Pearls Before Swine
Matthew 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."
It begins….
Katniss Everdeen awoke with a strange feeling of serenity. She stretched, toes reaching the bottom of the bed and fingers interlaced as she extended her arms above her head. Her blurry, unfocused eyes sought Prim's form tucked into a tiny ball underneath the covers. She felt an uncommon smile tug the corners of her mouth. For the first time since the accident that had taken their father, both girls had slept deeply and for the whole night. The smile broadened when she remembered that they still had almost a full loaf of the hearty loaf for the morning fare. That along with a glass of hot, milky tea would make a perfect breakfast. Today, the Everdeen girls would go to school replete and well rested. Katniss whispered a silent thank you to whatever deities that might be listening. She knew that she still had an important task. She had to tell the one responsible for this peaceful morning how grateful she was.
She felt a hot tide of embarrassment sweep aside the lingering warmth and peace that the night had instilled in her. She had never intended to go digging through the garbage bins in the Merchant quarter. It was the last, best resort that her desperate mind could come up with. She didn't want to go home empty-handed. Prim had already cried herself to sleep too many times. She couldn't bear to listen to the feeble murmurs often drowned out by the grumbling of a hollow belly. With the last bits of strength she had, she eased the lid off the rubbish bin behind the bakery and was met with nothing. That moment broke what little resolve she had left; whatever hope had kept her feet moving. She could go no further. The harsh cadence of the baker's ill-tempered wife failed to penetrate her stupor. She looked at the gesticulating woman with dull, leaden eyes as she sank to her knees in the muck; held upright only by the gnarled truck of a scraggly apple tree. Here, she decided. This is where I will die.
The noise emanating from the bakery briefly caught her attention and she watched as the blonde boy stumbled out into the rain followed by the shrew. She clouted him roughly, all the while giving him sharp side of her tongue. Katniss watched as he was shoved forcibly toward the porch stairs and the door closed firmly behind him. The silent boy let out a troubled sigh and made his way gingerly to the pig pen, twisting off burnt ends of bread as he went. He glanced around casually but somehow managed to avoid looking directly at the tree. He peeked carefully at the still closed door and abruptly tossed the two loaves in her direction. The red weal stood out clearly on his cheek as he trudged back to the bakery, rain dripping from his sopping wet curls. The door closed quietly behind him. She moved without thought, grabbing up the warm bread and walking quickly toward home. They had consumed a whole loaf before hunger pangs were replaced with sighs of contentment.
In the pale golden light of dawn, she allowed herself this brief moment of respite. She didn't know why he had given her that bread. The more she thought, the more she realized that the why wasn't as important as the act itself. He had taken a huge risk in tossing what should have gone to the pigs to her. His face already bore the marks of his mother's displeasure. Had the woman seen the selfless act, there was no doubt in Katniss' mind that he would have suffered additional beatings. Had he burnt the bread on purpose even knowing what the results would be? Why would he do that for a girl that he didn't even know? Could there really be that much goodness in a person that they would be willing to accept a beating just to give aid to a stranger? She shook her head unconsciously denying these thoughts. Nobody would willingly endure such punishment for another; not when it was certain that they would get nothing in return. It wasn't possible. It was a haphazard set of circumstances that meant Katniss and her family got to survive another day. She owed him her thanks. Once given, she could turn her thoughts back to her current troubles-how to feed her family.
A niggling voice continued to whisper regardless of how she rationalized the events of the previous evening. What if it had been on purpose? What if he had done it deliberately because he knew it was the only way to get the bread in her hands? The uncertainty continued to eat at her even as she washed down the last few remnants of bread with her tea. With the image of that red welt firmly in her mind, Katniss went to her mother's apothecary cabinet and removed a small vial. The gel contained arnica; an herb that was known to reduce swelling and inflammation. By applying the gel daily, the bruise would fade more quickly. Katniss grimaced briefly before tucking the container in her bag. She cringed at the thought of giving him such an obvious gift but that was secondary to the need to repay his kindness. It was an unwritten rule in the Seam that no good deed went unacknowledged or returned. She wasn't one to leave such a favor unanswered.
She listened to Prim's innocent chatter during the long walk across the Seam and part of Town to the school. The day was golden and ripe as only those first hesitant steps from winter to spring can be. Fluffy white clouds rode in a sea of azure blue overhead. It was as if everything had been reborn. Prim ran to join a group of her friends as soon as they entered the yard. Katniss watched her vigilantly until the younger girl was safely occupied. Pursing her lips determinedly, Katniss swept the area looking for a familiar blonde head. She didn't see him anywhere so she entered the building. It was almost midday before she passed him in the hall. His eye was blackened and his cheek had swollen. He didn't even look her way; surrounded by a large group of friends who shielded him as effectively as a wall. She chewed her lip in frustration but vowed that she would speak to him at some point today. The opportunity didn't come until school had dismissed for the day.
She collected Prim and started for home. Across the yard, she locked onto a pair of intent blue eyes that watched her soberly before they flicked away. Katniss felt her resolve weaken for a moment before she stiffened and tromped purposefully toward him with Prim following curiously behind. She came to a stop directly in front of him and waited until those hesitant eyes fell on her again. They widened, either in shock at her boldness or embarrassment that she had approached so openly in the first place. She chewed her bottom lip nervously but met his look with a level one of her own. The silence stretched out awkwardly as the two continued to stare silently. Finally, she broke the uneasy silence. "Thank you for what you did," she muttered shyly. "
His face reddened and his eyes dropped briefly to where the toe of his shoe was drawing a line in the dirt. The blush made his battered cheek even more noticeable. Katniss had to remind herself not to wince as she viewed the injury up close. There was an inflamed cut below his eye that was almost hidden by the discoloration. The edges were raw and angry. The sky blue glint in the middle of the carnage only made the damage that much more obvious. She palmed the vial and held out her hand. "You don't have to thank me," he answered gruffly as his eyes skittered anxiously from her face to her outstretched hand.
"Please take this," she said quietly. "It will bring down the swelling and help you to heal." She waggled her hand as he continued to look at her. "Just take it. Please."
His hand hesitantly raised and she gratefully dropped the vial into his upturned palm. His brow furrowed and his eyes darted questioningly up to hers. "Put it on every day," she whispered. "My mother made it. Vinegar and warm water will help too."
The tentative smile that creased his face drew an answering one from her. "Thank you, Katniss." He said softly.
She nodded self-consciously and turned hastily away. She gathered Prim up with a look and walked briskly toward the dirt path that would take her home. She hadn't gone far before the sound of her name being shouted drew her up short. Turning around, she groaned inaudibly when he hurried up. "I just wanted to say thank you again," he murmured. "It was nice of you to bring me medicine. You didn't have to."
She snorted under her breath. "I did have to. You didn't have to do what you did yesterday. It meant a lot. I just wanted to pay you back."
His face fell briefly before a forced smile swept the disappointed look aside. "I didn't do anything that anybody else wouldn't have. You don't owe me anything." His shuffling feet drew him further away and he mumbled. "Guess I'll see you around. Thank you for the medicine."
Watching him lumbering away caused an unexplainable tightness in her chest. Before she quite knew what was coming, she shouted his name, "Peeta!" He turned back swiftly and looked at her almost desperately. She felt a flush burn upward toward her hairline but resolutely closed the distance between them. "If you aren't busy at lunch tomorrow, do you want to eat together?" She asked abruptly and then dropped her eyes to the pitted pavement beneath her feet. A swiftly indrawn breath drew her eyes back up to his face. The smile was blinding; stunning actually because it pushed the massive bruise into the background. All she saw was that wide beaming smile and pleased sparks dancing in his sky blue eyes.
"I'd really like that, Katniss." He replied shyly. She nodded uncomfortably and watched in amazement as yet another beaming grin lit up his face. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." He announced.
"Guess so," she echoed weakly and gave him a halfhearted smile in return. He touched her hand gently and turned away, walking jauntily toward town. He whirled after a few steps and raised a hand. She gave a tiny wave in response, which pulled another smile from the blonde boy before he ducked out of sight. Gathering her sister up, Katniss headed for home with a maelstrom of emotions spinning in her mind. The invitation had been completely spur-of-the-moment but somehow it felt right. She briefly considered backing out. The more she thought about it; the less she wanted to go back on her word. She was almost home when a flash of yellow caught her eye. The first dandelion of the year had not bloomed in the meadow. It was a bright splash of color amid the gray coal dust of the Seam. Somehow that flower, the bread, and the boy became inextricably linked in her mind. She felt her breath catch as she remembered her father's plant book. She knew then how she would manage to keep her family fed. She had spent hours in the woods with her father, soaking up everything he cared to teach. Hope flared hot and hungrily in her chest.
Whether he meant to or not, Peeta Mellark had given her the means to keep going; to survive. It was a greater gift even than the bread that pulled her back from the brink of death and despair. It meant that the debt she owed him was even greater than she had first thought. She lifted her chin determinedly. She would repay that debt somehow. The medicine and lunch the next day was a start. She would find a way to give him something just as valuable as the gift he had bestowed upon her. It might take time but thanks to him; that was something that she had plenty of.
It Ends…..
A/N I came across this verse while doing some research for another story and it wouldn't leave me. The doctrinal meaning is of course obvious. There is a popular definition that was also given which read: something precious should not be wasted on those who are incapable of appreciating its value. For some reason, it brought to mind the bread scene and Katniss' inability to thank Peeta the next day. I wondered what might change if she was able to take that step…what might have changed…this story is the result. Read and review if it pleases you. Until next time, Salanderjade.