AN: just a couple of "journal entries" I wrote from Dill's perspective. Review if ya like
May 30th 1935
Summer is almost here and summer means Maycomb. Summers in Maycomb are fun, maybe even the best part of the year. There, I can let all of my problems fly away. In Maycomb, I have friends, I am happy, and my parents love me. I can run around all day with Scout and Jem and forget that there is any other place in the world.
Gosh, Jem and Scout are great. When I first went there in the summer, they made me their friend and its been that way ever since. We go on adventures together and I told em' about how fantastic my life was back at home. I would tell them the truth about it, my "fantastic" life, honestly i would, but they are always so happy and I don't want their pity, I just want to have fun. Some times I think about runnin' away, just to see if my mom and dad will notice. They probably won't. Most of the time if I try to forget about it, for then the thoughts just go away. That way I can focus what really matters, Scout and Jem.
Besides, they are the ones that told me about Boo Radley. Boo is just the most amazing person I ever heard of. They say that he stabbed his father in leg with a pair of scissors. His own father! He almost never comes out of his house too. Nobodys' seen him come out in so long that people aren't sure if he's dead or not. But i don't think he is. I think he's live and kickin'. After all, I wanna meet him. Boo is so mysterious, I just gotta meet him and ask him whether the rumors are true or not, I mean really, does he really eat squirrels?
Speaking of squirrels, Scout's Auntie Alexandra reminds me of one. The way she scampers sharing secrets with her gossip group, you'd think she is one. She's also annoying and mean makin' Scout dress all pretty... not that I mind that, its just harder to go through with plans to bring out Boo. Also, Aunt Alexandra doesn't treat Calpurnia good. She bosses her around. I don't like it when people treat other people different just because they are black, it makes me hate them. And they don't want to get on the wrong side of me because I'll knock them up real good. They won't even be able to feel their legs by the time I'm done with them. Won't know what him them.
July 18th 1935
Could you believe that we did that! I mean, we held off that whole group of brutes all by our self. At the beginning of the night, I never though I was gonna save a life that day. I remember, someone was whistlin' like a fire siren out there and they were gettin' on my nerves. I had a yell in my throat as a approached the screen, but that disappeared soon as I saw Scout and Jem. I had had a feelin' this was gonna be good and boy was I right.
It was real exciting walking with Scout and Jem down the dark road. Except they wouldn't tell me what it was about. All Jem 'd say was that he had a feeling, it was real annoying that he wouldn't tell me. We walked past that old lady with the morphine addiction's house and the post office and Atticus's office. Its funny things can seem a whole lot scarier in the dark even if you like them in the light. The we saw Atticus's car, the chevrolet. That car was one of the things I like about Atticus, not only is he nice, but he has a really great car. If I had a car like that I would drive it all around town honkin' the horn loud so that everyone can hear.
We had looked around his car but he was nowhere around. Jem suggested we check with Mr. Underwood. To get there, we had to pass the Maycomb jail. If something that you like in the light can be scary, then what about those that are even scary in the light? I do not like the jail, any jail. When ever I see one, I just feel all sad inside. I don't like that people have to be there all alone. What if they get lonely? I don't even want to think about what its like to have to sleep in one at night. The Maycomb Jail is small and not well kept. Its dirty, smells, and I'm pretty sure it leaks when it rains. With all of its gothic attachments, it scared me out of my mind. I dunno it just felt... evil.
'Cept as we passed, outside the cell there was a light on over the door. It was Atticus sittin' there by the door readin' I'm pretty sure that he was whisperin' to somebody too, every once and a while. We stuck to the shadows, toes lighter than feathers sneakin' towards the jail quick as ninjas to see what he was doin'. But then a group of real intimidating men came from the shadows, seemed to be walkin' towards Atticus. The group came up and starred Atticus down. Calm as a cucumber, he put down his newspaper. We snuck even closer, too fast for the human eye to see. From here I could see some movement from inside the jail. The big group of men were tryin' to get Atticus to move, but stayed still. The men had guns! How could Atticus stand so still when they could shoot him down any minute?
They seemed to be arguing over the person inside the jail. At least I think it was a person, I hope it was a person, I still hadn't seen it yet. Scout got up suddenly and ran real fast to Atticus, calling to him. What was the matter with her? They could shoot her down. They could beat her up. And yet Scout just ran over like it was nothing. Jem and I followed her, wanted to make sure she was okay. Atticus was tryin' to have Jem bring us home, but I didn't want him to. Even though it was dangerous, I was curious. I wanted to know what was going on. But then, some one picked Jem up by the collar and Scout went over and kicked him! I was so surprised I was speechless. And then, even though the scary men were threatening her, she started talking to one of them! I never knew Scout was so fearless, I thought she was afraid to do risky things, since she never wanted to come and see Boo Radely with us. I guess I was wrong. She started talkin' to a Mr. Cunningham about his son. "He's in my grade, and he does right well. He's a good boy. A real nice boy" pg. 154. She was talkin' to him and I realized that she didn't know. She didn't know they could hurt her, they would hurt her. But as I watched, the man's face changed. Scout was talkin' to him about his kid and he was no longer lookin' mad and scary. He looked startled, almost scared. "Well I'll tell him you say hey, little lady... Let's clear out, lets get going boys" pg. 154 I just couldn't believe that Scout could send those men away. She scared them off just by talkin' to them.
September 10th 1936
That whole trial thing just wasn't fair! All those folk comin' together to hurt poor Tom. He never did nuthin' to them. I remember when Atticus told Helen how Tom didn't make it. He put up a good battle though. The guards had started firin' at him and he was dodgin' bullets left an right so fast you could hardly see him. Those shooters had nuthin' on him. Tom had just beaten down the dogs that were after him when suddenly outa nowhere a guard pulled out two M1911 pistols and shot him in the head and the heart. What a way to go.
But I feel for Hellen. When Atticus told her, "she fell down in the dirt. Just fell down in the dirt, like a giant with a dig foot just came along and stepped on her... like you step on an ant" pg. 240. I swear, if that Mr. Ewell weren't already already dead and gone, I'd have pummeled him to a pulp then killed him with my own two hands. "Atticus says cheatin' a colored man is ten times worse than cheatin' a white man... Says its the worst thing you can do" pg. 201. And we all know that Mr Ewell was cheatin' Tom, he was lyin' through his teeth.
We all knew it, but nobody did a darn thing bout it. Thats the worst part. Everyone knew it but nobody did anythin' we all just sat around and watched. Watchin' the trail made me realize, you want somethin', you gotta go and fight for it. Its a bit uh late for fightin' for Tom, but the next chance I get, I'm going to go up to Scout and tell her I love her. Then we are going to get married and then Atticus will be my father and I wont have to worry about that other man that sits around at home and calls himself my dad and Scout and I will move somewhere far away like Illinois or Pensilvania and we'll start a family and be happy. At least there we'll be happy.
But there is still some hope for Maycomb I think. During the trial, I met Mr Raymond. I liked him. He was nice to blacks even though he's white. I think that if people were more like him, Maycomb 'd be better. And maybe if Atticus teamed up with him and they beat everyone up till everyone respected blacks, that could work. And since I'd have a relative, my father Atticus, as a leader, I would get the news on how my old summer playground was doing and be able to check up on it every once and a while. I would like that.