𝙄'𝙇𝙇 𝙎𝙀𝙇𝙇 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝘼 𝙎𝙊𝙉𝙂 - 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙃𝙐𝙉𝙂𝙀𝙍 𝙂𝘼𝙈𝙀𝙎

𝟏

You notice the absence of your grandmother as soon as you wake up. That's when the panic sets in. Has she gotten up and fallen down the rickety stairs? She certainly isn't in your shared bed. Thankfully, you hear the usual high-pitch warble downstairs.

There's a dark and a troubled side of life

There's a bright and a sunny side too

Though we meet with the darkness and strife

The sunny side we also may view

She always used to sing that song in her band, even when she was a small child. The Covey weren't a band, per say, more a group of people. Like the Ancient's Gypsies, they traveled about Panem, telling stories, selling handmade items, and singing songs. That was until the Dark Days.

After the war, the Covey were trapped wherever they happened to be at the time, and 'obliged' to stay, performing for the masses. In the Baird family's case, that meant they were stuck in District 12, coal mining, which also happened to be the poorest of all the districts. Maude Ivory was the youngest of the family. After the adults perished, leaving a handful of children to fend for themselves, someone took them in, and they grew up. Eventually, the family dwindled down to just the one woman, who had a daughter who then went on to die in childbirth - giving birth to you. Your father took no responsibilities, being not only young, but married. As if to spite him, your dear grandmother used his surname for you. McCarthy.

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side

Keep on the sunny side of life

It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way

If we keep on the sunny side of life

You know the date. Everyone in Panem did. To few, a celebration. To the districts, a curse. Reaping Day. Every year, the Capitol selects a male and female from each district between the ages of 12 and 18 on a humid, midsummer day. These 'lucky' kids get sent to the Capitol for a parade, a few days training and an interview before they throw the lot into an arena to fight to the death. Last tribute standing gets unfathomable riches, and feeds their district for a year, only to mentor the next year's sacrifices. So, understandably, the districts dread Reaping Day.

You still have a while until you have to get ready, so you hop out of bed and head downstairs to greet your guardian. She's still singing, so you join in for the rest of the song.

 Oh, the storm and its fury broke today

Crushing hopes that we cherished so dear

Clouds and storms will in time pass away

The sun again will shine bright and clear

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side

Keep on the sunny side of life

It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way

If we'll keep on the sunny side of life

No matter how old she gets, she can still sing in tune. She was born with a beautiful voice, and she'll probably die with one too. Even without music, the pair of you dance around the kitchen, singing together, smiles on your faces.