TKAM #5: Dill

I finally did it. I finally ran away from home. I've been wanting to run away for the past couple months to Maycomb, I just didn't have the money.  Ever since my mother got married she hasn't been paying any attention to me at all.  Don't even get me started with my new dad, that guy started off being really nice but now all he does is ignore me.  Now that  I'm in Maycomb it seems like everythings better again.  I love being here, during the year while I'm in school all I look forward too is my summers in Maycomb with Jem and Scout.  

The worst part about running away was probably hiding under Scout's bed.  Here's what happened. . . When I finally got to Maycomb I had no idea what to do, I didn't go to my Aunt Rachel's house because I thought that she would just send me back to my mom, so i decided that maybe I could just live in Jem and Scouts room for a while until I thought things out.  While the Finch family was at dinner, I just snuck into their house, walked up stairs and hid under Scouts bed.  When Scout saw me I swear my heart stopped beating, I was scared to death, I thought it was an adult, but then when I saw it was Scout I was fine.  As soon as Jem saw me he went to go tell Atticus. I didn't htink he would tell Atticus right away, but he did.  I was scared, I thought Atticus would be mad at me, instead he fed me and let me sleep in Jems bed,  I didn't get much sleep that night.  The next morning Atticus sent me to Aunt Rachels house.

TKAM #4: Jem

A lot has been going on lately here in Maycomb.  The other day Scout and I realized that Atticus isn't like the other dad's around here, to start off Atticus is a lot older than other dad's.  While all the other dads in town are hunting and fishing, Atticus likes to sit and read.  I've always kind of been okay with this because that's just the way Atticus has always been for as long as I can remember; but the other day I learned something completely new about Atticus that completely surprised Scout and I.  It started with a dog, a crazy dog just wandering on the main street towards our house.  Calpurnia calls Atticus and he shows up with the sheriff, the sheriff has a riffle and hands it to Atticus and tells Atticus to shoot the dog.  Scout and I thought for sure that Atticus wasn't going to but to our huge surprise and amazement he took the riffle from the sheriff and shot the dog, hitting it with the first shot. Later Scout and I were talking to Miss Maudie and she told us that when Atticus was younger he was the best shot in Maycomb and everyone called him 'one shot Finch'.  Hearing this about Atticus was very surprising and so unexpected, I mean I thought Atticus hated guns, it seems like he didn't used to, I wonder what made him start hating guns, I mean he's so good at shooting.  That day flooded my mind with questions.  Scout and I were so proud of Atticus, and Scout of course wanted to brag and tell everyone school.  I stopped her, it just wouldn't be right to tell everyone at school, if Atticus didn't want us to know he obviously doesn't want the entire town to know.

Alright so a few days later it was finally my twelfth birthday.  The day after my birthday Scout and I went to town to spend my birthday money.  On our way we passed by Mrs. Dubose's house and there she was sitting  on her porch like on every Saturday afternoon.  Scout and I tried not to make eye contact but as usual she started yelling at us for no reason at all.  She started off with insulting Scout, Scout just stood there just like how Atticus taught her.  Next she started talking about Atticus, she always talked about Atticus in a bad way even thought Atticus was so nice to her, she would't stop going on about Atticus and eventually I couldn't take it anymore; we left.  When we were in town I finally bought the miniature steam engine and I bought Scout that baton she had been wanting.  We started walking home and I was still very mad about our encounter with Mrs. Dubose earlier, I came up with an idea.  As we were passing by her house I took Scout baton and I destroyed all of Mrs. Dubose's Camilla bushes.  I knew I would get in trouble but I didn't care, I hated that lady and after hearing about what she said about Atticus she deserved it.  We got home, ate dinner, and waited for Atticus to get home.  When I finally heard him walk up to the front porch and open the door I wondered anxiously if he knew what I had done.  He walked in caring the baton and one of the flowers, the expression on his face said it all. "Jem Finch, did you have anything to do with this?" he asked. 

"Yes sir" I answered proudly, maybe he would be proud after hearing what she said about him.  He wasen't, he made me go back to back to Mrs. Dubose's house to apologize, which was something I could not do.  I thought about just hiding outside for about half an hour and not go to her house, but Atticus would find out.  When I finally got to her house I forced my hand to knock at her door and  Jessie opened the door, she let me in.  I walked in and the house was exactly as I pictured it, very creepy.  I apologized, even thought I didn't mean it and now she wants me to read to her every day for 2 hours for a month. Atticus said I had to, I am not looking forward to that.

TKAM #1: Scout

Today was my first day of school, it was very dissapointing.  My entire life I have been so exited for this day, to finally get to go to school with all of the other children in town. To not be bored all by myself at home waiting for Jem and Atticus to return.  Today finally came and school was not what I expected it to be.  

To start off as Jem and I arrived to school, he told me that he didn't wasnt me to talk to me at school, which was something I did not understand at all, Jem and I were so close at home, why should it be any diffrent at school.  I was hoping things would get better once I got to my classroom, but they didn't.  When I walked into the classroom I imeadeatly recodnized everybody, everybody exept for one person; a lady no more than twenty one with a bright red-and-white striped dress on standing in the corner of the room. 

"I am Miss Caroline Fisher, I am from north Alabama, from Wistion County" , she told us as she wrote her name on the board.  After that we read a book about cats and then, she asked me to try to read.  So I did what she asked and I read, btu as I was reading I noticed she was getting mad at me fro some reason, I did not know why, so I just kept reading.  When I finished she told me to tell my father to not teach  me how to read anymore, and I did not understand her at all.  Atticus never taught me how to read, it just came to me, and I have been reading for as long as I caould remember.  I told Miss Caroline, but she did not believe me and she was very mad  at me; she said that I was not learning the right ways and that now I would not be able to read the correct way.  Miss Caroline told me to never read at home again, and that made me mad and confuse.  Why  should I get in trouble for knowing how to read, isn't that the whole point of school, to learn as many new things as possible; or do I not know these thigs because I'm just to little to understand.  

Well after a while it was lunchtime and Miss Caroline asked everyone to either raise their hand if they were going home for lunch time, or to take out their lunch, everyone did, exept for one student, Walter Cunningham.  Miss Caroline walked up to Walters desk "Wheres your lunch" she asked, Walter just stared at her.  

"Did you forget your lunch this morning?" she asked, 

"Yeb'm" Walter fianally replied."  Miss Caroline grbbed her purse and took out a shiny quarter.  "Here, go eat downtown todayand pay me back tommorow."  The whole class looked around at eachother, anticipating what was going to happen next, looking for who was going to tell the new teacher about Walters situation.  

I took a deep breath and finally said "He's a Cunningham ma'am."  

Everyone imeadeatly turned to look at me, Miss Caroline looked confused, "Whats that Jean Louise?" 

"Walter is one of the Cunnighams Miss Caroline", I reapeated trying to sound as clear as possible.  

Miss Caroline still looking confused said "I beg your pardon?" 

Oh my gosh what is wrong with this lady, she dosen't understand anything, I did not want to explain any farther but I felt like at this point I had no choice so I sighed and said "The Cunninghams are farmers ma'am, the crash hit them the hardest, they never take anything they can't pay back".  Everyone stared at Miss Caroline waiting for her response. "Jean Louise I've had enough of you this morning" then she picked up a ruler and whipped me.  I don't know what I did wrong and so far I did not like school at all, especially Miss Caroline.