Chapter 20
1172 Words
Dinner time in District 12, the worst in my opinion as of late. Why you may ask? Well its simple, Mayor Hawthorne, or simply Madge. My mother hated her and until tonight I didn't know why.
My family and I had just arrived at the Mayors house dressed in our dinner outfits. Not only was this just a simple dinner it was also the signing of several contracts. The laws were passed but each individual contracted needed not only Madge's signature but mine and my husbands as well.
Before dinner had started I decided to use the restroom. On my way back as I was looking at the pictures along the walls I noticed the pictures of Lia and Bailey were gone. Not even was there a simple picture of Gale and Bailey or Gale and Lia. It was like they didn't exist.
"Finding your way back okay?" I heard Madge speak.
I briskly turned around to face her. "Yeah I was just on my way back." I casually brought my hand to my forehead for a second and then dropped it. "You wouldn't happen to know where Gale placed the pictures of Bailey and Lia would you?" I asked.
Madge shook her head. "I'm sorry but I don't know who you are talking about." She replied.
Certainly this was a lie. Madge knew about Gale and his family which had me curious as to why she was pretending not to.
"That is a lie." I said plainly.
"That is enough, now dinner is on the table and I suggest you quietly make your way there."
I walked calmly towards her and stopped to glare momentarily. After the effect was done I continued on back downstairs. I wasn't about to let this go, I wanted to know what was going on.
"Gale!" I called before I made it into the dining area.
I heard the scraping of a chair before he appeared. "What may I do for you Aloe?"
"Where is the picture of you and your family?" I asked him.
He jerked his head towards a door to my left. "Above the fireplace."
Without further comment I headed in the room desperate to see the face of my deceased best friend Lia. Only problem was that the picture above the fireplace was of Gale with Madge and their son.
"This isn't it, I wanted to see Bailey and Lia." I said as Gale joined my side. "Where is the picture?" I asked more demandedly.
I saw Gales eyes flicker towards where I had entered and then look back at me. "I don't know who you are talking about, that is my family. Me, my wife Madge and our son Gadge." He replied.
I was confused but not stupid. I knew something was going on but I just couldn't place my finger on it. Why would he deny the knowledge of his past family?
I studied his face and kept watch as his eyes kept flickering towards the door. What was he looking at and why did he look so nervous. I turned around and saw Madge standing there, her arms crossed and I knew instantly what was going on.
Madge had always been jealous of Gale and his wife Bailey ever since they got together after my mother came back from the Games. It was obvious she was manipulating him or atleast controling him. She didn't want any memories of Gale's past in her home.
I walked over to Madge, anger clearly splattered across my face. "You have some nerve-" I began, but was cut off.
"You have nerve thinking you can come into my home and try to brainwash my husband." Madge said to me.
I pushed Madge up against the door and pinned her there. "What did you do to him huh!" I shrieked.
Several scraps of chairs were heard and in seconds we had an audience. My mother instantly demanded to know what was going on and when I told her she was fierce. Gale was my mother best friend and Lia was her god daughter. All I had to say was that I was glad my mother didn't have a knife near her.
"Where are the pictures?" She demanded.
"Try looking in the closet behind you." Madge quickly gave in. Madge for some reason feared my mother and it had always made me wonder why.
I walked quickly to the closet and opened the door. There were several picture frames stacked there. As I reached forward and pulled one to myself I felt almost sick. There were gashes in the face of Bailey and even in the pictures of Lia. She ruined his pictures.
I threw the picture I had in my hands down on the floor and crossed the room at a run, charging head on at Madge. I let out a angered shriek as I tackled her to the floor. In the next second my fist collided with her face repeatedly.
"You monstrous b***h!" I yelled at her as I continued serving blows to her face.
My family stood there allowing me to attack Madge. I knew they weren't going to do anything because they all knew and loved Bailey and Lia as much as I did if not more. It was Gale who pulled me off of her. He slapped me in the face before throwing me down on the ground.
What happened next I expected. My mother and father both advanced on them. My mother went for Madge and my father went for Gale. My husband Jackson helped me to my feet and then we watched my parents going to town on the two.
After 2 minutes of attacking them I decided they had enough. The way my parents fought 2 minutes was more than enough.
"You will regret this." Madge said as she got to her feet, bruises all over her face.
Jackson stepped forward this time. "Don't you dare threaten my family." he said before we headed out fo the room.
Dinner was over, atleast here at the Mayors house. As we exited the house Madge threw another threat our way. Apparently we should be expecting a visit from the Law Enforcers upon our return to the Capitol.
"That is absurd!" I snapped as we headed into my old home in the Victors Village. "How desperate is Gale. I mean did you see what the wretched woman did to the pictures."
My mother was holding a small framed picture in her hands. This one had a knife gash but it wasn't in the face of Bailey like the others. It was Bailey and Gale in a close up. Gale was cradling Bailey's face and the way they looked at one another screamed that they were unconditionally in love with one another.
What had Gale done to deserve losing Bailey and thier love child the way they had gone? Why would he easily just let the memories he had with them fall away without trying to hold on. What was he thinking?
- Writer
