Chapter 7: A Repentant Brother

It was exactly 7 days later we had to watch little Carla and George die in the bloodbath. Almost everybody in the district is forced into every public space with a screen to watch the first hour of the Games. Carla died quickly with a knife to the back. She didn't suffer and the crowd breathes a sigh of relief. Her family is obviously distraught but they can take solace in the fact that their little girl wasn't in pain.

The same could not be said for George.

I don't know what that idiot was thinking but he ran straight to the cornucopia and walked headfirst into the male tribute from District 1's axe. Only it wasn't the sharp part.

His head was dented in and the tributes from 1 and the male from 2 were laughing at his spasms while the TV showed the scene in all its gory detail. Getting close ups of George's attempts at moving and speaking. It was only after the female from 2 saw it and instantly put an arrow through his head that it stopped and the cannon signifying his death went off. 

That seemed to piss off the other Careers but there was a strange feeling of thankfulness in the hearts of most in District 12 watching. 

With our tributes out of contention, we mindlessly wait for the mandatory hour of viewing to be over.

Once we are free to leave I march over to Mr. Greg's shop. Again, that stupid sign is posted on the front door and it's still locked. I've asked his neighbors and no one has heard from him in a few days. He is pretty old, something could have happened to him, so I'm not leaving before I find out he's ok.

I approach the door and bang on it with as much strength I can to not make it fly off its hinges. Hearing no sound, I start yelling "HEY MR. GREG! YOU BETTER OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR OR I'M GONNA KICK IT DOWN! YOU GOT ABOUT 10 SECONDS! 1… 2… 3…4…" "...10! YOU ASKED FOR IT!" 

I kick the door with all my strength and it flies 5 feet backwards before slamming on the ground. I still don't hear anything. 

Making my way fully inside, I search the place to make sure he's not lying dead on the floor. After moving upstairs to his living area, somewhere I've not been allowed in before I begin hearing snoring sounds. A little relieved but still not convinced all is well, I force open his door and see something I never thought I'd see.

Mr. Greg was sprawled out on his living room floor, bottles of some sort of booze strewn about along with a few puddles of vomit.

"Mr. Greg?! GREG!" I shout, hoping to wake him up.

"Mmmmmggghhh fuggoff" he mutters.

"What in the world has gotten into you Mr. Greg?" I ask more to myself than to him.

I could just leave him here, now that I know he's alive I could see myself out. Not like he would remember me barging into his home in the first place, but I would be less of a man if I left him like this. He's obviously struggling with something a little more severe than a bout of alcoholism.

I spend the next hour trying to get him cleaned up, having to make 3 trips for buckets of water all while trying to fight off the flying hands of a drunk old man. Eventually I get him, his clothes, and his floor cleaned up. I put him to bed with a glass of water and a loaf of bread sitting for him when he wakes up along with a note explaining what I did and why it looks like someone broke in to clean his house for him. I mentioned I would be coming by tomorrow for my usual hours.

The next day, after a typical hunt and trip to the Hob, I again make my walk to the shop. This time the sign is down and the door is cracked open.

Walking in I see Mr. Greg sitting at the counter, sorting through his inventory of screws and nails. He doesn't look up before asking "Did you tell anyone? About what you saw?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about. I came in yesterday and saw you sleeping in your bed. So, got anything for me today?" He looks up at me with confusion and I can see just how tired he was. Bags under his eyes, his already wrinkly face sagging even more, eyes more sunken in. He looks like he's aged 10 years, not good for a man his age.

"You're not gonna ask me about it?" 

"If you want me to know, you'll tell me. I'm here to work and help in any way I can."

He looks touched at my words, gaining his back straightening and his eyes gaining some life.

"Ha… I suppose you're the best man for the job…" He mutters to himself.

"Sorry, what was that?" I ask, not having heard him perfectly the first time. 

"Hmm… sit down. I'm gonna tell you a story and you're gonna listen. Afterwards I have a question for you. Can you do that?" He asks me with full seriousness as he gets out a bottle of booze.

"I can do that, but are you sure you should be drinking again so soon?"

"I just said listen, now shut your mouth." He says, uncorking the bottle.

"When I was a boy, I had an older brother named George. We were as close as brothers could be. I always looked up to him, whether that be in school, here at the forge, or just in how he made friends so easily. I basically worshiped him. But that all changed when I was 20. Our grandfather had just died from a fever and the shop was given to my father. Not long after that, he was caught with a girl from the Seam and got her pregnant. 

"My father was furious. He was worried that his son and 'heir' being with a Seam girl would ruin the family's reputation and since he had just taken over. He couldn't risk that happening, so he cut George out of the family. It broke my mother's heart and pissed me off for so long, but my brother told me he was in love with the girl so he told me to stay on our father's good side. To take care of the family business for him.

"I met up with him on rare occasions, and once his kid was born I saw him less and less. His wife wasn't comfortable being with our side of the family for obvious reasons. I thought we could wait a few years for my father to come back around but he never did. He died still angry at my brother for 'ruining the family name'.

"Once he died I tried reaching out to George after years of not speaking, only to find out he had died in a small mining accident years before. I was crushed and his wife wouldn't let me see my nephew. I was upset for a long, long time. I felt like I lost everyone I loved in a single day. My mother was the only one left and she didn't last for much longer. Those were the worst 5 years of my life. I only woke up to work and went to bed when I was done. I lived for nothing. I worked for nothing." He takes a moment and lets the silence linger.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. Is this the anniversary? What happened this past week? Why tell me all of this?" I ask. Hoping to understand and maybe help my one and only mentor in this world.

"I'm getting to that, just be quiet. Now where was I? Ah, I lived a meaningless life for years. It took me a long time to move on. I thought I was completely over it until last week, when I heard his name being called."

'Oh.'

"George Ferrero… my brother's name. That was his grandson, my great-nephew. When I heard his name it felt like I found a long lost member of my family. I wanted nothing more than to run up and introduce myself, beg for forgiveness, but how could I? A seemingly privileged, single man, coming to beg for forgiveness from a starving kid from the Seam as he's being shipped off to die? I couldn't face him. My only hope was to see him miraculously win. When I saw what happened to him in the arena I forfeited my life. I went to Haymitch, bought as much booze as I could carry, and was planning on drinking myself to death. I would have if it wasn't for you." He says with tears streaming down his face and gasping for breath trying to contain his emotions.

"When I saw your note this morning next to the bread and water and saw what you did to help me I realized something. I realized I still had something to live for, someone who I can still help and whose life I can still make a difference in. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life but this is not one of them. So… here is my question.

.

.

.

"Would you be the heir to my shop? Will you take on my family legacy and make it your own?"

I am stunned. Eyes wide and mouth agape for minutes, staring at him like he grew a second head. Is he seriously going to give his entire inheritance to a kid he has only known for a few years now? A kid from the Seam no less? Is he insane?

"I… I'm incredibly honored sir… but are you sure this is what you want? I don't want you to wake up tomorrow and see this as a spur of the moment decision?" I ask, refusing to believe he would do such a thing.

"I've never been more sure of anything. You're the only one who knows what goes on in here. You've been a loyal worker and student ever since I took you on. Even with all the struggles you've been going through recently. I can't think of a better person."

"Then… then I accept sir. I promise to work harder than ever. I won't let you down. I'll make you proud sir!" I say with tears in my eyes. This isn't just a promotion, it's a life-line. A way out of abject poverty to only normal poverty. To an outsider it would seem negligible, trading one job for another, but really, he just gave me the keys to uplifting my family.

"I know you will kid… I know you will." And for the first time, I think ever, I see a real, genuine smile in Old Man Greg's face.

A/N: 1 or 2 timeskip chapters then the 74th reaping!!!