CHAPTER FIVE: Moxie Tyler

The television flickers on. We's all holdin' our breath now.

They call him Romulus Cane, and he's the master of ceremonies for the interview shows leading to the opening of the Hunger Games. His hair is a deep black and it's like a mane running from his forehead to his neck. His face is sharp, narrow, powdered grey with hints of electric blue sweeping from the corners of his eyes and vanishing around his cheekbones. He dresses in an understated way considering all the other types of characters they've got on this show, and he's only a little more outrageously dressed than President Snow (who gives me chills with his piercing eyes and his blinding white suit). Romulus Cane has dyed his eyes a matching electric blue to the streaks on his skin. His suit is trimmed in the same electric blue but it is an ashy grey that fades into a deep black like his hair. There's something about him that is very off-putting. The television flickers on as we're eating dinner, which is a fresh catch of prairie dog meat – of which I'm proud – and some of Miss Vetta's cold soup for a hot day. Dad gets up to turn it off, like he always does, but since the Capitol controls our set, his attempts are futile. We have to watch as they parade around the Tributes.

Cane speaks: "Welcome to the 19th Annual Hunger Games!" and the crowd goes wild. Lenox and Striker haven't gotten used to this ritual in five years. I hope they never do. I catch Bess looking at me, and I remember what I said to her last night in bed, when she was asleep. This year the Hunger Games are going to test us all because these Tributes are siblings. Cane continues to speak. We're preparing for the entrance of the Tributes into the Capitol, and the screen behind Romulus Cane is broadcasting the jam-packed circus that leads to President Snow's mansion house. There is a large flag bearing the symbol of Panem draped at the end of the circus where the Tributes in their chariots will finish the entrance. I try to imagine what Flaxie McKay and Seeder McKay must be going through right now. The train took them away as we were leaving Miss Vetta's shop last night. It wasn't glamorous, it wasn't on the big screen at the town hall, it was just the two of them saying goodbye, probably for the last time. Were they scared? Are they scared now?

The entrance into the Capitol works like this: each district will be represented by the costumes the Tributes from them are wearing. Tributes enter the Capitol in the same chariot. The entrance comes during the playing of the anthem. It's a massive spectacle because it seems like the districts begin competing with each other by how they are costuming their Tributes for this opening ceremony. Cane is explaining all this and I'm sort of listening, but I notice for the first time that Lenox and Striker are actually paying attention. I take their hands and lift Striker up on my lap. Outside we can hear that some of the neighbors have pulled their sets out into the common ground and are watching this embarrassing spectacle together. Bess takes Elka outside and Sissy follows, leaving me with the boys. I wish Bess had stayed in here so I could see how she's processing all this, knowing that in a year this could be her or someone she knows. But Bess does things her way. I won't blame her for it, but I make a promise as the musical flourish announces the beginning of the anthem, a promise that I'm going to be more kind and giving of myself to Bess this year. Who knows what will happen this time next year?

District 1 begins the parade entering with outfits of ornate gems and jewelry dropping from their shoulders to their waists like a sash, then some shiny material covers the rest of their bodies in the form of trousers and a short-flowing dress. This is black. They look fierce. The male Tribute is a teenage boy called Dex. I only know that because they recapped all the Reapings last night, and maybe more importantly because its written at the bottom of the screen as the camera shows him. Next to him is the female Tribute whose name is Scyllus. When she smiles, her shiny white teeth look like razors. They sparkle, but they look very sharp.

District 2 is emerging. Since they are known for their engineering, they are dressed in a metallic color and texture. The inside shoulders of both Tributes are bare. They wear silver glitter on their faces and look stern as they wave mechanically to the audience around them. The male Tribute is a good-looking boy, according to Cane, and his name is Knut (which Cane pronounces as K-noot). Beside him is a plain-looking girl Tribute whose name is Flicka.

District 3 enters. They are stealing a lot of the crowd's attention because they are actually sparkling. Their costumes look like electric wiring woven around their naked bodies (somewhat loosely) and finally it is plugged into the chariot, and at intervals they are all flashing and sparkling. District 3 is known for its manufacturing of electronics. The male Tribute looks like he must be seventeen years old and he is shockingly magnificently strong. I blush because that's a strange feeling for me, but it's hard not to hear the women in the circus go wild in their cheering. He is called Switch, and he wears his string of lights like a toga, slanting across his bare upper body and falling in loose strands covering his private parts. Next to him is a much smaller girl Tribute who is called Curia. I try not to gasp when I realize that she looks like she could be Bess' age. She is wiry in frame and her costume is woven around her like a short-sleeved unitard. I notice how she grips Switch's hand – white knuckled – but has a fierce look in her eyes. I think they are going to be a big hit with the Capitol folk.

District 4 struggles against the reception for District 3, but they are considerably more impressive as a pair. They are definitely closer to seventeen than eleven. Their costumes look like they've been made from seaweed. The male Tribute is called Lutris. He has a stubbly chin and chocolate hair that's been spiked up and looks prickly. He is strong – much like a ranch-hand I once ran into by accident – Lutris' costume is more or less a loin cloth made of seaweed, and his entire upper body is bare and pleasantly tanned. The women like this too. I look at him – plain looking really – and see a different face which makes me scowl. I ran into him by accident! The female Tribute has shocking blue eyes like I can imagine the ocean looks. Her name is Otari and her costume is a tube top covering her bodice, strapless and revealing her muscled arms (also tanned), and a short skirt of seaweed and reeds. She looks ridiculous because her skirt redefines the term "short", but her smile could win her the Games alone. I make a mental note to watch out for them, Lutris and Otari.

Then it's District 5. The disarming thing about these two Tributes is that they have matching heads of shockingly copper hair. As District 5 deals in hydroelectricity and hydraulic engineering, they are wearing costumes of sheer blue fabric that look like water rushing from a dam while also having silver strips woven in that sparkle. These are draped like tunics that are tied with a silver metallic cord at the waist. Neither are outstanding in musculature so they are received with some disappointment after magnificent displays from 3 and 4. Their names are Anawn and Hidra. Hidra's long curly copper hair is flowing freely behind her and she smiles as freely toward a disinterested Capitol audience.

District 6 is very interesting in their costume and make-up. Being a district known for their talents with the arts, they are painted in swirling patterns of many colors. It's a little nauseating to be honest. They are both very skinny with wild eyes. The female Tribute, Tempra, is taller and looks older. Her companion Tribute, Kilin, has wandering eyes. I wonder if they'll make it past the first day. Everyone knows the first day features a bloodbath at the Cornucopia.

District 7's Tributes are wrapped in bark that makes them look strange. It isn't a popular design for an audience that has dismissed them before they've been given a chance to impress. Froe and Labrys are their names, and much about their physique is a mystery as they're completely hidden by their bark wrapping. I think there is something in Froe's eyes, she's the female Tribute, that spells danger, but the cameramen are only apologetic in giving them screen time. Before anything more can be discerned about them, they're gone to District 8.

Districts 8 and 9 go by without too much incident. District 9's Tributes aren't impressive at all, donning blinding white coats over thin blue clothes with deep V-necks and elastic bands holding their trousers. District 8's costumes are patchwork swatches – District 8 is known for manufacturing textiles. They look gaudy.

District 10 arrives and at first we can't be sure what they're wearing. After these elaborate costumes, 10 seems to be dressed very plainly. Perhaps it's hard to tell what they're wearing because it's a costume we've seen often enough. Rather than anything really elaborate or deeply imaginative, Flaxie and Seeder McKay are dressed in buckaroo outfits: blue jeans, leather boots, matching fitted checkered shirts with buttons up the front side, and bandanas on their heads. After some delay, the audience begins to murmur, because suddenly the chariot has seemingly disappeared and in its stead, it seems that a second pair of horses has materialized. Seeder brandishes the reigns that seem to have separated to become a pair of whips, and the false pair of horses bray as if real. It's a nice trick that comforts the Capitol crowd after some successive dull entrances. Seeder is young but not bad-looking. Flaxie is as tall as her brother and she looks rather strong… at least she looks stronger than I remember her being in the Reaping yesterday. If one of us was up there, how would folks see us?

Districts 11 and 12 go by also, and the Capitol folks seem to have had enough with the entrances. They have their favorites, and of course no one can deny that the Careers – the Tributes usually from Districts 1, 2, and 4 – will have a solid support base in the Capitol, but with the lower Districts – Districts 7-12 – costumes and entrances, and later interviews and training scores, are what might determine life or death on the first day and night in the arena. President Snow makes an address welcoming the Tributes and completes his address with well-wishing for them. Just like that, it's over. The television flickers and goes static. Dad turns it off and the twins stir out of their haziness brought on by the mixture of excitement and confusion over what is happening on the T.V. screen. Outside, the Prairie Dogs stir as well, each moving off to their respective huts with words of greeting and general neighborly remarks to each other. Bess and the girls return as well, and the rest of the night seems to pass without much speaking. I take the boys to bed pretty soon afterward, and Bess and the girls get ready for bed themselves. There is a strange moment when I come back into the room and catch Dad staring at the T.V. absently.

I pause and watch him. Then I choose to speak up. "Dad? You awright?" He doesn't seem to hear me at first, but when I start to clean up the dishes, he comes into the kitchen – which isn't much of a kitchen really. He comes into that space with me and leans against the deadwood planks that make up the wall. "Moxie," he begins. "What do you remember of your mother?" I think this is a weird question, so I continue rubbing a ragged soapy cloth over the dishes, thinking of a way to answer him. He beats me to it. "Do you remember anything?" I stop and nod slightly.

"I remember her awright. But, sometimes, she seems distant in my memory, like she's fading." Dad pushes off from the wall and comes a little closer to me. I give him my attention.

"Yeah." He says. "You were so young when she passed." He paused a minute, trying to form the words in his head and bring them to his lips. I waited for him. "I don't expect you to… I mean, it's okay… I mean, what I mean to say is that it's okay for you to let her fade sometimes. But you need to know that she really loved you and Bess and Arvensis and Elka very much."

He looked like he was going to say more but instead, he crossed to the small deadwood plank table where I had propped the washing basin and clay jug of washing water along with the drying dishes, and he reached underneath the table and pulled out a small drawer I never knew existed. It was very small and could almost fit his whole hand, but instead of sticking his hand in, he groped around with his first two fingers and came up with a pretty little necklace. It was a thin golden chain with a heart-shaped charm dangling at the end, opposite the clasp. Even though Dad's fingers were stubbly, he deftly opened the charm to reveal pictures I'd never seen. Two small girls lying asleep and holding each other filled the left side chamber of the charm with two small girls lying side-by-side and laughing into the camera filled the right side chamber. Dad held them up proudly for me to see. "Those two are you and Bess," he said, pointing out the sleeping children. "You were always holding on to each other as little girls. But when you went to sleep, you cuddled Bess naturally, and your momma would just sit by your bedside and watch you two sleep." He pointed to the second picture. "Sissy and Elka. They always made your momma laugh because it took very little to make them smile. They made the old house bright and happy." His voice faltered, so we just looked at the pictures. I wondered what life was like back then. I also wondered what he meant by the old house? He closed up the charm and let it dangle between us. "We don't talk much about the family," he said in a softer voice. "They are Townies, and when I moved your momma out here to be a Prairie Dog, they never really forgave me. Not that I could do much right by them." He caught himself and tried to flash me a reassuring smile, but there was no twinkle in his eyes.

"Dad," I said. "Is the family still in Town?" Dad nodded. "Are they the Townie Tylers?" Again, Dad nodded. "So if I wanted to go looking for them, I could?" Dad was hesitant with his nod this time. He looked worried. "Dad, if you took Momma away from the Townie Tylers, wouldn't that mean she was a Tyler?" I think I confused or surprised Dad with this logic because he frowned.

"Your momma became a Tyler. Her maiden name was Scythe. It's a long story why the family broke up and it had nothing to do with your momma marrying me. But her coming out here with me made a lot of Townies angry." He hesitated again but this time didn't continue with his explanation. Instead, he motioned for me to turn around, which I did, and after I had my back to him, he reached around and clasped the chain and its locket charm around my neck. "I want you to keep it now. I've been thinking about giving it to you for some time now, but I think now that you're old enough…" he didn't finish the thought but instead he turned me around and took a look at me. This time the twinkle in his eyes appeared truly as he smiled. "Sometimes," he said almost in a whisper, "I think I see her in you. Your smile… the way you take care of the boys… and Bess…. How you're growing up," he trailed off a minute but kept smiling from his eyes as the corners of his mouth turned down again. "Keep that charm safe, will you?" It was my turn to nod this time. Then Dad did something I'll never forget: he wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me tight. I could smell all the smells that made him who he was: sweet and stale scents, dry and wet textures, all of them uniquely him.

I put my arms around Bess that night in bed, cuddling up to her as she slept, nuzzling her hair and trying to feel the warmth of her body beside mine. These were strange and familiar feelings, like I knew them a long time ago but felt like I was relearning them. I remember how I'd told her I loved her the night before, even though she didn't hear me, and I felt like sometime soon I'd have to tell her to her face that she was so important to me. I had to tell her before it was too late. It never felt like we were running out of time, but with the Games beginning so soon from now, with the brother and sister Tributes from District 10 going into the arena against each other, I felt like time – when we had it – ought to be spent wisely.

The next night the television flickered on again. We all knew that the interviews would be full of mixed emotions. Each Tribute got interviewed for three minutes, and Romulus Cane, who had been a rather stoic presence in the Opening Ceremonies the night before seemed to be a completely different person at the interviews. His demeanor changed from a rigid and disinteresting person to a very lively, flamboyant person whose movements were almost as fluid as water. He had exchanged his darker clothing for a vibrant yellow suit and matching yellow streaks in his hair. The theater was packed with a sea of many different colors. In turn, each Tribute's picture was flashed up on the screen behind Romulus Cane. He began with the female Tributes and then interviewed the male Tributes. Scyllus, the female Tribute from District 1, had a strong but gravelly voice and was quick to talk about how she planned to win the Games against a field of Tributes that were woefully unqualified to represent their Districts. It was almost like she was suggesting that this was something we all signed up for. I hated her right away for being like that. Dex, the male Tribute for 1, was strong in his comments but not as brazen as his companion. He thought he had a strong chance to win the Games but hoped that he'd meet one of the other Careers – he didn't use that adjective but we all knew it was that group he was talking about – in the final showdown. Flicka, from District 2, made fun of Dex with biting sarcastic remarks that I didn't entirely understand. Cane managed to soften some of her edges with well-timed jokes, but on some occasions her edges couldn't be softened. I guessed that she had confidence that there were sponsors already committed to her because she wasn't doing anything to convince the audience that she was in any way likable. Knut, however, was a complete charmer and I think the audience was very mollified by him and his easy presence. When Curia got up to be interviewed, Cane was interested in talking about how she thought she and her fellow Tribute would fare against the usual favorites. She did her best but I wasn't convinced she believed they could both make a good show of it. And when Switch got up to be interviewed, the women in the theater went crazy. His voice was a nice gentle growl, not too low to seem menacing but not too soft to seem like a floozy. In the dramatic stage lights, he looked even more handsome than he had the previous night. It seemed that three minutes weren't enough time to spend with him. "Now tell me, before we have to say goodbye for now, do you think you can win these Games, Switch?" Cane asked. The look on Switch's face was one caught between hopefulness and sorrow. "Mr. Cane, I'll go to the arena with every intention of doing my best, and if that means I win the Games, then my best will clearly be the best. But if it doesn't lead me to becoming a Victor," the women around the theater let out a collective whimper, being totally enamored with the boy. He responded with a look of gratitude mixed with regret. "If I should not return a Victor, then I suppose this is our last chance to be with one another, and such a glorious company I shall be sad to part from." He flashed a winning smile that brought down the house. I felt my cheeks burn, and I couldn't say why. Otari was less charming, but Lutris was equally or more charming, causing the women to swoon again and my cheeks burned again – this time for a different reason. I wanted to erase the face of the boy I'd seen and who Lutris reminded me of, but I didn't have that kind of power. If nothing else, I hoped to see him again, maybe, just to learn his name. I was glad when the District 4 Tribute was finished with his interview.

Flaxie and Seeder seemed less hopeful about winning the Games, but the main focus from Cane was on their blood relationship. "Now, I know I was particularly saddened when we all found out that you came here with your sister," Cane said to Seeder, towards the end of his interview. "Walk us through what you were feeling when they called out your name at the Reaping." Seeder swallowed hard and the whole theater swallowed with him. "Well," he began. "I can't remember a time when I wasn't with Flax, even from when I was a kid. We grew up on the plains together and we've been so close. I guess if I was to go to the Games with anyone, I'd want it to be my big sister." The audience responded with cooing sounds. Cane looked pathetic. "And if there was one last thing you could say to your sister, what would it be?" Seeder looked over to his sister behind him and smiled. I felt my heart sink. He faced the audience again and said confidently, "Flax, I love you. There's not much time left and you never hear me say it, so even if this is the last time, even if it's the last chance we have to speak plainly, I'll spend my 'I love you' now, because I do, and I always will." I got choked, looked around for Bess and found her staring at the television screen, a strange look on her face like she was here but not here at the same time. I played with the locket charm in the absence of words. Would I ever be able to tell her I loved her to her face? Or would time take that away from me just like it was taking away these important moments from Flaxie and Seeder McKay?