Chapter 5: Planing for a fun day

In the evenings, I quite frequently thought about what I had learned about the local situation here when lying in bed, and I wondered if the social or the technical issues were actually more important. A couple of months ago, when I had started to live and work here on the site, I was eager to dive into technical issues like energy creation and storage and green farming, but during the last days and weeks the social issues, specifically those related to the poor Seam citizens, kept my mind more busy than the technical issues. Maybe that was what my grandfather had intended, and he wanted me to learn how to deal with people in addition to addressing technical aspects. I was not sure how good I was in doing that, but I was certainly going to try hard. Although, handling all aspects might be quite challenging, and I realized that I needed to identify the right people to trust and help me with all of that.

That was going to be a critical issue, indeed – how did I know whom to really trust? Haymitch had been easy, as even my grandfather knew of him and had recommended him for the position. The farmers had also been selected and hired before, but I had picked my housekeepers, and now I even had some children working together with me. When sleep finally claimed me, I sometimes dreamed about a group of kids telling me what to do rather than the other way round.

A few weeks later Prim came for another visit, and she looked a little bit concerned. When I asked her if something bothered her, she started to explain: "Can you recall my friend Rue who was also at my birthday party?"

I nodded and confirmed: "This pretty dark skinned petite girl sitting by her own most of the time? Sure I do. How is she doing?"

Prim continued: "She is going to have her 12th birthday Wednesday next week. It would be really nice for her to have some kind of celebration, but her parents are quite poor and have to work hard all of the time in the orchards and forests of district 11. It looks like this is going to be another birthday for her without anything special, and I am very unhappy about that, as I know that she will be sad."

Hearing that I asked: "Do you know how her parents think about it?"

The young blonde girl nodded: "Her parents are also very unhappy about the situation, but do not know what to do about it. They're not even going to get the day off work to spend with their daughter."

Pondering this for a minute or two I finally responded: "Hm – do you know if Rue likes to go to the zoo, and would you also like to go?"

Prim looked up in surprise: "The zoo? I was there last when my Dad was still alive, maybe five years ago. And I do not know if Rue was ever there, but she'd sure be enthusiastic to go!" And Prim added: "But getting in is too expensive, and her parents never have time!"

I countered: "I have not been in the Panem National Zoo at all, and I'd like to visit. The problem is, that I do not like to go all on my own, and I would have much more fun to have some friends with me. Do you think that I might be able to find such friends?"

Prim looked at me doubtfully: "Are you serious about that, Timotheus?"

Of course I confirmed this: "I am, of course. Having a couple of 12 year old girls jumping around and having fun together with me is going to be so much more enjoyable than going on my own!"

Prim could not believe it: "Timotheus, you are strange, but in a very nice way. Most adults would not say that. Why are you so different?"

Not minding at all to be told that I was strange, I took that as a compliment, and I told her: "In the last few years when I was at home and studying, I worked as youth group leader in our church community for a couple of years, and the age group I had was in the range of about 10 to 13. For a reason I do not fully understand, almost all of the kids coming to our weekly meeting were girls. We had lots of fun and I dearly miss them. Having Rue and you around for a day would be really great, believe me."

Prim again shook her head: "Wow – you really are different, and I guess that you are serious about that. So I guess that you plan to 'abduct' Rue and me for half a day at the zoo?"

I nodded and said: "Yes, indeed, that was the plan. I am sure that your mother does not mind, but of course I will need to talk to Rue's parents first. Do you think that we can invite them here for lunch, with you also being here?"

Prim liked the idea: "Oh, yes, we sure can. Why don't you write the invitation so that I can pass it on to Rue at school, and we'll see what happens."

This being said, I went into my study to write the invitation and handed it over to Prim in a closed envelope. I also added a note to Mrs. Everdeen asking her permission to take Prim out for a day. Before the blonde girl left for today, she slung her skinny arms around my waist and gave me a firm hug, which I returned. She was smiling a lot when she started her way home, and I was thinking again on the importance of social issues versus technical issues. Would my grandfather approve my using some time on making girls happy? Was this something I was really supposed to do? Wouldn't I put other kids, who did not know me, at a disadvantage? I did not have answers ready for my concerns, but after all I was only 21 years old.

A few days later Prim returned the invitation I had sent to Mr. and Mrs. Madison, Rue's parents, and they had written their agreement to come for lunch coming Sunday around noon time, together with their daughter. I had neglected to mention some means of transportation, but the distance was not too great, and I'd offer to drive them back at least. Naturally, Prim would also be there, as kind of mediator. I was looking forward to that day, but managed to get at least some of the technical work in between. The first wind generator had arrived, and I needed to supervise the assembly and setup process, which was supposed to be done mostly next week. This one was a conventional one with three big blades, and others would follow with different construction modes. In parallel, seeding had started on a few selected fields, and Mr. Brown proudly showed me how this was working out. He was somewhat concerned about birds picking up too many of the seedlings, and this would have to be observed.

Nonetheless, finally Sunday was there, and of course I had asked Mrs. Miller to prepare a nice lunch for all of us. As custom between us, the Miller family would sit together with us for lunch around the big table in the dining room, and I was really looking forward to seeing Rue's parents. Later in the morning some dark clouds started to show on the previously blue sky, and I was getting concerned about my visitors maybe getting soaked while walking (I assumed that they also, like most Seam people, would not own a car), but they had actually taken the bus, and rain started only later on. Opening the door for them, I greeted them warmly and asked them to come in. I could not avoid noticing that Mr. Madison was limping – not too badly, but visibly. After we had introduced ourselves, we sat down for lunch, and conversation subsided for some time. While eating desert, though, there were some question coming up. Naturally, Rue's parents wanted to learn what I was doing, and I tried to explain in as much detail as I could.

Rue's father commented: "I like that. It's about time that somebody actually cares about the living conditions in the poor districts, and it is a shame that the Panem government does not bother at all. You do have my support."

I replied: "Actually, at a later time I may need to get some expertise on orchards, which I might want to add to some of my grounds. This is something you guy in district 11 specialize in, don't you?"

He nodded: "Yes, indeed. However, district 11 spends almost more effort on making sure that nobody gets more food than required and assigned than on actually improving the yield and such. Our orchards could be more efficient and provide higher yield if somebody cared about proper fertilization and selection of species, like my ancestors used to do."

I commented: "Indeed. Right now, I am quite busy with everything going on already. If I decided to actually start investigating orchards later on, could I come back to you, of course for proper payment?"

Mr Madison beamed: "My wife and I would be happy to assist with that at any time. I would be so satisfactory to see somebody doing something useful, and I probably still have some of my great-grandfather notes and books at home." Looking down at himself, he added: "I am not sure if I would be of too much help, though. Since an accident a few years ago my left leg is damaged and my walking abilities are limited. The orchard overseers used this an excuse for reducing my pay, too."

After Prim and Rue had left the table and were lead to another room by Monica, my housekeepers' 13 year old daughter, to play some girl games, I suggested to step outside for a few minutes and walk up to the top of the hill which provided a nice overview around my property. Fortunately the rain had stopped for now, and I was able to demonstrate and further explain some of my plans by outlining the areas I had reserved for individual projects.

Once we had spent some time looking around, Mrs. Madison decided to get back to the original reason of the invitation: "So, Mr. Sinterguth, if I get it right, you suggest to pick up our daughter and take her for a visit to the zoo on her birthday, also together with Prim?"

I nodded and confirmed: "Yes, Mrs. Madison, this is correct. I would very much like to do this."

Rue's mother was not really convinced: "Please forgive me for asking, but most people I know do something only if they get something back. What are you getting back for that? Seeing an adult male person planing a day with two young girls sounds a little suspicious to me."

I understood this, of course, and I basically repeated what I had told Prime before, that I missed my youth group girls. To underline my statement I showed a certificate written by my pastor at home, confirming that I had been a youth group leader for about three years and mentioning my performance and behavior. Planing ahead before lunch, I had put that sheet of paper in my pocket to have it ready when needed.

"Of course", I added, "I cannot be available for every young person around being poor and not being able to celebrate a birthday as they should, but at least for those I know and I like, I'd feel really bad if I did not at least try to do something about it. Prim is by now a very good friend of mine, and I would not mind at all to extend this friendship to your daughter a little bit."

Going on, I also mentioned, this time to Mr. Miller (his wife had stayed inside to clean the table): "Thinking about that, my dear Mr. Miller, I have kept you and your wife quite busy over the last few weeks, with lots of irregular work hours and overtime, and I am afraid that you had less time to spend with your daughter than you liked. Would you mind if I also invited her for the trip to the zoo?"

Mr. Miller beamed: "Monica has mentioned a few times she'd love to go there, but as you say, somehow we could not find the time. I am sure that she would be delighted, and we would not mind at all!"

I summarized: "So, I guess that we are all in agreement. Next Wednesday I will pick up all three girls from school and we will visit the zoo until we are getting tired, and we are hopefully going to have a lot of fun."

Everybody nodded, and we went back into the house again to let the girls know about our joint decision.

Mr Miller drove the Madison family home in the van later in the afternoon, and once I had retired to bed, I thought that this had been a good day, and I was really looking forward to the planned day at the zoo.

[Author's Note: The story about being a youth group leader at a church community before with almost only girls in the group is something which is taken from my own personal background and has actually happened. I thought this might provide some explanation in the story for Timotheus being so happy with Prim and Rue around; he is not just pretending]