A New Beginning
"Kind people have a way of working their way inside me and rooting there.
Days pass without any effort. The sun rises, the sun sets, a new day begins without me even knowing. It seems like life has gone back to normal. Almost. Life has been a little shaky here and there, but I got through it. And I'll go through anything else that life throws at me. I know it.
Today is the day of the grand opening of Peeta's bakery. It'll be the first store to open in the town square.
"Katniss," a deep, husky voice calls from the door, "It's time to head out to the town square."
"All right," I reply, pulling on my jacket.
Haymitch greets me at the door and together, we walk to the town square. Kind of like the old days, mentor and tribute, working together. Only we're not in the immediate threat of death.
We chat about the most normal things, the town square, his geese, and the bakery, just to keep our minds off of the Games for a few hours.
When Haymitch and I reach the town square, the first thing we see is Peeta, standing on a wooden podium in front of the bakery, which has a plain white banner that says "Grand Opening" adorning the store. Tables piled with sweets, breads, and drinks are just outside the door.
"Hello, friends and citizens of District 12," Peeta says, with a grin on his face, "I'm proud to say that after a few weeks of hard work, the bakery is open!"
His smooth words simply drive the crowd crazy.
Peeta steps off the podium and opens the door to the bakery. "Today is the day District 12 will finally begin to be itself! The door to a new world is being opened!"
The crowd claps and cheers as they rush towards the laden tables, grabbing a piece of pumpernickel or a sampling of a cake. Some observe the bakery or chat with their new neighbors.
I walk over to Peeta, who is greeting a few of his new customers.
"Hi, Peeta," I say.
He smiles and says to me, "I'll be with you in a few seconds."
An unknown feeling rushes over me. It's a pang of something I've never felt before. Jealousy? There's nothing to be jealous of. Guilt? From not paying attention to Peeta? I come back to my senses when Peeta's voice rings in my ears.
"Sorry about that," he says, "It's just that I wanted to get to know my new customers."
I nod. "So, are you going to run this bakery all by yourself?"
He replies, "No, I've got Thom to help me a bit and I was thinking, that maybe you could help me?
The reaction on my face must be mixed because Peeta suddenly says, "It's okay, you know, if you don't want to."
"No, I think it would be great, Peeta," I say.
He smiles brighter than any other smile I've seen on his face today.
After a few hours, people start to leave, and I go with them. The days are becoming shorter and shorter, but the cool, fall atmosphere makes it up.
When I go home, I read a letter. It seems like the perfect bittersweet ending to his day.
Dear Katniss,
Today I wanted to talk to you, but the doctors said you were in training? Katniss, more fighting is not the answer. You'll just yourself into more trouble, and lose even more people. Even if I seemed completely deranged completely at yesterday's lunch, I still have some sense in me. We don't need more fighting and death in this world; we need peace and a world where everyone will be safe. Don't lose yourself out there. It's really not worth it.
Sincerely, Peeta
Did Peeta really mean it, what he said at his interview with Caesar? I thought he was simply fed with lies the Capitol has made him swallow, but it seems like he truly meant it in this letter. I needed to fight, to win this war, there's no other way to do it. I should have been more careful though, so I wouldn't have lost my loved ones to the Capitol. It's not fair. I push these thoughts to the back of my mind. Today's not the day for them. Today is the day that we, Peeta and I, start a new life. Today is the day for a new beginning to start.