of the many factories that litter district 3, personally I can't stand the factories they are so ugly and grey and they leave a thick smog permanently hanging in the sky. Isis stays at home with the children, who are really still babies. I wish they could stay that young forever. Hamal is the 7th child and I am the youngest. He is 2 years older than me and has always been my best friend. A year younger than Hamal and a year older than me is Adzira. I am not looking forward to seeing her. She probably is the worst aspect about going home, she seemingly made it her mission to ruin my childhood. Isis told me Adzira is looking to get married this year, which is good. Maybe she will finally move out and stop living in my house.
Before my games we all lived in a 4 bedroom flat above the shop my parents owned in the centre of the city. We took it in shifts after school to help out in the shop. We still own the shop now but we live in the victors village and rent the flat out to some other oversized family. Although I could more than afford to pay for shop workers my father still makes a point of the shop being in family hands- even doing shifts there himself. I am not really too happy about this (but there are many things about me that my father isn't happy about so I guess we are even) he is getting too old to be working so hard in that shop. It's like he doesn't understand that he doesn't need to do that anymore. I suspect maybe he doesn't know what to do if he isn't working.
As you can imagine 11 people and 4 bedrooms was interesting to say the least. My parents had their own room of course. My sisters Isis , Adhara and Aladura had a room, as did my brothers Alkaid, Saiph and Lesath. That left Hamal, Adzira and I sharing a room. It wasn't too bad back then. Sure Adzira was annoying but I had Hamal. Then Isis pair bonded and moved out. Not long after Adhara did too. Alkaid and Saiph continued sharing a room, but now Hamal shared with Lesath. I had to share with Adzira and Aladura- and so began the unhappiest years of my life. They were so cruel to me. Taking my things , teasing me and laughing at me. We all shared one bed and they would always take all the blankets or roll me over when I was sleeping so I fell out. Adzira and I were at the same school and her antics carried on there. When I was 12 I had a bad nightmare and wet the bed. Adzira told everyone. By the time of my reaping I was still the butt of many jokes. The first and only time she was ever anything but nasty to me was 5 years ago at the justice hall. I thought she wasn't coming to see me, I had already seen everyone else and there had been no sign of her. I was surprised when she slipped in alone. She stood there awkwardly for a moment looking at her feet. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy, had she been crying? she walked straight towards me avoiding eye contact and pulled me into a tight hug. I reciprocated and we stood wordlessly in the embrace. I thought I heard a quiet sob. Then when the peacekeeper arrived to usher her out, she loosened her grip and backed away not once letting her eyes meet mine.