Panem Et Circenses

Nine.

Nine.

Alexander and I walked back to the camp in silence. What I liked the most about him was that he didn’t question this, any of this. There had been no 'are you okay''s or 'do you want to tell me''s. Quite frankly, it felt good to not be questioned on this. I did sort of wonder what stories had been told about the house, but I didn’t want to ask. The business must've been shut down or moves elsewhere, I doubt that my dad's business partner would want to keep it going in Boston. He had always complained that Boston wasn’t the best place, that we should move locations to Detroit or New York City. After not hearing from my father for an extended amount of time, I’m sure that he took the business as his and moved it elsewhere.

By the time we returned, Jack and Bernard were back and talking to Kenton as he fed the horses. Not wanting to make eye contact with Bernard, I quickly made my way to the caravan and shut the door, vaguely aware that Alexander had followed behind me. Bernard was too wrapped up in the conversation he was having with Kenton to notice me, but Jack did. Just as I had sat down on my cot and smoothed my hair, there was a knock on the door. Alexander and I exchanged a look before he opened the door to reveal Jack. Before I could tell him that I didn’t want to speak to anybody at the moment, he stepped in. Alexander looked at us before squeezing past and exiting the caravan.

Jack shook his head and took off his hat, setting it on the coat rack. I watched him curiously, wondering what he was about to do. It took him a couple minutes to get settled before he cracked his knuckles and looked over to me. I studied his features waiting for him to speak. His usually piercing red eyes were a darker blood-like color and his black as night hair was slicked back. He still sported the bruised eye from Bernard, but it was slightly faded. He wore a sort of irritated expression on his face. A wave of relief washed over me, knowing the source of his irritation wasn’t me.

“Honestly, I have no clue how you have put up with him for this long,” Jack stated, his irritation obvious. I laughed nervously, cautious to use the right words.

“Why what'd he do?” I questioned him to which he shook his head.

“Just the way he acts. I know I should remember but for some reason I don’t, has he always drank this much?”

To that question I laughed, trying to imagine Bernard any other way. It just didn’t happen. “Ever since I met him fifteen years ago. He hasn't changed and quite frankly, I’m not sure he ever will. I’m just surprised he isn’t dead yet,” I said with a laugh before biting my tongue, realizing that he was already dead. Jack didn’t catch the last part though, which is a good thing. I’m sure he would have laughed in my face and told me that he's already dead, that we're all dead.

“I don’t think he will either. Do you know the reason behind that?” Jack questioned, slightly less irritable. I shrugged, happy that my mind was off the mansion and all those years ago.

“I don’t know anything about him, its weird I know,” I stated. The sound of horse harnesses jingling caused a momentary pause in our conversation as we looked to the door. A few moments later, when nobody had entered the caravan, jack continued talking.

“I thought that after fifteen years you would get to know a person,” he stated, a bit shocked that I didn’t really knew Bernard.

It wasn’t that I never tried to ask him about his past, believe me I did, but it was more of him not wanting to answer me. Multiple times over the course of the first year I used to pester him, constantly questioning him about the smallest of things. Why was his hair always messed up. Why had my hair changed from a lovely blonde to almost black. Why I looked different, and yet still the same. He would always answer those questions, but with an edge to his tone. I knew I annoyed him, that's why I did it. As time passed, I started questioning him on more personal things. For instance, why he drank so much. One can only imagine the answer I had received to that question. It was a loud shut your mouth followed by a drink from whatever it was that he was drinking.