First day of school
Peeta Mellark, 5 years old
"Wake up you lazy boy!" Mama's angry with me again. I have to get up early today because it is the first day of school, but I don't want to go. I want to sleep longer because it is raining outside and I don't like the rain. It's cold and the lightning is so loud it makes me scared.
But mama doesn't care. She comes into my room, pulls off the covers and pulls me to my feet so fast that I wonder if she doesn't have some magical power, like in the stories Delly's mommy tells us. She's hurting my arm but I don't tell her, because I know she will not care. Sometimes I think mama wants to see me hurting.
She starts to dress me for school. I'm going to wear Ryan's blue shirt and that makes me happy. I always liked that shirt. It has an orange pattern and it makes me think about when the sun sets in summer. Ryan is two years older than me and he looks very much like mama. He already left for school with Nan. He is our oldest brother. His name is actually Brednan, but I call him Nan because I think it suits him better. He is very tall and helps out in the bakery because my father says he is a grown up now. I was supposed to go with them but now I am late and either mama or papa will have to take me.
Mama combs my hair and complains, as usual, that it is always getting in my eyes. I like it like this. I think I look like my father since we are the only ones to have yellow hair. Mama and Ryan and Nan have darker hair. Not brown like the poor kids, but darker than mine and papa's. Mama got mad when I said this and told me we are all blondes, because we are merchants not dirty workers like the poor people with brown hair.
Mama is very angry because I am so late and pulls me by the ear. This is something she does sometimes when I don't behave. I am not crying anymore when she does it, because papa told me that only little boys cry when they are hurt. And I am a big boy now, because I have to go to school.
When we get downstairs I see papa already dressed waiting by the door. I am very happy that he will take me because I have a tummy ache and I know mama will only get more upset if I tell her about it.
Papa's hands are so big and warm, it's like I'm holding hands with bread that he pulled out from the oven. I can't wait to grow up to help him and Nan in the store. I tell him my tummy aches and he says it's because I am nervous about my first day of school. He says people sometimes feel pain when they are emotional. He tells me I don't need to be afraid because I am smart and I will make new friends there. I like making new friends and I remember that Delly will also be there because she starts school today too. I like Delly. She is our neighbor and we play together all the time.
There are many people in the school yard. Some grownups but many children and I notice that most of them have brown hair. They all must be poor because mama said brown haired people are dirty and poor. I can't see Delly so I ask papa to stay a bit longer. He smiles down at me and doesn't let go of my hand. The teacher asked us to get in line so she could take us inside and papa kneels down to give me a hug. And then he says:
"See that little girl?" pointing to a little girl in a red dress. I can only see her back but I see she has brown hair tied up in two braids. I think she is very pretty because I never saw girls wear their hair like that.
"I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner" papa continues. I cannot believe it. Papa is so handsome and kind. And the coal miners are so dirty and poor. So I say
"A coal miner? Why did she want a coal miner if she could've had you?"
Papa looks at the girl again and smiles, but his eyes are sad. Maybe his tummy hurts because he is emotional.
"Because when he sings ... even the birds stop to listen." I don't believe that. Birds never stop singing only when they fly. And sometimes they sing when they fly too.
Our first class is music assembly. I am sitting with Delly and Anton and Ivy and Madge who is very shy and never looks at you when she talks to you. The teacher asks us if we know the Valley Song. I don't know it because neither mama nor papa taught us any songs. But I see a hand shooting up in the row in front of me, and it's dressed in the same red dress papa showed me earlier.
"What's your name, dear" the teacher asks the little girl.
"Katnis Everdeen" she says as she stands up. Now that we are close I see she is very short and that she is very pretty. Her skin is dark compared to mine, but not dirty like mama said. And she has very pretty eyes. They are grey like the sky when there is a snow storm coming. And I like the snow so very much.
"Can you sing it for us, Katniss?" the teacher asks again. She seems like a very nice lady.
Katniss nods so fast her braids bounce on her shoulders and it reminds me of the little puppy I found once in the yard, that wiggled its tail when I played with it. Then she starts to sing. I didn't believe papa when he told me about Katniss' father, but now I understand. Her voice is so strong and clear, so beautiful. I never heard anything so beautiful- not from a person, not form a bird. I didn't know the song before, but now I am sure I will never forget it. The way she sings it, if I close my eyes and shut them tight, I can see the valley filled with grass and flowers of all colors; I can see the sky going from blue to orange as the sun sets after a warm summer rain.
When she stops singing, we are all very quiet. Even outside the window I feel like the wind has stopped blowing. And then I hear so many tiny voices outside the window- mockingjays my father said they are called- repeating her song. She turns her head towards the window and because it is right behind me, for a moment she looks right at me.
I feel a little pain in my chest- not hard like the tummy ache I've had this morning, but more like when papa or Nan hug me too close. I'm not worried because I remember papa's words: people sometimes feel pain in their hearts when they love something.