Chapter 9 – Gale

Madge learned to play the piano when she was very young, almost 4 years old.

It was her mother that taught her how to play when she saw that Madge adored knocking her tiny fingers in the keyboard of their old upright piano.

When Madge was 8 years old, her father gave her, as late birthday present, a grand piano. She loved to play very much. But when her mother got sicker, staying in bed all day and feeling ill all the time, Madge lost her love for playing. Since only Madge's mother would watch her play and appreciate her gift at music, Madge felt very lonely when she played. So she only played before she went school, when her house was so silent that she knew the sounds of her music would reach her mother in bed. She usually played songs her mother taught her but sometimes Madge's mind and heart would invent their own sounds, as if Madge's feeling could be transferred to the piano.

Today, Madge was playing her own invention. It was a calming and relaxing music. Madge was trying to calm herself. There wasn't school or work in reaping days. She could be asleep until nine or ten o'clock but who could sleep in such an uneasy day?

She was scared.

Not only for her but for Rory, Katniss, Prim, Vicky and Posy. Rory's name will be in the pool ten times. Five for each year and another five for each family member from the tesserae he took that year. Her own name will be there only five times since she only did 17 years a few weeks later. She still had two more years to go after this.

Gale no longer can be elected in the Hunger Games but Posy, Gale and Rory's younger sister, would participate for the first time. Her name will only be there one time and Vicky three times. Their chances were too low compared to most kids from the Seam.

Katniss's name will be there eighteen times. Madge only hoped someone would volunteer this year so Katniss could at least survive another year. Her chances were too high.
Madge was mesmerized with her own thoughts. She played and calculated at the same time. She didn't even hear the bell ring a few times before her butler, Jeffrey Wayne, answered it.

"Excuse me, Madam. Mr. Hawthorne is at the door and would like to have a word with you. Should I tell him to come another time, Miss?", the butler asked politely.

"No, it's not necessary Jeffrey. I will answer it", she said trying to sound as calm as possible. Why would Rory come to my house? It could ruin our disguise if he shows up like this. She walked to the front the door expecting to see him but instead she saw another Hawthorne.

It was Gale. He was wearing blue jeans, grey shirt and a black leather jacket.

Sometimes, when Katniss came to see Madge and sell her strawberries, Gale was with her. He was generally distant from the house but watching Madge and Katniss trades. He always looked strong and proud but now he had a tired look in his face. The mines must be sucking all his energy, she pondered.

Strangely enough, this time he was alone.

Madge could only pronounce a shy hello. Thousands of thoughts passed through her head. Does he know about her and Rory? Was he here because of Katniss agreement with Rory? Was he mad at her? He looked to be. She stared at his deep gray eyes. His eyes sometimes had other shades of color, sometimes dark blue others pitch black. She could never decide which one.

"Nice dress", he angrily says. Madge was already dressed for reaping. It was mandatory for the citizens to wear and look their best. For that reaping year, Madge's father bought a beautiful blue dress that made her look too innocent for her age. She tied her hair up in yellow rainbow to match her golden hair.

"Thanks, I want to look pretty I case I go to the Capitol", she snorts back. She was hurt because of his tone of voice. She didn't do anything to make him act like that with her, at least nothing intentionally.

He stares at her disgusted for her bad joke. For a moment he looks around and seems to decide to leave or not. "I just wanted to make sure you are all right. I know about the disagreement that happened at school", he says. He looks at her trying to see if she understood his words.

"Oh… that. Well, as you can see for yourself, I'm fine. It was just a small misunderstanding", she comforts him. Her hair is covering most of the red scratch on her head. Gale stares at it leaving her uncomfortable. "Listen, it was nothing really. I'm sure Katniss already told you the details and I already have an agreement with Peeta. No one is going to get in trouble for this. I assure you", Madges continues. She wishes he would leave already. His presence was only making her tense.

"I know, I spoke with Thom and Rory yesterday noon and with Peeta this morning", he says watching her cover the bruises with her hand. "I wanted to know with you are still angry with Thom or something", he gently asks. He lowered his tone of voice to make sure no one else could hear them.

"Well, I should be angry with him but I can't. Thom can be funny at school sometimes and I know he only was in bad day. Again, I assure you that no one is in trouble for that". Madge inclines her body a little towards his making them a little bit closer. "Do you want a pinky finger swear for this?", she jokes as she lifts her small finger. Madge once tried to make Rory promises her like this but he refused because it was too girly for him.

Gale smiles just a little for a very brief time before refusing. "No, thanks. Your words are more than enough for me", he says making her blush. But before he can say his goodbyes, Madge asks him one more thing "Please, could you tell Katniss that the peacemaker leader will have to retire and that a new one will take his place after the drawn from today? I know she liked the old one, so I just wanted you to warn her for me". She was trying to leave a hint for Gale and others too. She only had news about the peacemaker before her father left in hurry that morning. Something inside her was telling that this new peacemaker leader was bad news.

"Of course, I'll make sure she receives the news as soon as possible", he says. His voice is calm when saying this but his eyes told her that he got her warning. "Good luck, Madge".

Madge had already forgotten the Hunger Games. She still had to eat something for breakfast and say her goodbyes to her sleeping mother.

Madge's mother was laying on her master bed. She had pictures of Madge, Madge's father and her sister all over the room. It was amazing the similarities between Madge and the young twins. Madge's mother disease started a few months after Madge was born. At first, she felt weak, then a few years later, came the headaches and last, the strong pain in her chest. The mayor arranged for his wife to have the best treatment they could afford but nothing worked long enough. His last alternative was to sedate her all the time. She only awaked to eat and bath.

Madge's mother was already conscious when she got to her room. She was eating her breakfast in bed.

"Good morning, mom. How are you this morning?", Madge asked.

"Oh, well. I was hoping to finally leave this room and dance around the streets in my pajamas but your father, damn him, discovered my plans", joked her mom. She looked pale and thin but always had a nice humor around Madge. "I was enjoying you playing the piano, my dear. Why did you stop so suddenly?"

"A boy from school came to visit me. He just wanted to wish me luck today", Madge didn't want to get into details right now.

"Ah, yes. Today is that day. Here, let me give this for you," her mom retrieves a small box on her side of the bed. "I wanted to give this only when your seventeen birthday came up but I had a strange feeling about today".

Inside the small box is a golden pin. It's a circle and inside the circle is a bird holding an arrow.

"It used to belong to my great-grandmother. In better times, it used to bring good luck to our family. Your aunt used it in her Hunger Games. I think it kind of brought her good luck most of the times. Here, it's yours now. To remind you of family, friends and home. A good luck charm", her mom was holding back a few tears.

Madge took her gift with reverence. It was a beautiful pin. She put it in her dress right away.

"Thank you, mom. I'll take care of it with all my heart", she kissed her mother in the forehead.

"Remember my love. Never change who you're. Don't let them broke your heart. If something happens, anything at all, remembers that I love you. Always". It was her mom speech every year. They said their goodbyes every Hunger Game's day drawn, just in case.

At one o'clock she heads for the square. Attendance is mandatory but her mother can't since she is extremely ill. On Madge's first Hunger Games, her mom fainted and had high fever on the same day. After that, her mom was released from showing up but every year they showed up to check if she was really sick.

This year the Square had been totally reformed. They changed its rocky floor, decorated a few stores with happy colors and even put a few flowers around. Madge guessed, since others districts also watched the reaping of all others districts, the Capitol wanted to show a happier atmosphere. Perhaps, to show that District 12 didn't have any kind of reasons to rebel.

As she walked around, she could hear a few angry parents yelling at their children if they dared to volunteer. Other groups were gathering in a kind of bet to see which child will be drawn or volunteer. It made her sick to hear them.

She is pushed to a line near the front rope. She focuses her attention on the temporary stage that is set up before the Justice Building. It holds three chairs, a podium, and two large glass balls, one for the boys and one for the girls.

Two of the three chairs fill with Madge's father and Effie Trinket, Districts 12's escorts, fresh from the Capitol with her scary white grin, pinkish hair and spring green suit. They murmur to each other and then look with concern at the empty seat.

Just as the Town clock strikes two, the mayor steps up to the podium and begins to read. He reads the same old story of every year, the one the Capitol made up. He finishes it, after thirty minutes, the 3rd quarrel rules. That the Capitol, seeking to show compassion among the districts, will allow both tributes from the same district to share the final glory and return home.

Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. "Look, even if all your citizens came up against us, there is nothing you can do. You probably will die or kill your partner in the process. We are still stronger and better than every last of you and there's nothing that will change that."

Then he reads the list of past District 12 victors. In seventy five years, they only had two. Only Haymitch Abernathy is alive. Her aunt's partner in the 2nd quarrel Hunger Games. He's drunk. And confused. The crowd applauses as he appears to sit in the third chair but instead he tries to hug Effie Trinket, which she barely manages to fend off.

She hears a few people laughing buy her father, the mayor, looks distressed. Since all of this is being televised, right now District 12 is the laughingstock of Panem, and he knows it. He quickly tries to pull the attention back to the reaping by introducing Effie Trinket.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" she goes on a bit about an honor it is to be here and that her dreams came true when they announced her new status.

Through the crowd, Madge spot Rory looking back at her with a smile. She can't but smile back at him. She thinks about his family and their new agreement to train harder to survive. She hopes Prim speaks with him again, and in her mind she imagines Rory and Prim getting together, dating, marrying and having children. He will be happy with her, she thinks. Her attention is drawn back to the stage.

"Ladies first!" Effie finished her speech long ago and crosses to the glass ball with the girls' names. She reaches in, digs her hand deep into the ball, and pulls out a slip of paper. The crowd drawns in a collective breath. Not Katniss! Please! Not Prim either! Spare the Everdeens. Please! Please!, Madge is feeling nauseous.

Effie Trinket crosses back to the podium, smoothes the slilp of paper and reads out the name in a clear voice. It's not her or the Everdeen girls.

"Posy Hawthorne!"