Dear Journal,
My name is Jeremy Atticus Finch, but everyone just calls me Jem. This is my first journal entry so I reckon it'll be none to good, but I'll try my best. Okay, so I'll start with my everyday life. I live in Maycomb County with my father (Atticus Finch), my sister (Jean Louise Finch), and Calpurnia. Recently, our house has now welcomed a new member, which is Aunt Alexandra. She is from Finch's Landing, which is an old family home where usually the men of the family lived, but Atticus went to Maycomb and practiced to become a lawyer instead. Aunt Alexandra came to Maycomb to give my sister a proper woman influence. I don't blame my father one bit for allowing her into the house, whether by will or not, my sister needs a real woman in the house.
Jean Louise, mostly known as Scout, is the opposite of any other girl I've met in my life. She is rude, has a sharp tongue, and dresses much like a boy more than a girl with her overalls and t-shirt. Some woman like Mrs. Dubose had spoke harshly about her attitude and clothing, sometimes I'd like to think she was meant to be a boy and God made a mistake. Well, I couldn't blame her for turning out the way she has; all she had to take after was Atticus and me. Though I never minded her being a tomboy much, I'd rather have a tomboy for sister than one who would try to force me to play tea party, but it wasn't good for her to stay that way or that's what everyone had said to me. Most people, had allowed her to act that way for a long time because she was just a kid, but people like Aunty has always disagreed with her running around acting like Dill and I.
Scout was also clever and smart, she learned to read and write real quick with Atticus always reading to her since she was small. She also seemed to have a comeback for everything, there was always something ready at the tip of her tongue, but she was more annoying than anything else. Also she was quick-tempered and proud, when poor Walter Cunningham had shamed her in front of the 1st Grade class, she grabbed him in the playground and rubbed his face in the dirt. But although I hate to admit it, she is my baby sister and its my sworn duty to protect her and give her a good example, that's what Atticus had always taught me.
Moving on to more important things, for the first time Calpurnia took Scout and I to the Negro church down yonder in the Quarters called the First Purchase M.E. Church. It's outside the Southern town limits, across the old sawmill tracks. On Sundays, coloured folk would pray to God and on weekdays white men would gamble. It was strange how all the men and woman would part their way for us as we walked to the Church, but one lady named Lula had started to attack on Calpurnia like I've never once seen before. Calpurnia spoke in a quiet, but determined tone, which I've only heard Atticus ever speak like and that wasn't very pleasant to watch at all. Miss Lula had told us that me and Scout didn't belong in this church, that there was a place for whites and blacks. I tried to get Calpurnia to get us home, since they didn't seem all too excited at having us here in their church, but she didn't budge. Lula got scared off and we continued about our way. We went our way inside where Reverend Sykes had greeted us rather politely. The Church itself on the inside was poor and had no ceiling, in comparison to our usual church, the conditions ain't too good. The rest of the time there was, nothing much to say but strange. Zeebo, who was Calpurnia's eldest son had sung from the hymn book while the rest of the people in the church repeated each word, tune by tune. I knew from the start they must've been illiterate except for the certain few, including Calpurnia and Zeebo. Reverend Sykes than began to call upon the blessings of the Lord to the sick and poor, even mentioning a few others whom suffered from one of the two. Then, something much unusual to our normal church he called the crowd of people to rake in money for the Robinson family.
Tom Robinson their father had been called upon a crime of rape, since he was a Negro I knew he had the slimmest of chances of him being proved not guilty. Though, his family had slipped my mind, they must've been hardly getting along with the man of the family gone and his wife probably wasn't being hired because of her husband being a criminal. Reverend wanted to collect ten dollars for the family, eventually and painfully he did receive that exact amount. Afterwards, Scout and I had asked many questions to Reverend Sykes about the church and such. Scout started to ask about Tom Robinson and his family. He answered her reasonably and later on she started to press on Calpurina about Robinson and the crime he committed. For a moment I had forgotten she was just little kid when Calpurnia had told her that he had done raped that Ewell woman. She had asked Calpurnia what rape was and, Calpurnia being clever, had dodged that question. Scout was told to ask Atticus that, I would like to see him trying to explain that to her.
Another, more exciting but frightening event had happened in Maycomb was Tom Robinson was being hunted down, even in the Maycomb County Jail. I had suggested to Scout that I'd go into downtown, I had a strong suspicion something was happening with Atticus and his case. She threatened and said she would come along no matter what he had told her, not looking for a fight I had allowed her to accompany me. We went to Dill's house and told him to join us with our walk to downtown. Then we all moseyed about and finally arrived downtown.
We saw Atticus's car parked outside of his office but once we had went into the building, his office was empty. As we left the office building, from a distance we saw Atticus in front of the jail with a newspaper in his hands. I had a strong sense of relief and stopped Scout from rushing over to him, he would be worried if he knew we were walking about at this time of night. But, just as I had said to leave 4 dusty cars had stopped in front of the jail. Atticus was looked more frightened than I'd have ever seen him. Soon, men started to be unloaded from the car and spoke roughly to him. They were saying Atticus knew what they had wanted. Soon, in my head it clicked as I had saw my father standing protectively in front of the Jail Cell. It must've been Mr. Robinson.
Scout had rushed off as Dill and I hollered and tried to grab her as she dashed quickly toward Atticus. She was soon in the ring of men and Atticus looked towards Dill and I. Atticus told us to leave, but I downright refused. He was in trouble and I wasn't about to let him get killed. A man offered to take us home even grabbing the collar of my shirt and lifting me up, but Scout being brave or stupid had kicked him in the shins. Soon, enough Scout recognized one of the ring of men was Mr. Cunningham, Walter's father from school. She being completely unaware started talking about Walter, for a moment all anyone could do was stare as she tried to make civil conversation. Maybe, just because she was a darn kid and so innocent that had calmed the mob of men to stop and just think. Mr. Cunningham bent down and rested his hands on Scout's shoulders, saying he'd tell Walter she said "hey". That night we walked home, I was expecting a good lecture from Atticus but instead he patted my head.