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"HEY CARITA," THANA waves and walks over to the girl. "I want to invite you and your father for dinner tonight."
"Thana, that is so nice," Carita smiles, "will Latif also be present?" the Greengraze girl's eyebrows raise with her question.
"Ah, of course you ask that, but no." Thana smiles and with a wink adds, "but Zahra will be joining the three of us."
A small blush appears on the beautiful skin of Carita. "You are not joking right?"
Thana bites her lip and smirks, "I wouldn't dare my dear friend." Thana puts a hair behind her own ears. "Besides, you need someone to talk about when Rohan and I discuss upcoming events."
"Oh yeah," Carita's eyebrows form a frown, "I hate how to victory tour always edges upon us once autumn starts to end."
"It sucks, doesn't it?" Thana agrees with Carita. "But anyway, you two are welcome to come over around 6, I will make sure dinner is almost ready by then."
"Surprise us with your cooking skills," Carita hugs the girl, "I swear you make the best soups I have ever tasted."
"You are to kind."
"Only because you are," Carita smiles, "see you tonight Thai-Thai."
"See you tonight, Cari." With that Thana takes her basket in her arm and starts to walk towards the market.
Shopping for groceries and cooking have been the only time Thana has had moments of peace, nobody trying to interrupt her or ignore her. No, just Thana with her thoughts, the smell of fresh food and baked and or cooked food. Yes, you need a knife or two for cutting vegetables, but oddly enough it brings the victor peace. There are many days in which Thana gives away bowls of soup on the market, there are days in which Thana brings food to her oldest sister Sadiya who has her hands full with her twins. Clément works so much to try to support their little family of four. The baby girl and boy both healthy enlarging the family, Thana smiles thinking about them before her thoughts betray her and show her many possibilities of the future where she and Latif will have to mentor their niece and nephew. No, Thana has never liked president Snow, but this foresight makes her cry and even never want to find love. She has known as a little kid she wanted to be a mother, but now that she is older and knows the awful consequences of getting children in the districts. No, Thana knows in her heart she doesn't want to bring children in this awful excuse of a country that calls itself Panem. And in her heart she also knows the only way to ensure that happens is when she stays alone with walls build around her heart. To stay lonely and in pain for the rest of her life, until death finally takes mercy on her.
...
"Come on Latif," Thana pulls her brother through the streets of district 9, "you can't be late to your own party."
"How can we party when so many including Celie died?" he asks his sister obvious to the smile on her features.
"Because we celebrate that we are still alive," Thana smiles at Latif, "I know it might be hard, but at least try to enjoy it, this is the best party in honour of yourself. A party at home, with the beautiful sun going down, the best music that you know by heart, your home celebrating that we are alive." Thana lays her hand on Latif's cheek, "and next year we will celebrate this again as winter comes, and we will continue doing this but today you will be the guest of honour. So please try to enjoy tonight, tomorrow when we are sitting in the train towards district 12 you can mope all you want. Today we are alive."
As they reach the market square Thana lets go of Latif's hand and runs towards her father who is animatedly talking to Clément. Verrill smiles as he sees his daughter run up to him.
"Excuse me Clément," Verrill smiles at his son-in-law, "it seems that Thana is holding me to a promise."
"You promised to dance with her, didn't you?" Clément smiles and turns to his wife and children. "Come here darling," Clément takes their son from Sadiya's arms, and Sadiya leans into him with their daughter in her arms.
"You four look great together," Thana smiles at her sister's own little family, "have fun."
"Come Thana," Verrill holds his hand out as a new song sets in. Thana takes his without hesitations and lets him pull her to the middle of the square where circles are drawn with the cobblestones.
The upbeat music changes Thana's heartbeat to the beat of the music. The people of district 9 all dance, sing, make music, clap or talk. The expenses of the food covert by the living victors make the party whole and with delicious food and lots of drinks. And when the sun has gone down the party of life still goes on. but the time for the speech is there.
"People of our beautiful district," the mayor shouts, "tonight we celebrate life, we celebrate the beauty, the pain and of course that we are still alive." There are cheers, "but not to forget we celebrate the lives of the people we lost. We celebrate for all those in our community that are gone, and we celebrate those souls that have joined our community this year." The mayor raises her glass, "tonight we raise our glass to life.
"To life!" Thana shouts with the rest of her district while raising her glass with a joyous smiles covering every inch of her face.
"Thana!" Zahra runs up to her sister, "come lets dance." And just like that, Thana is dancing with her sister as if nothing in life is matters.
"I love you sis," Thana hugs her sister in the middle of dancing, "never forget that."
"As long as you never forget that you will always be worthy of our love," Zahra hugs her little sister close to herself. "I miss you when you will be gone for that awful victory tour bullshit."
"And I will think about you every day." Thana smiles softly, "oh, and I am happy for you and Carita."
"Wait, what?" Zahra tries to ask confused. "Why now?"
"Don't try to act so innocent," Thana laughs, "I have known something was going on for a long time now, and I saw you two kiss after we raised our glasses."
"You did?" Zahra asks, "Oh my gosh, you didn't tell mom and dad right?"
"Dad saw it as well," Thana shares with her sister, "and he is so happy that you found love, especially with such a nice person like Carita. He welcomes her with open arms."
"Dad is literally the best," Zahra smiles her eyes soft with the love for her father, "we don't deserve him."
"I know," Thana hugs her sister another time, "I know."
"Come one, let us do one more dance," Zahra laughs and starts to dance again.
