Mayella sat with her hands in her lap not looking up at the people looking at her. She inconspicuously tried straightening a piece of her hair that was sticking up to one side. It was to no use. At home she would have just spit in her hand and wiped it on her hair to make it lay flat, but she knew that that was not ok for court. This morning she had gotten up early and taken a bath.
No one had helped her whatsoever to carry pail after pail of water to get enough to sink herself into. She had looked though the trash and found a broken comb witch she used to brush through the knots and tangles of her hair. After Pa had gotten angry at her that one time and cut her hair of with a knife she had been gradually trying to grow it out and make it even. She had washed her best clothes and had them laid out. She was the only one who ever tried to keep anything clean.
All the other members of her family were men and they expected her to do everything. If she didn’t than she would get beaten. After every time she would get beaten she would have to stay in bed for a day. No one would come to help her, not her father nor any of her brothers and sisters.
The only person who had ever shoed any kindness to her in her whole life was a negro man. When she first saw him she had taken pity on him. She had been there the day he had gotten his arm in the cotton gin. She had seen his friends running for help. She asked them what was wrong and they had replied “We need a doctor, Tom’s got his arm in the cotton gin” she had run to the field to see if there was anything she could do to help. He was lying on the ground and there was blood all around him. He was screaming in pain she then felt compassion for this poor crippled Negro boy and that compassion had never left her.
Mayella wanted to die, she wanted to kill herself. After first kissing this man and then saying he raped her. What was wrong with her? She loved him but at the same time she was convicting him to death. She was just so lonely and sad and confused, she wished that there was someone that could be there for her that could in someway help her. She at this point was old enough to know that neither of those options were possible.
Was Tom Robinson so OBLIVIOUS to the fact that she loved him? Didn’t he see it in her eyes when she would ask him to help her? She would INDULGE in watching him. So strong, but she knew that they couldn’t be together for many reasons. One, he did not love her in return. Two, he was married and with children and three, she was a poor beaten girl who had never before two days ago kissed someone. She would AMIABLY though her self of a cliff right now.
Oh no… the court was starting. She wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt and looked up into the face of her fear. Atticus. She had ACQUAINTED herself with him before. So she knew… she knew he was going to find her out. She looked over to the DEFENDANT chair were Tom was sitting. She looked away. Her heart gave a painful little squeeze as she accepted what she was doing. All hope and love inside her shut down and she became prepared to lie.
Post 5 Chap 13-15 Dill
May 17, 2009
Dill closed his eyes and listened to the conversations around him. He suddenly heard shouting and he heard scout cry out in pain. He suddenly had the overwhelming urge to get out from under scouts bed and help her. He knew that she was only fighting against Jem though. He heard Jem fall down and then Atticus entered the room. “Go to bed” Atticus said. Yes this was his chance. He squeezed his hand out. Then he felt scout step on it. She had been reading and was ready to go to bed. He couldn’t help it, it hurt. He let out a grunt.
She stopped and looked down. Even though she could not see anything in the dark. She turned on the light and went to Jem’s room. Wait! He didn’t want Jem to find him only scout. He was planning that in the middle of the night he would climb into bed with her. She would think it was a dream and then in the morning he would still be there and she would be so happy. Jem came into her room. He could see that he was holding a broom. He stuck it under the bed and hit Dill in the face. Again he didn’t say anything. Dill decided a minute later that it was no use and eventually let him get his arm out. Dill squeezed himself out from under the bed.
Scout was looking at him. She looked like it was the happiest day of her lie. Then dills stomach growled. She realized he was hungry and went to go get him soothing to eat. She came back a minute later with a pan of corn bread. He ate the whole thing he was so hungry. Then Jem did something that he would never forgive him for. “Atticus come here”
How could he do that to Dill. He had never done anything mean to him in his whole life and now he was treating him poorly. Dill thought of this as unacceptable and never thought of Jem the same way again.
She stopped and looked down. Even though she could not see anything in the dark. She turned on the light and went to Jem’s room. Wait! He didn’t want Jem to find him only scout. He was planning that in the middle of the night he would climb into bed with her. She would think it was a dream and then in the morning he would still be there and she would be so happy. Jem came into her room. He could see that he was holding a broom. He stuck it under the bed and hit Dill in the face. Again he didn’t say anything. Dill decided a minute later that it was no use and eventually let him get his arm out. Dill squeezed himself out from under the bed.
Scout was looking at him. She looked like it was the happiest day of her lie. Then dills stomach growled. She realized he was hungry and went to go get him soothing to eat. She came back a minute later with a pan of corn bread. He ate the whole thing he was so hungry. Then Jem did something that he would never forgive him for. “Atticus come here”
How could he do that to Dill. He had never done anything mean to him in his whole life and now he was treating him poorly. Dill thought of this as unacceptable and never thought of Jem the same way again.
Post 4 Chap. 10-11 Calpurnia.
May 14, 2009
Post 4 Chap. 10-11 Calpurnia.
I closed the door of Scouts room and walked down the hallway into the living room. “Are they in bed?” Atticus asked. “Yes.., ms. Scouts been talking about you lately. She’s been wondering if you were good at anything and about your past” Atticus sighed. “What did you tell her?”
“I didn’t tell her nothin’ sir” I said. It was true. When scout had come to me I had said he was good at reading. I knew that was not what she had wanted to hear but sometimes you need to love them before you understand them. “Right then, you can go home... Thank you Calpurnia” Atticus said. She loved the Fiches she had been working for them for as long as she could remember. She had always taken care of Jem and Scout. And now that they were getting older Jem was starting to drift away from Scout. She could see it. She could also see how much it hurt Scout to see that.
She was not ready to let her brother go. The next day I was washing up in the kitchen when scout ran it. She had that look on her face. She looked scared. “What’s wrong?” I automatically asked setting down the soap. She then told me about the mad dog coming down our street. I knew witch one she was talking about. Scout and Jem had never seen a mad dog in action. When I was little there had been a mad dog on our street. My mom had ushered us inside because she knew of the PERIL of mad dogs. Almost INAUDIBLY she said. “Keep quiet until I come back” I had stayed there behind our thin screen door and peeped out the window. My mom came back a couple minutes later and put her arms around me. Close your eyes honey. My mom had tried to warn our neighbors but because she was Negro they had not believed her.
A couple seconds later I heard the scream of one of our CANTANKEROUS neighbors. I never forgot that sight or sound. “Cal?!” I heard Scout say. I was brought back to the present. “Are you lying” I said. No! No, Its coming” she said. I told her and Jem to get inside. Thankfully they did not CONTRADICT me.
I called all of our neighbors and they believed me. They all shut there doors tight. The only house on the block that didn’t know were the Radley’s I would have to go over and tell them my self. I INCONSPICUOUSLY walked out side and ran to the other side of the road. The Radley’s were of the same CONTEMPORARIES as us so they knew about mad dogs. I knocked hard on there door. I looked over my shoulder and saw it coming towards me. I tried one more time. No one answered. I ran back and covered the kids with my body.
Soon the sheriff was there with his rifle pointed at the dog but he did not shoot. I saw him trying to give the gun to Atticus but he would not take it. It was getting to close it he did not shoot the dog now…. In one swift movement he took the rife through of his glasses aimed and fired. The dog jumped in the air and landed still. I had known the second Atticus picked up the gun that he would not miss. Jem and Scout stood stunned beside me.
I closed the door of Scouts room and walked down the hallway into the living room. “Are they in bed?” Atticus asked. “Yes.., ms. Scouts been talking about you lately. She’s been wondering if you were good at anything and about your past” Atticus sighed. “What did you tell her?”
“I didn’t tell her nothin’ sir” I said. It was true. When scout had come to me I had said he was good at reading. I knew that was not what she had wanted to hear but sometimes you need to love them before you understand them. “Right then, you can go home... Thank you Calpurnia” Atticus said. She loved the Fiches she had been working for them for as long as she could remember. She had always taken care of Jem and Scout. And now that they were getting older Jem was starting to drift away from Scout. She could see it. She could also see how much it hurt Scout to see that.
She was not ready to let her brother go. The next day I was washing up in the kitchen when scout ran it. She had that look on her face. She looked scared. “What’s wrong?” I automatically asked setting down the soap. She then told me about the mad dog coming down our street. I knew witch one she was talking about. Scout and Jem had never seen a mad dog in action. When I was little there had been a mad dog on our street. My mom had ushered us inside because she knew of the PERIL of mad dogs. Almost INAUDIBLY she said. “Keep quiet until I come back” I had stayed there behind our thin screen door and peeped out the window. My mom came back a couple minutes later and put her arms around me. Close your eyes honey. My mom had tried to warn our neighbors but because she was Negro they had not believed her.
A couple seconds later I heard the scream of one of our CANTANKEROUS neighbors. I never forgot that sight or sound. “Cal?!” I heard Scout say. I was brought back to the present. “Are you lying” I said. No! No, Its coming” she said. I told her and Jem to get inside. Thankfully they did not CONTRADICT me.
I called all of our neighbors and they believed me. They all shut there doors tight. The only house on the block that didn’t know were the Radley’s I would have to go over and tell them my self. I INCONSPICUOUSLY walked out side and ran to the other side of the road. The Radley’s were of the same CONTEMPORARIES as us so they knew about mad dogs. I knocked hard on there door. I looked over my shoulder and saw it coming towards me. I tried one more time. No one answered. I ran back and covered the kids with my body.
Soon the sheriff was there with his rifle pointed at the dog but he did not shoot. I saw him trying to give the gun to Atticus but he would not take it. It was getting to close it he did not shoot the dog now…. In one swift movement he took the rife through of his glasses aimed and fired. The dog jumped in the air and landed still. I had known the second Atticus picked up the gun that he would not miss. Jem and Scout stood stunned beside me.
TKAM post 3 chapters 8-9 Scout
May 11, 2009
TKAM post 3 chapters 8-9 Scout
I shivered and pulled my thin coat around my body. I hated school it was so boring. We were outside and we were supposed to be playing but it was to cold for that. Some kids were running around but they were only running half heartedly. I looked down at my hands. I was gripping my coat so hard my knuckles were white. Later that day when we were walking home I couldn’t help but look at the radley tree. The hole was still filled with cement. I think I heard Jem sigh as we walked past.
I was woken up in the middle of the night. I had been in the middle of a dream were and Jem and Boo were all friends and that he wasn’t as bad as everyone said he was. The hands were cold and shocking. “Get up! Get up!” it was Jem’s voice speaking. When Jem put a certain tone in his voice I knew that it was important. I hurried and put on my coat. I could already smell the smoke.
We ran outside and I stared in horror at Ms. Maudie’s house. It was so bright in contrast to the cold winter night. “Stay over there” Atticus said. We walked over to the Radleys house we stood by the tree. Soon I couldn’t feel anywhere in my body and I was shaking I felt Jem’s hand on my shoulder and it made me feel warmer and safer. We watched the firemen trying to put out the fire. I couldn’t understand how there was a fire on the coldest day of the year. We waited there for what seemed like hours.
When the sun started peeking over the tops of the house it seemed that the firemen’s jobs were done. I had been so worried about our house but now in the sun I saw that my worry was unneeded because our house was fine. It hadn’t even burnt the sides of our house were my window was. We went into our house and started our fires again. Seeing fire in my home automatically made me on edge. I knew that I would not be having any sleep tonight, not that there was much left to tonight. “You don’t need to go to school tomorrow” Atticus announced. That made me feel at least a little bit better.
“Were did you get that blanket” Atticus asked. I looked at my shoulders. The second I saw it I knew exactly were it was from. “It’s Boo Radleys” I said. “How do you know?” asked Jem. “Because no one else would have been able to put in on me, it wasn’t you and no one else was near us” I shivered as I thought of my mental image of Boo radley sneaking up behind me and touch me. “I think you should at least try to take a nap” Calpurnia said. She ushered me to my bed and I fell into a deep troubled sleep.
A couple days later Uncle Jack came to our house. I always like Uncle Jack best. I ENTRUSTED everything I owned to Uncle Jack. He had always been there for me. Uncle Jack was INGENUOUS, he was a doctor and everyone knew that to be a doctor you had to be really, really smart. Atticus had paid for Uncle Jack’s education so uncle jack was always trying to repay Atticus in some way. We soon went to our cousins house but I hated it there my cousin was so boring and he was mean too. He called atticus a nigger lover, I didn’t know that it meant but I knew it meant something bad. I told him to stop but he didn’t and I got mad. No one would talk to me and I felt ISOLATE away from everybody else. After the thousandth time that he called Atticus a nigger lover I hit him and it hurt bad but I didn’t care because it felt good at the same time. I got in trouble thought and I heard Atticus and uncle Jack DEBATING on what to do with me. I was so mad. Neither of them understood the PERPLEXITY of children. I went into the car with out saying goodbye I was so mad. When we got home I didn’t talk to anyone.
I shivered and pulled my thin coat around my body. I hated school it was so boring. We were outside and we were supposed to be playing but it was to cold for that. Some kids were running around but they were only running half heartedly. I looked down at my hands. I was gripping my coat so hard my knuckles were white. Later that day when we were walking home I couldn’t help but look at the radley tree. The hole was still filled with cement. I think I heard Jem sigh as we walked past.
I was woken up in the middle of the night. I had been in the middle of a dream were and Jem and Boo were all friends and that he wasn’t as bad as everyone said he was. The hands were cold and shocking. “Get up! Get up!” it was Jem’s voice speaking. When Jem put a certain tone in his voice I knew that it was important. I hurried and put on my coat. I could already smell the smoke.
We ran outside and I stared in horror at Ms. Maudie’s house. It was so bright in contrast to the cold winter night. “Stay over there” Atticus said. We walked over to the Radleys house we stood by the tree. Soon I couldn’t feel anywhere in my body and I was shaking I felt Jem’s hand on my shoulder and it made me feel warmer and safer. We watched the firemen trying to put out the fire. I couldn’t understand how there was a fire on the coldest day of the year. We waited there for what seemed like hours.
When the sun started peeking over the tops of the house it seemed that the firemen’s jobs were done. I had been so worried about our house but now in the sun I saw that my worry was unneeded because our house was fine. It hadn’t even burnt the sides of our house were my window was. We went into our house and started our fires again. Seeing fire in my home automatically made me on edge. I knew that I would not be having any sleep tonight, not that there was much left to tonight. “You don’t need to go to school tomorrow” Atticus announced. That made me feel at least a little bit better.
“Were did you get that blanket” Atticus asked. I looked at my shoulders. The second I saw it I knew exactly were it was from. “It’s Boo Radleys” I said. “How do you know?” asked Jem. “Because no one else would have been able to put in on me, it wasn’t you and no one else was near us” I shivered as I thought of my mental image of Boo radley sneaking up behind me and touch me. “I think you should at least try to take a nap” Calpurnia said. She ushered me to my bed and I fell into a deep troubled sleep.
A couple days later Uncle Jack came to our house. I always like Uncle Jack best. I ENTRUSTED everything I owned to Uncle Jack. He had always been there for me. Uncle Jack was INGENUOUS, he was a doctor and everyone knew that to be a doctor you had to be really, really smart. Atticus had paid for Uncle Jack’s education so uncle jack was always trying to repay Atticus in some way. We soon went to our cousins house but I hated it there my cousin was so boring and he was mean too. He called atticus a nigger lover, I didn’t know that it meant but I knew it meant something bad. I told him to stop but he didn’t and I got mad. No one would talk to me and I felt ISOLATE away from everybody else. After the thousandth time that he called Atticus a nigger lover I hit him and it hurt bad but I didn’t care because it felt good at the same time. I got in trouble thought and I heard Atticus and uncle Jack DEBATING on what to do with me. I was so mad. Neither of them understood the PERPLEXITY of children. I went into the car with out saying goodbye I was so mad. When we got home I didn’t talk to anyone.
Chapters 4-7 Jem
May 10, 2009
I awoke to the calming sound of my sister sleeping on her bunk above me. I knew the sound of her breathing and could tell if she was a wake or not. My sister, Scout was a tough thing, she would never admit it but yes, she could be scared too. She always tried to hard to be strong and tough. Atticus said that she did that because she wanted to impress Jem but he didn’t understand why she thought she needed to do that. Jem lay there for a while and then sank indo a deep sleep. Next morning he got up for school.
Scout was still complaining about it. He reminded himself to be patient. He remembered the years were he had to struggle through school while Scout stayed at home and played and did nothing. Nothing had tormented him more that to go to school wile she just played around. Scout knew that too so she soon stopped complaining.
I came home the next day to find Scout sitting on the floor chewing gum. I automatically knew that this was not a good sign. “Were did you get that” I asked staring at it. She looked at me with her annoying “I’ so much smarter than you” smile and said “The Radley place” I stared at her. Was she stupid? I suddenly had a mental image of her suddenly keeling over. I ran forward and took it out of her mouth. Everyone knew that anything from the Radley house had a malignant quality. She took it out and washed up but I was still keeping an eye on her to make sure she wasn’t about to die.
The next day when we walked home together she didn’t run past the Radley place. She instead stopped by the tree and stuck her hand in it. What was wrong with her! I ran back to make sure she was alright when she emerged with a box. We ran home and looked inside it. In it there were two pennies. I knew the second I saw them that they were really old. And really, really valuable. I wasn’t gonna tell her that though. I knew when I looked closer that each of these was worth almost as much as three bottles of molasses. “Here, Il keep them safe” I said. She put them in my hand. That night I went to went to were Atticus was sleeping and showed them to him. His eyes widened when he took them in. “Where did you get these” He asked. I tried my new evasion tactic but it didn’t work.
“I don’t know how, but somehow she knew they were there. She knew that they were waiting for her, For us! And why would Boo Radley want to give us money anyway. You know yesterday I caught her chewing gum, you know what she said.. She said she had “found it” at the radley place. Everyone knows you never, ever touch anything from the radley place.” Atticus simply looked at me then looked away. “Oh stop quibbling” he said. “The radleys have enough problems as it is with out medaling kids interfering in there business” He sighed and then looked at me. “I think its time to tell you what happened sixteen years ago”
That night we stayed up all night talking. He told me everything. He said that if he ever found out I told he would never trust me ever again. So if you think I’m going tell you, you’re wrong, I always keep my promises. For the next couple days we spent them planning with Dill on how to get a message to Boo. It tormented me not being able to say anything, but I always kept my promises. I don’t know what was up with Scout. She reminded me of a chameleon always changing one days she would be happy and then the next she would be mad. I think it had something to do with Dill. The other day I had overheard them talking and I think I had heard something about getting married. Geez they were still kids.
Boo radley kept on giving us gifts. One day we tried sneaking in to give us something and someone tried to shoot me. I mean geez. Overall the week was pretty eventful.
Scout was still complaining about it. He reminded himself to be patient. He remembered the years were he had to struggle through school while Scout stayed at home and played and did nothing. Nothing had tormented him more that to go to school wile she just played around. Scout knew that too so she soon stopped complaining.
I came home the next day to find Scout sitting on the floor chewing gum. I automatically knew that this was not a good sign. “Were did you get that” I asked staring at it. She looked at me with her annoying “I’ so much smarter than you” smile and said “The Radley place” I stared at her. Was she stupid? I suddenly had a mental image of her suddenly keeling over. I ran forward and took it out of her mouth. Everyone knew that anything from the Radley house had a malignant quality. She took it out and washed up but I was still keeping an eye on her to make sure she wasn’t about to die.
The next day when we walked home together she didn’t run past the Radley place. She instead stopped by the tree and stuck her hand in it. What was wrong with her! I ran back to make sure she was alright when she emerged with a box. We ran home and looked inside it. In it there were two pennies. I knew the second I saw them that they were really old. And really, really valuable. I wasn’t gonna tell her that though. I knew when I looked closer that each of these was worth almost as much as three bottles of molasses. “Here, Il keep them safe” I said. She put them in my hand. That night I went to went to were Atticus was sleeping and showed them to him. His eyes widened when he took them in. “Where did you get these” He asked. I tried my new evasion tactic but it didn’t work.
“I don’t know how, but somehow she knew they were there. She knew that they were waiting for her, For us! And why would Boo Radley want to give us money anyway. You know yesterday I caught her chewing gum, you know what she said.. She said she had “found it” at the radley place. Everyone knows you never, ever touch anything from the radley place.” Atticus simply looked at me then looked away. “Oh stop quibbling” he said. “The radleys have enough problems as it is with out medaling kids interfering in there business” He sighed and then looked at me. “I think its time to tell you what happened sixteen years ago”
That night we stayed up all night talking. He told me everything. He said that if he ever found out I told he would never trust me ever again. So if you think I’m going tell you, you’re wrong, I always keep my promises. For the next couple days we spent them planning with Dill on how to get a message to Boo. It tormented me not being able to say anything, but I always kept my promises. I don’t know what was up with Scout. She reminded me of a chameleon always changing one days she would be happy and then the next she would be mad. I think it had something to do with Dill. The other day I had overheard them talking and I think I had heard something about getting married. Geez they were still kids.
Boo radley kept on giving us gifts. One day we tried sneaking in to give us something and someone tried to shoot me. I mean geez. Overall the week was pretty eventful.
TKAM post 1 Scout
May 3, 2009
I sat on the rim of our tree house letting my feet dangle over the edge. I looked out at the houses. From up here I could see everything and everyone. I knew that if I told Atticus he would never let us sit up here again. He would pronounce that “, that would be rude to look in people’s houses”. The only reason Jem and I ever did it was to keep watch on the Radleys. We had wanted to make sure that we could keep an eye on them so that Boo Radley didn’t go out and kill more people. One time when I was really little I thought that I had heard Boo scratching at my window. That night I promised my self that I would sleep in the tree house, because we all knew that Boo couldn’t climb for apples. We Maycomb children had all heard the stories about Boo Radley. And we also knew to get in the house before nine o’clock because that’s the time that he got out every night.
At approximately eight o’nine I ran out side with a blanket and a torch and set up camp in the tree house. I had presently asked Jem to stay with me. But to my annoyance and disappointment he had declined. It always irked me when Jem didn’t agree to something. But I would still persevere without him. I tried to stay up and listen and watch for any signs of Boo but to my disappointment nothing happened and I fell asleep.
I woke to the sound of laughter and looked out of the hole like window in the tree house. There was a boy on the other side of the fence. He had blond perfect hair and blue, blue eyes. I jumped down from the tree house making sure that I landed correctly. This act looked amazing but anyone that knew me knew that I had been able to do it since I was nine. “Hey who are you?” I said walking over. He stood up and barley came up to my shoulder. I laughed, id never seen a boy so short before. “My name is Charles Baker Harris” he said and looked at me full in the face. No one did that to me. I was indigenous to the Maycomb country, so I was taller that almost all the boys my age and much stronger than them too. So when some little, blond, fancy named kid stands up to me you can understand how that would make me mad. Jem walked up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. I knew that, that meant stop and uncoiled my fists.
Later I learned that Charles Baker Harris was staying with our neighbor for a wile. It was really fun having someone new around and meeting Dill really brightened up my summer. We played games and he got to know most of everything in Maycomb, not that there was much to see but it was impressive all the same. But when the summer ended he had to go. No teary goodbyes, just a firm yet warm handshake. He had been a nice kid.
Next morning I got ready for my first day at school. I think that Atticus had paid him because he had condescended to take me to school. I got into my classroom and sat at the front. I was so excited to learn new things. That’s when our teacher came in. Miss Caroline, in my eyes, looked like a peppermint stick. Not that any of us had ever seen one let alone taste one we all knew that they smelled and tasted like. She had red hair white skin. She was obviously not native to Maycomb but she was eccentric all the same. She asked people to read and I being able to read raised my hand. I had known how to read as long as I can remember. But Miss Caroline did not think that was acceptable. That day she sent me home with a new found hatred towards school.
Next day went about the same. Miss Caroline got mad for me knowing how to read and she also got in a fight with Burris Ewel. Poor thing, I knew she was not a malevolent soul but sometimes she just annoyed me to death. I knew that when I was mad I became intimidating to the other kids so on my way home they all stayed away from me. The second I got home Atticus knew something was wrong. He took me out side and talked to me. That night we made a compromise. I had always known that not reading was impossible for me so making that compromise really brightened my day.
At approximately eight o’nine I ran out side with a blanket and a torch and set up camp in the tree house. I had presently asked Jem to stay with me. But to my annoyance and disappointment he had declined. It always irked me when Jem didn’t agree to something. But I would still persevere without him. I tried to stay up and listen and watch for any signs of Boo but to my disappointment nothing happened and I fell asleep.
I woke to the sound of laughter and looked out of the hole like window in the tree house. There was a boy on the other side of the fence. He had blond perfect hair and blue, blue eyes. I jumped down from the tree house making sure that I landed correctly. This act looked amazing but anyone that knew me knew that I had been able to do it since I was nine. “Hey who are you?” I said walking over. He stood up and barley came up to my shoulder. I laughed, id never seen a boy so short before. “My name is Charles Baker Harris” he said and looked at me full in the face. No one did that to me. I was indigenous to the Maycomb country, so I was taller that almost all the boys my age and much stronger than them too. So when some little, blond, fancy named kid stands up to me you can understand how that would make me mad. Jem walked up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. I knew that, that meant stop and uncoiled my fists.
Later I learned that Charles Baker Harris was staying with our neighbor for a wile. It was really fun having someone new around and meeting Dill really brightened up my summer. We played games and he got to know most of everything in Maycomb, not that there was much to see but it was impressive all the same. But when the summer ended he had to go. No teary goodbyes, just a firm yet warm handshake. He had been a nice kid.
Next morning I got ready for my first day at school. I think that Atticus had paid him because he had condescended to take me to school. I got into my classroom and sat at the front. I was so excited to learn new things. That’s when our teacher came in. Miss Caroline, in my eyes, looked like a peppermint stick. Not that any of us had ever seen one let alone taste one we all knew that they smelled and tasted like. She had red hair white skin. She was obviously not native to Maycomb but she was eccentric all the same. She asked people to read and I being able to read raised my hand. I had known how to read as long as I can remember. But Miss Caroline did not think that was acceptable. That day she sent me home with a new found hatred towards school.
Next day went about the same. Miss Caroline got mad for me knowing how to read and she also got in a fight with Burris Ewel. Poor thing, I knew she was not a malevolent soul but sometimes she just annoyed me to death. I knew that when I was mad I became intimidating to the other kids so on my way home they all stayed away from me. The second I got home Atticus knew something was wrong. He took me out side and talked to me. That night we made a compromise. I had always known that not reading was impossible for me so making that compromise really brightened my day.
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