Chapter 4: Prim's 12th birthday

One day in late spring I found a letter in my mailbox, and there was a formal invitation to a birthday party – Prim´s. I was kind of excited about that, as it was my first invitation, and I was looking forward to spend some time in the Seam with a family. However, when I saw Prim next, I asked her if she really wanted me to be there: "Look, you will probably have some friends around from school and from the neighborhood – are you sure I fit in?"

She nodded and said: "I want to have all of my friends with me, and you are one of them!"

I replied: "Well, I am honored, and it will be a pleasure to accept your invitation. However, I do not intend to come empty handed – do you have a specific idea what kind of present you'd like to get?"

She hesitated to answer, but finally said: "Well, if you don't mind and if it's not impertinent to ask, I have never ever had a real birthday cake, as we really cannot afford them. If you could bring a small cake, this would make me very happy!"

I nodded and told her: "I will see what I can do."

A few days later I showed up at the Mellark bakery and waited until Peeta was available. I explained about Prim´s birthday and that I wanted to bring not just a cake, but a very special Prim birthday cake. When he heard about that, he started thinking a little and then told me: "Maybe we can actually do this together. Would you mind taking a cake from me as well?" I agreed but asked: "Why would you want to send a cake even though you are not even invited?" He smiled: "I do have my reasons, but let's just say that Prim is a friend of mine at school, and I'd like to do her a favor." I noticed that there was something he did not tell me, but that was none of my business, so that I just nodded and suggested: "We could prepare a couple of cakes and some additional pastry, such as muffins and cheese buns, or whatever you think Prim´s favorites are, plus maybe some hot chocolate, and split the cost – what do you think?" He liked the idea and promised to have everything ready in a week, so that I could pick it up – he would have to work and would not be able to present the cake himself, and he also was not invited.

Fortunately, on Prim´s birthday the sun was shining brightly, and around noon time I could see her bouncing out from the school bus and running up to the Seam as fast as she could, followed by some other girls. There was some happy girl, and I was looking forward to the afternoon. I had already told Mrs. Everdeen before that I was going to bring over cake and hot chocolate for everybody, so that she might want to skip lunch, and she had liked the idea; Katniss, being in the same room, had scowled, but this seemed to be normal for her. So, in the early afternoon I took my Jeep and picked up the cakes and pastries from the bakery. While loading my car, I noticed that not only were the cakes done were nicely and expertly, Peeta had also prepared some cookies formed as katniss and primrose plants, including colorful decorations, and I was impressed by the artistic gift which had apparently flown into that task. When I drove on to the Everdeen residence, Prim was already waiting impatiently outside, and as I stepped outside of my car, she immediately threw her skinny arms around my waist and beamed: "I am glad that you could make it!" I replied: "Wait until you see what I brought!" and opened the trunk. With the help of the some boys I carefully transported my gifts to the table, and everybody was instantly silent. Prim had warned me that Seam residents very rarely got to eat cakes, and indeed it looked like this was a great surprise. Mrs. Everdeen looked at me and said: "Well, this is way too much for a birthday present!" I responded: "Yes, it is, for just me, but half of it is sent from the bakery with the best wishes from Peeta Mellark!" Mrs. Everdeen was confused: "Prim, why would Peeta send you a present?" Prim offered her explanation: "Sometimes, at school, you know that merchant kids are not nice to seam kids. Peeta is different, and he frequently shares some pastries even with Seam children, and when some of his merchant friends are saying something bad about us, he scolds them and protects us. He is a very special friend at school, not only for me, but also for others – I need to say 'Thank You' to him as soon as I can!" Katniss did not like what she heard: "I do not trust the merchant kids. When they're nice to girls, they usually just want to get in their pants." Prim objected: "No, Katniss, Peeta is not like that at all – why don't you want to see this! Look, he has even made some cookies formed like katniss and primrose plants! This is so nice!"

At that point Mrs. Everdeen decided to interrupt the discussion and invited everybody to start eating. Apparently she had made it known that the guests should skip lunch because nourishment would be provided, and all of the guests were eating with that much gusto that I was afraid for a few minutes that the cakes might not be enough. However, at the end they were, but practically nothing was left. Prim hugged me and admitted that this was her best birthday present since her father had died. Prim also introduced me to her friends, and while I was not able to remember all names, I recalled the Hawthorne kids (some of them I had met before) and specifically Rue, a petite eleven year old girl with chocolate brown skin, shoulder length dark brown hair, and very dark brown eyes, who looked little like the other children around. Actually, she did not really look like Prim´s age, but more like eight or nine years old, but this might be partially due to the common malnourishment in some of the districts. Rue was very quiet, but obviously a close friend of Prim´s. Prim told me that she did not live in district 12, but they were in the same class at school. When I looked at Rue, she did not really look happy, but somehow bothered or sad, which was quite a contrast to all of the other children around. Also, I noticed that Rue was sitting by herself most of the time, and the other children seemed to avoid her; only Prim and the Hawthorne kids sometimes got close to her. I decided to talk to Prim about that when she was going to visit me next time.

Before the party was over, I suggested that everybody should follow me, as I wanted to show them how the future herb garden had worked out. Mr. Brown had finished the plot's initial preparation, and I was looking forward to show it off. Thus we walked over and found a low but sturdy fence enclosing the ground, all trash and larger stones removed, and some plant beds being prepared. Mr. Brown had even installed a fancy kind of water screw to get water up from the creek level to the garden level for easier distribution. Last but not least there was a small pavilion with a table and a couple of benches where potential garden workers could rest. There was still some more preparation work to be done, but this was a good start. Mrs. Everdeen had come with us and admired it: "Well, you have done some work here. This plot of land might indeed be suitable for plants and herbs as you intend, if taken care of properly." And she also added, jokingly: "Now we just need a small playground so that the children working here and tending the plants can also play in between!" Hearing that I asked: "Where is the next playground, by the way?" And I was told: "There is none at all in the Seam. Children here are supposed to be busy with school and chores."

Over the next few days I was busy with work at the site, and specifically I authorized the hiring of more hands for the farm and the wind generator area. In addition, more infrastructure needed to be set up, including an office help for Haymitch. While talking to Haymitch, I used the opportunity to ask him about district 11, where Rue was supposedly from. I was told: "District 11 is about as poor as district 12 is. They do have useful natural resources with fertile soil, which they use for orchards, fields, and growing cattle. However, locals in that district are usually not allowed to eat what they grow, as most of it is exported to other districts and other parts of the country. The few rich squires of the district own almost all of the land, and they make sure to maximize their own profits rather than properly sustaining the citizens, which they mostly treat a cheap work force."

I did not like that at all: "Has this been going on for a long time?"

Haymitch nodded: "Long enough so that nobody dares to change it, I am afraid. Above and beyond that the situation in Panem´s districts has been kept like this for decades by rich moguls like Mr. Snow, the coal mine owner, who prefers to keep the population poor and weak so that nobody dares to complain or so."

Thinking about the malnourishment situation again, I inquired further: "Haymitch, when looking at the skinny children in district 12, I wonder if we can set up some kind of soup kitchen for those in need; do you think that this can be done?"

My site director carefully replied: "I am sure that Mayor Undersee is open for an idea like that. However, we need to be careful to not incur the city council's wrath and might have to check with them, too. In addition, specifically Seam people might see that as charity and forbid their children to eat there. Let me think about this for some time and talk to the Mayor, and I will get back to you later. But it is a good idea, for sure."

I replied: "Well for district 12, at least, we are going to change something, as you know, with or against Mr. Snow. Let's see later one if we can also improve the situation in some other districts!"

Haymitch smiled: "Boy, you have your work cut out for you, but it is real good to see your enthusiasm, and I am fully behind you – it is about time somebody cares!"

One week later Prim was again coming to my place for a visit, and I did have a few questions I needed to ask:

"Prim, when we were at your birthday party last week, I was told that there was no playground in the Seam. Where do you kids play usually?"

She told me: "We sometimes play along the creek or in the meadow, and some of us like to climb trees, but we do not have an awful lot of time for playing. Most of us who are a little older have to help with chores and do something to help the family fed. I, for instance, take care of my goat."

I replied: "So, even if there was a playground, you might not have a lot of time using it?"

She disagreed: "The younger kids would, but they'd need to be supervised. Kids of my age and older would not have much time, true."

Another question of mine followed: "There was a girl at your party you introduced as Rue. She was mostly sitting by herself and almost nobody was talking to her as far as I could see. She seems to be a very nice and kind person, but did not look very happy. Do you happen to know what's going on?"

Prim looked unhappy and explained: "School kids in District 12 are prejudiced a lot, and most parents tell their kids to stick to other kids from the same area only. Thus, Merchant kids tend to not talk to Seam kids much, and as Merchant kids are usually pale and blond whereas Seam kids have darker skin and dark hair, this is normally the dividing line. I am different, because I am Seam but look like Merchant, but I am an exception. Now, we share a school between district 11 and district 12, and although some other kids from district 11 also have dark skin, Rue is the only one in our class, and practically nobody wants to socialize with her. I am sometimes mocked because I do talk to her and even consider her my friend. Very few other school kids support me on that, and Peeta Mellark is one of them."

I had heard about that kind of behavior before, and while other regions of the country had been able to overcome this issue and unfair behavior decades ago, Panem still was, to some extent, lost in the past. Little did I know at that time that Rue would eventually be a very important part of my future.