Sam and I were getting ready for our dates; Sam seemed real confident, while I was incredibly nervous; Sam took notice of this, and he tried to encourage me: "Just be yourself and you'll be fine."
"Weren't you nervous on your first date, Sam?" I asked, still nervous.
"Yeah, but I didn't let it get to me." Sam answered.
I began to wonder how she was feeling, and I concluded that she was probably feeling more nervous than me, and I figured that if she was aware of how nervous I was, than she would just panic. So, I decided to not let my nerves get me. "Alright, I'll just do what you did." I said, calmly.
"That's the way…" Sam said, as we began walking out the door.
We were walking to Miss Maudie's house, when I asked Sam if he thought Emily was nervous.
"Probably, but she is hard one to faze," Sam answered. "You could have someone with a gunshot wound and she wouldn't scream about the blood, she would scream at her patient to "shut up, and take it like a man," and she would go about her business as if nothing happened."
I began to wonder what Chicago's crime rate was like, so I asked, and Sam answered, "It's pretty bad, from what Emily told me."
I decided to leave that topic, and I asked about his plans for when we get to the restaurant.
"We're going to just sit at table for two, but we'll be close enough for conversation." Sam answered. "So you and Julie can have some of your own time, while Emily and I can have our own."
I thanked Sam for his consideration, and we continued our walk.
When we got to Miss Maudie's house, we saw Emily waiting for Sam and me. We met her on the porch, and I noticed that Julie wasn't with her.
"Where's Julie?" I asked.
"She's still getting ready…" We hear some loud talking from the inside, and I was wondering what the hell was going on in there. "Very loudly" Emily stated.
We were quiet, so we could listen to the conversation between Julie and Miss Maudie.
"Now I want you to say after me: 'I am Julie, and nobody else.'" Maudie commanded. Julie repeated those words, and I figured out that Miss Maudie was trying to give Julie confidence; she seemed to be having a hard time. "I'm a good a thing."
"I ain't!" Julie argued
"The hell you ain't!" Maudie rebutted. "Now listen, I want you to say everything I say: 'I got eyes that can see pretty sunsets, and pretty dresses in store windows, and I got ears that can hear music, and the sound of waves on a beach, I got a nose that can smell flowers, and food cooking on stove, and I got two feet that can take me anywhere I want to go, and I can walk and run and climb and swim in the sea, and if I am something that can do all this, why should I be afraid to be me?!"
Julie repeated all of this, and it seemed to be working, but when she got to the last part, she sounded like something was bothering her, and Miss Maudie didn't fail to notice this.
"Oh, listen to me honey," Miss Maudie said, softly. "You are good thing, Julie, I know this is true. You may make mistakes as other people do, but everybody makes a few. Julie, your eyes are searching eyes, and the world they seek is new. You look for love as other people do, and you will find your love too, as someone is searching for you. In fact, tonight you're going out with a man."
"With a man who asked me to go," Julie stated. "And I ain't scared of saying anything wrong, cause I won't say only what I know."
"Right!"
"I'm going out to eat tonight," Julie said, with confidence. "A fella is taking me there, I'll hold my hand on his arm good and tight, and I'll hold my chin in the air, and if anyone tries to make a crack-!"
"Think!" Maudie said, firmly.
Julie took this time to think, and she said, "I'll look I don't care, because I'm Julie, and I'm a good thing."
"That's right, Julie," Maudie said, with a cheerful tone. "Now get out there, and make that man yours!"
"I will!" Julie stated, and I hear her running to the door.
I decided to meet her there, and when she came out, I couldn't help but notice how much confident she had.
"Hey Julie, are you ready to go?" I asked, offering her my arm.
"Yeah…" Julie grabbed onto my arm, and we began walking to town.
I couldn't help but blush, as she really was holding my arm good and tight, but I didn't mind that, I was just happy that the girl I loved was in my arms, and I could tell that she felt the same.