Chapter Eleven
Armed with a renewed energy and the acceptance that the child Effie was carrying was part of his responsibility, Haymitch began to plan. He knew what he wanted to do and before he went to sleep that night, he placed a call to Plutarch asking for a favour.
As agreed, Plutarch was waiting for him in his car at slightly over ten the next morning. Haymitch locked Effie's apartment and slung his duffel bag over the shoulder, glad to finally be heading home again after he completed his last errand.
Plutarch drove Haymitch to the bank at the Capitol's City Centre just as Haymitch had asked him to the night before.
"Why do you need to go to the bank?"
"Can't you just drive me there without asking a million questions on the way?"
Plutarch made small talk, occasionally pointing out to the high rise buildings that had been reconstructed following the bombing of the Capitol. Haymitch nodded, pretending to be interested in what he had to say.
"I'll drop you off here," Plutarch said, "too many cars by the bank's entrance. It's a hassle."
"That's fine. Thanks, I'll see you soon."
"I'll keep you posted about the outcome," Plutarch said before driving off to his office.
Panem National Bank was one of the largest bank in the country and the first bank Haymitch thought off when he came up with his plan. The bank occupied a two story building in the middle of the bustling City Centre. When he pushed open the double brass door, a security guard nodded politely at him. Haymitch returned the gesture and made his way into the bank, his eyes scanning the multiple queues that had formed so early on a Tuesday morning.
An officer of the bank approached him and after finding out the purpose of Haymitch's visit, he was directed to a small office to speak to a financial consultant. Haymitch explained what he needed and the consultant smiled knowingly at him explaining that Haymitch wasn't the first person with the same intention in mind since the marriage law was passed.
He had the necessary documents filled up, signed and witnessed. Shaking the consultant's hand, Haymitch thanked the young man and left the bank feeling satisfied and slightly proud of himself.
Haymitch had no plan whatsoever of informing Effie about what transpired at the bank. She did not need to know yet. She would be told in time to come even though he wasn't doing this for her. He did it for the child but Effie would need to assist him with it.
Despite the anger he felt initially at Effie's pregnancy, Haymitch was not heartless. It was true that he would not stop fighting the law but he would be damned before he allow his own child to suffer should anything happen between him and Effie in the future.
He had accepted the fact that he would be a terrible father, having no father figure with which to guide his behavior. He had no faith in himself to raise a child and at the same time, Haymitch was well aware that he might never have the chance to be a father to the child once Effie take his child away upon the dissolution of the law.
There was however, a way he could contribute to the child's welfare and play a small role in the baby's upbringing. Haymitch wasn't going to let it pass.
XxX
Haymitch passed his time on the train occasionally drinking and walking up and down the length of the corridor. He thought about the meeting with Paylor and his encounter with Adria Stone. Looking back, he was quite surprise with himself where the pretty secretary was concerned. He was never opposed to the occasional one night stand and during his stint as a mentor, he was sure that some of the Capitol women who had thrown themselves at him were married.
It was not like he cared about Effie, he thought to himself, but something had stopped him from partaking in such frivolous activity. Did marriage change him? Haymitch frowned at the very idea. It seems unlikely but that doesn't explain why he had spurned Stone. Perhaps he did it out of respect for Effie.
The moon was out in the black skies, the street lamp was glowing orange, lighting up the streets sufficiently enough and the crickets were chirping in the background by the time Haymitch arrived at District Twelve.
The walk home from the train station to Victor's Village took less than ten minutes of his time, thankfully. He was exhausted and all he wanted to do was collapse on his bed. Haymitch was never fond of train rides to and fro the Capitol. It was too tedious and tiresome.
Opening the door to his house, he saw Effie on the sofa painting her nails. She jumped as he dropped his bag on the floor with a loud thud, spilling the bottle of red nail polish on the coffee table.
"Goodness, Haymitch, you gave me a fright! Learn to knock and announce your presence," she reprimanded him.
"Learn to lock the front door when I'm not around," he retorted. "A criminal isn't going to give you the courtesy of announcing his presence."
"So you're a criminal by that logic," Effie replied smartly as she waited for the nail polish to dry.
"I'm the only unfortunate man to come home after two days of being away and get accused of being a criminal," Haymitch mumbled as he climbed the stairs to the upper story of their house. He could hear Effie chuckling in the background.
Without bothering to change his clothes, Haymitch threw himself on the bed and soon fell asleep without the aid of his alcohol.
It felt like he had just closed his eyes for a minute or two when he heard Effie's voice calling out to him.
"Haymitch," Effie roused him quietly, running her fingers through his hair. "Haymitch, move over. You've taken all the space on the bed."
"I like it when you do that," he mumbled tiredly as he rolled over to make space for Effie.
Effie smiled to herself when she heard what Haymitch said. It was times like this when he was slightly disoriented and not fully aware of his surroundings that Haymitch was capable of showing a softer side of him and say things he wouldn't normally say. It was a pity, really.
"You should trim your hair a little, it's getting too long," Effie remarked. Her fingers tugged the ends of the hairs that had begun to curl outwards where it hung slightly above his shoulders.
She slid under the covers and propped herself on the headboard, one hand still running through Haymitch's hair in a soothing, rhythmic manner as he hovered between sleep and consciousness.
"How was the meeting with the President?"
"Not good," he mumbled. "Plutarch sends his regards; he said congratulations."
"Oh, that's sweet of him. Remind me to call him tomorrow."
Haymitch nodded absentmindedly, not really aware as to what he was agreeing to. There was a pressing issue at the back of his mind. Something he needed to get off his chest and inform Effie.
"Eff?" he blinked blearily at her. Haymitch squinted slightly as he tried to make out her outline in the dark room. "Adria Stone told me," he yawned, "that most marriages are open lately."
Her hand stilled its movement but Haymitch didn't realize it, determined to tell her everything before he fell asleep. "She said people do it all the time," he yawned again, loudly this time. "She tried to sleep with me, you know."
"Who is Adria Stone?" Effie queried.
Every nerve on her body was on attention. Every warning bell in her head had gone off. She had no idea what Haymitch meant when he told her about the open marriages. Does he want a marriage like that?
Effie didn't know who Adria Stone was – her name didn't sound familiar at all – or the nature of Haymitch's relationship to her. She began to worry needlessly.
"Haymitch?" she called out for him when she didn't receive a reply to her question.
Haymitch had fallen asleep before he could give Effie a proper explanation. Effie hated not knowing and it was enough to put her on edge. She could feel the anxiety growing inside of her and she detested the feeling.
Effie knew that Haymitch had never wanted her; that she was never part of his plans but she never thought that he would have found a replacement so quickly. Her imagination had gone down the dark path and Effie tried to imagine Haymitch with another woman at the Capitol. She had seen him with a few women before but that was before they were married. Her eyes sting at the thought of being so replaceable and unwanted. Effie retracted her hand from Haymitch's hair and turned her back towards the sleeping Haymitch. It was a few hours before she finally fell asleep.
The only consolation she afforded herself that night before falling into a restless sleep was the firm knowledge that Haymitch wanted the law to end so badly because he wanted his life back. He didn't fight for its abolishment just so he could get rid of her for another woman. Haymitch wasn't like that, she was certain of that fact at least.
She did not have to worry. Effie didn't have to compete with another woman. If there was ever a competition, it was with the ghost of his lover. How was she even supposed to win on that one?
XxX
Morning came with a role reversal that did not end up well.
Having woken up feeling queasy and nauseated, Effie spent the morning in the bathroom again and when she made it back to bed, she was exhausted.
"I told you to eat the crackers," Haymitch chided as he rolled out of bed and padded out of the room.
She ignored him, not wanting to get into a fight at eleven in the morning. Effie finally pushed herself out of bed when she smelt something cooking in the kitchen and started to panic. She saw Haymitch without a shirt on, standing by the stove attempting to flip a pancake.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I need to eat. No – don't. Just sit down. If you want breakfast, I'll make some for you. I don't want you to throw up on my breakfast."
With an annoyed huffed, she settled on the chair and watched him. Effie fidgeted in her seat itching to do something. Watching Haymitch's miserable attempt at flipping pancakes made her even more agitated. When she could no longer stand it, Effie got up and hovered next to Haymitch.
"It's burning," she pointed to the pancakes on the pan. "Let me do it."
"No," he pulled away slightly from her. "Go away. Sit down and I'll get you your pancakes."
"I'm not having burnt pancakes!"
"Didn't you say that the doctor told you to rest?"
"I have rested. I slept in today and I won't be coming in to work. Let me," she insisted, reaching out for the spatula in Haymitch's hand.
"Occupy yourself with something else. Make a pot of coffee, stop bothering me, you irritating woman," he snapped.
She did as she was told but when that was done, she was once again next to Haymitch, watching him intently.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Haymitch threw his hand up in defeat and allowed her control over their breakfast. Effie worked diligently and within minutes, she had their breakfast laid out on the table.
"So when will you know the outcome of the law?"
Haymitch shrugged, sipping his coffee. "The next Council will convene at the end of the month. Probably in two weeks' times. Why is the coffee so bitter? Don't you even know how to brew it properly? Sweetheart, there's enough bitter things in life and coffee shouldn't be one of them."
Effie scowled. Returning back to their topic of conversation, she asked "are you confident it will be repealed?"
He placed his fork down and looked at Effie. "Honestly? No. I think will have to continue fighting and appealing for Paylor to see reason. It's going to be a long road ahead."
Effie was somewhat relief by what Haymitch said. She dropped her head so that her long hair was covering her face as she smiled to herself. It was good news that Haymitch needed more time. That will in turn give her more time to try and change the way he feels about their child.
"You should have seen Paylor, Eff. She was convinced this is what Panem needed. She will not change her mind until she sees the birth rate."
"Her heart is in the right place," Effie said. "She wants the best for this country, to see it succeed after what it's been through for the past years but she's just going about it in the wrong way."
"Hmmm, I won't stop until I see the end of this law."
Effie nodded but what she heard instead was that Haymitch would not stop until he saw the end of their marriage. Her eyes began to water and she cursed herself silently. She was usually far more composed than this and she hated how the hormones were slowly taking control of her emotions.
She wasn't sure if she wanted the marriage to end. It was true that her initial plan was to change the way Haymitch feel about the baby and for him to accept his own child but she couldn't help the sudden feeling of loneliness. It was human nature to want to be accepted and she is his wife; it was painful to see someone she was married to work so hard to end everything.
They had been married for nearly 8 months and Effie had adapted to having Haymitch around. He may not be the best company at times with him being drunk and sharp-tongued with his sarcastic insults and sloppy ways but he was better than the alternative of being alone. He was her husband and she had grown to care for him more than just as her mere ex-colleagues. She liked having someone to care for and look after – it made her feel useful and helpful.
XxX
"May I speak to Mr. Abernathy, please?" asked the slightly high pitched voice of a woman on the phone.
"Who's speaking?" Effie asked curiously.
As far as Effie knew, Haymitch only received phone calls from Plutarch or Peeta when the boy was too lazy to walk over to their house. A woman had never called looking for Haymitch and Effie's interest was piqued.
"My name's Adria Stone from Plutarch Heavensbee office."
Her brows crinkled. The name sounded familiar somehow. She was still trying to recall who Adria Stone was as she passed the phone to Haymitch. Effie was deep in thought that she was only half listening to the conversation Haymitch was having.
And she tried to sleep with me.
The piece of memory floated into the forefront of her mind and her head swiveled towards Haymitch who was pacing the floor looking wound up. Of course, Haymitch had mentioned her a few weeks ago, the night he returned home from the Capitol. Why is she calling the house?
"Who is that? What does she want?"
"Stone," Haymitch answered as he sank heavily into the sofa. Effie didn't like it when he drinks in her presence. The smell made her nauseated but at the moment, he couldn't care less. He picked his liquor bottle and gulped down the contents of it.
"What does she want? Why is she looking for you, Haymitch?" Effie didn't realize that her voice had increased an octave higher.
Haymitch threw her a disgruntled look at the barrage of questions.
"You told me about her that the night you returned home from the Capitol," Effie began. "Why did she call?"
"Why are you so wound up?" Haymitch replied her question with another question of his own. "She's Plutarch's secretary. She just got the word from Paylor's office - the Council rejected the case today."
"What? Oh no," she shuffled over to where Haymitch was and sat next to him. "There has to be a reason why they rejected it."
"The same thing Paylor told us at her office. Give the law more time," Haymitch shrugged and ran his hand over his face. "I saw this coming."
Effie touched his arm comfortingly and when he turned to look at her, she said, "it's okay, Haymitch. There are other ways."
"Yeah," he nodded, taking another swig from his bottle. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards as he once again, look at her. "What was that whole thing with Stone? Were you jealous?"
Her eyes widened and she blushed despite herself. "I- I wasn't. Don't be ridiculous. It's just… you said that… well, she wanted to be with –"
"Yeah," he chuckled quietly, finding it amusing at how uncomfortable she looked.
"Did you? While you were at the Capitol?"
"No," Haymitch shook his head. "No, I didn't."
"Okay," Effie replied. "Well, I have some papers to go through for the factory. I'll be at the study."
She felt like a weight had been relieved off her shoulders. She didn't know how much his answer meant to her until she heard it.
"Eff," his voice called out to her. "Would you, though? If some guy from the Capitol, someone your type, you know, with good manners and impeccably dress… If one of them were to approach you and try to sleep with you … Would you have taken his offer?"
Without waiting for her reply, he continued. "I was told it is common practice to amuse oneself with someone else's spouse in the current climate. It's becoming a social norm or something. But, I don't see it happening much here in District Twelve, oddly enough."
Haymitch was rambling. He never rambles so he took another drink to shut himself up.
No, Haymitch. I won't. I'm not that kind of person."
Updating a day early because I might be busy tomorrow!
In the next couple of chapters, it's mainly Haymitch dealing with a pregnant Effie! Mood swings & cravings, anyone? Anyway, please review, thank you!
Oh, and Catching Fire Trailer tomorrow!
