MUSIC ASSEMBLY
My name is Peeta Mellark. I'm five years old. I live in District Twelve with my Poppa, mother, and my brothers Alec and Quinn. Alec is the oldest. He's nine. Quinn just turned eight and I turned five in May.
My Poppa runs the bakery for District Twelve. Alec and Quinn help him sometimes but Poppa says they are still too little to really be able to help. Mother is supposed to help but the only thing I've ever seen her do is yell.
District Twelve is kind of dirty and smelly. Black dust gets on everything here. It even turns the snow in winter time black. Poppa says it's called "coal dust," and it's from the mines where most of the people work. I don't know many kids whose fathers and mothers work in the mines. My best friend is named Delly. She's okay for a girl. She's funny and always makes me laugh. Her family runs the shoe shop in town. I have another friend named Madge. Her father is the Mayor of District Twelve. I'm not sure what that is but Poppa says it's an important job.
Today I had to get out of bed early. It's my first day of school! I'm so excited that I didn't sleep very well last night. Poppa helps me get ready for school. All the kids that live in District Twelve go to the same school. Finally we leave the house with my two brothers. I hold Poppa's hand as we walk but Alec and Quinn run ahead and I see them with some of their friends. I see Delly and Madge walking with their mothers to school and I wave at them. They smile and wave back.
When we get to the school Alec and Quinn go right in to their classrooms, but all of us five year olds have to wait before we can line up. While we are waiting I see Poppa suddenly look kind of sad.
"What's wrong, Poppa?" I ask.
Poppa looks down at me and smiles, then goes to one knee next to me. He points to a little girl that must be in my class too, but I don't know her. She's by herself and I wonder where her mother or father are.
"See that little girl?" Poppa asks. I nod. She's wearing a red plaid dress and has long dark hair in two braids. Her skin is darker than mine, kind of like a tan.
"I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner," Poppa explained. I look at Poppa in surprise. He was so kind and good. Why would anyone choose someone else over him?
"A coal miner? Why did she want a coal miner if she could've had you?" I ask. Poppa just laughed.
"Because when he sings," Poppa replied, "Even the birds stop to listen."
I smile when Poppa says this but I can tell that he's serious. I want to ask him more but the teacher comes out and shows us all how to line up. The little girl in the red plaid dress is a few kids ahead of me. Poppa gives me a quick hug and tells me he'll come back in the afternoon to get me. Now I'm a little scared, but the teacher is so nice...and besides, Delly and Madge are here too.
The morning passes quickly with the teacher explaining the rules. She reads us a story and we do other things too. The whole morning I sit next to Delly. She's the one I know best here. I see Madge sitting with the girl in the red plaid dress that Poppa pointed out to me.
After lunch, the teacher says it's time for music assembly. We leave our classroom and walk down a long hallway to the assembly room. In the hallway are picture after picture of kids on the wall.
"What are all these pictures?" I hear Delly ask our teacher.
"Those are pictures of all of District Twelve's Tributes for the Hunger Games," the teacher explained sadly, "Every Tribute from here went to this school. And every year we put up new pictures. This hallway is called Tribute's Hall."
"The Hunger Games?" Delly says, "Where kids fight each other on TV?"
"Yes, dear," the teacher says, "You'll learn more about it as you get older."
We reach the end of the hall and there's a large room. Another lady is standing in the front, smiling. Our teacher tells us to find a seat and sit down. I see the little girl with the braids and red plaid dress sitting in the front row with Madge. Madge is whispering excitedly to her and pointing at the piano. She had just started taking piano lessons.
The smiling lady stands in front of all of us. "Good afternoon, children. My name is Mrs. Borden. I'm the music teacher for the District Twelve school.
"Hello, Mrs. Borden," we all say, like we were taught.
"Now, I'm sure that you all have heard music at one time or another, and I see one of my piano students sitting here in the front row!" At this Madge turns around and smiles at everyone.
"But, it doesn't take a piano or other instrument to make music. Everyone can make music with just their voices, by singing. Now, who here knows the valley song?"
At this I see the little girl sitting with Madge shoot her hand straight up. Mrs. Borden smiles at her.
"What's your name, dear?" The music teacher asks.
"Katniss. Katniss Everdeen," the girl answers quietly.
"Would you like to sing the valley song for the class, Katniss?" Mrs. Borden says kindly.
I see her braids bob up and down as the girl - Katniss - nods her head.
"Come up here, then," Mrs. Borden says, pointing to a place next to the piano. Katniss walks forward slowly as the teacher helps her stand up on a step stool. I can see her face. She looks scared.
Mrs. Borden sits down behind the piano. "Go ahead and start, Katniss," she says gently.
I see Katniss standing still, clenching her hands on her red plaid dress. The other kids start to stir in their seats a little bit. I don't think she's gonna sing, then -
Down in the valley, the valley so low
Hang your head over, hear the wind blow
Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow
Hang your head over, hear the wind blow
She's so quiet at first and the other kids are so noisy it's hard to hear her, but her voice gets louder. I've never heard anything like it. The teacher starts playing her piano as Katniss sings -
Roses love sunshine, violets love dew
Angels in Heaven know I love you
Know I love you, dear, know I love you
Angels in Heaven know I love you
By this time the whole room is quiet, listening to Katniss singing and the piano playing -
If you don't love me, love whom you please
Throw your arms 'round me, give my heart ease
Build me a castle, forty feet high
So I can see her, as she rides by
I can see Katniss singing, her eyes closed as the words flow out of her mouth. And there's something else -
As she rides by, dear, as she rides by
So I can see her as she rides by
I can feel my heart pounding as she sings. I feel really funny listening to her beautiful voice. As she finishes the song, the whole room stays quiet. And I notice something else. The windows had been open and when we first came in the room I could hear Mockingjays outside singing. But not now. I look out the window and I can see Mockingjays sitting in the trees outside the room, silent. And in my five year old heart I know that I love this girl with the braids and red plaid dress.
Because when she sang, even the birds stopped to listen.