To Kill a Mockingbird Final Journal #9: Chapters 28-31 (perspective of Bob Ewell)

So close, I was so close! I almost had those two Finch kids. I was just waiting to see the terror on Atticus's face after he heard about his dead two kids. And I had the perfect plan too! I had even consented with myself before going into action. It was all because of that stupid stranger that had to come out of nowhere and kill me.

This was the most genius plan ever. And it seemed so simple. Just follow the kids home after the pageant when it was dark. Luck was on my side too when they didn't have a flashlight. But it seemed that they heard me. I was stopping constantly as they were, but it seemed to me that they thought I was something else. It was all so simple how I would persecute Atticus through them.

I had knocked out the older brother, and was thinking to myself that this would be easy, even after that sheriff Heck Tate took away my switchblade. he was on the ground so I went after the little one who was still in her costume. This was more of my luck that she was inside the costume because it had a reflective stripe on it. The only downside is that I wouldn't be able to get directly at her.

I jumped at her and tried to strangle her. I would've done it too if that stranger hadn't jumped on me. The little brat got away, and I was left dead laying on the ground with the stranger's kitchen knife in my ribs. But I bet that the authorities will say that I allegedly fell on my knife.

After an assessment of what had happened, I realized that I had died. I didn't know what it was like to die, but it isn't as bad as I thought. I guess it was because of all the whisky that I had drank that saved me from he pain of passing away.

But I was mad! Mad, mad, mad! Those kids got away, and I didn't even get Atticus back. The only thing that went my way was that tom Robinson died, but that was from his own stupidity, not because I had wreaked my revenge on him. All these inconveniences always had to happen to me. But now I don't have to deal with it anymore. Besides, I always liked the heat of the fire.

To Kill a Mockingbird Journal #7: Chapters 20-24 (perspective of Jem)

The courtroom was getting tiresome. But I had to keep my hope and faith that Tom Robinson was going to prevail and win the case. Dill and Scout just came back in from outside, and Reverend Sykes had saved their seats. Atticus was going through his closing statement. His closing statement was so powerful, I thought that the jury would've known who to vote for right then and there.

Just as he finished, Cal came walking down the aisle with something in her hand. It was envelope which she handed to Atticus. I was wondering what it was about, since she told the judge that it was irrelevant to the case. Then it hit me. We weren't supposed to be here, and now we would get scolded from three different people. Atticus looked up at the judge, and told him what I had predicted.

From below, Mr. Underwood called out giving away our position in the balcony. Atticus looked up toward us, and saw us. Trying not to draw attention, we stealthily walked down the steps to Atticus and Cal waiting for us at the bottom. Atticus told us what I had apprehended. We were to go home with Cal immediately for supper, but to then stay home. I pleaded to let us come back to here the verdict. Atticus relented and decided that if we had heard this much already, that we might as well hear the end of it.

I got my second scolding from Cal on our walk home. She kept repeating that we should be ashamed of ourselves, but that didn't stop my good mood from changing. I laughed and joked all the way to our house. I walked in and was followed by Dill and Scout. Cal served us potato salad and ham. Aunt Alexandra didn't each much though after she had heard where we were, she just rearranged the food on her plate. I was praying in my head that perhaps I wouldn't have to get my third scolding from her.

After an hour, the three of us walked back to the courtroom. It had not changed much, and Reverend Sykes had saved our seats. The few changes were the jury were no longer in their box, Judge Taylor was asleep, and the room had a certain stillness about it. Babies weren't crying and there weren't children running around. Reverend Sykes told me that most of the spectators had left and brought back food to eat in the court room.

The courthouse bell rang eight o'clock, and the jury still hadn't come to their verdict. I looked over at Scout who was fighting off sleep. Dill was already resting his head on my arm. I might've dozed off, but I can't remember. We all came to attention when the clock struck eleven. The jury came out to present their conclusion. I found it improbable for Tom Robinson to be guilty, and I couldn't wait for it to be proved.

But the inevitable happened. A paper was passed through three sets of hands before getting to the judge who read it. Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty. I started to cry knowing that twelve people had done something that was completely wrong and not fair. Atticus packed his suit case and began to walk out. Everyone in the balcony rose in his honor. I followed suit to respect my father. I found it amazing that even though he had lost, that the Black Community still respected and honored him.

To Kill a Mockingbird Journal #6: Chapters 15-19 (perspective of Bob Ewell)

It was a long day in the court today. It was about 90 degrees, and the sun was coming down on us. Luckily, the witnesses sat in the shade, but I wasn't sorry for the Negroes who sat up on the balcony, the balcony that provided shade for us. I was only a little upset that Tom Robinson got to sit in the shade with the witnesses, and that he should be sitting in the baking sun, especially after what he had done to my Mayella.

I was second to the stand after Heck Tate. I had showered last night so that I wouldn't be too ashamed of being dirty, yet the the audience still looked at me like I was covered in filth. Horace Gilman was the first to interrogate me. I indulged myself in knowing that he was the prosecutor, and he was on my side.

He started off by asking who I was, and establish exactly who I was. I didn't know why he was doing this because we had talked before, but I guess it was for the jury to know. Then he asked what happened on exactly November the 21st. I told everyone my story of how I was hunting in the woods, an I heard my daughter screaming. I ran back to our house where I looked in the window and saw Mayella on the floor with a Negro choking her. I chased him off, but got tangled in our fence.

I stood up and shouted, "There he is right there!" pointing to the defendant, Tom Robinson. The courtroom was buzzing with noise, and Judge Taylor had to hammer his gavel for five minutes. After those five minutes of noise, the room was silenced. Horace started asking questions again, as if to reassure that I had said everything I had told in my story. Horace was done with his questions, so I ran off the stand to the witnesses bench. But first I ran into Atticus, the lawyer protecting Tom Robinson.

Atticus put me up on the stand again to cross-examine me. I didn't know why, I had already told the truth, but the Judge made me stay up there. Atticus started to ask me about Mayella's injuries. Heck had already answered Atticus once, but I had no choice except to answer them again. I told him of her right black eye, and bruises, but he interrupted me. He asked if I agreed with everything Heck said. I said yes, and Atticus seemed to change subject to my education. Horace objected saying that the subject was irrelevant, but Atticus told the Judge if he could continue, he would have good reason in a few minutes. Judge Taylor overruled the objection, and Atticus continued.

First he wanted to know if I could read and write. Of course I could, I had gone to school for three years. How could I not read and write. And besides that, I had to be able to sign my relief checks. Atticus then took an envelope and a pen from his jacket. He asked me to right my name so I did oblivious to what he was trying to prove. It was after I had written my name when it occurred to me why Atticus was doing this. Judge Taylor breathed that I was left handed under his breath, and I think they found me out.

Horace tried to save me by asking the biggest word in the world. He asked if I was ambidextrous. I didn't know what they meant, but I thought it was bad. I said that I was not, but I could use both hand equally. Anything that I could do with my left, I could do with my right. Judge Taylor released me to the witness bench, where I sat down amiably, knowing that they couldn't have found out anyways.

To Kill a Mockingbird Journal #5 Chapters 13-15 (perspective of Atticus)

I came home after a long exhausting day at work. My kids complacently came running out of the house to meet me. Jem even took what I was holding and carried it into the house. Scout jumped into my arms and asked if I got her a book. My answer was yes and I saw her face brighten. She also asked if I knew Alexandra was here. I knew that my sister was coming and it comforted me to know that she arrived safely. But Scout seemed a little disappointed. I asked Scout what was wrong, but she said that she was happy to have her Aunty to live with us for a while. But the sound of her voice and the look in her eye made me think she was lying. I told her that Alexandra would be a big help around here with the summer about to be hard to go through. She accepted it, and ran off into the house.

My sister fit in with Maycomb. Everyone in the town excepted her. Almost our entire neighborhood came by to talk to her or have coffee, and she became Secretary of the Maycomb Amanuensis Club. She was almost always preoccupied when I got home with either talking to a group of women sitting in our living room, to teaching my kids what it means to be a Finch.

One of the days, she was teaching Scout and Jem about how everybody and their family get a streak. Such as a gambling streak, drinking streak, or an attitude streak. I broke into the conversation saying that we were pretty much the first in the Finch family not to marry one of our own cousins. Then I asked if the Finch's had an incestuous streak. I thought it was true, but Alexandra, as always, denied it to make our family look better and stronger.

It was another long day at my office working on the Robinson case, when Alexandra stopped me as soon as I got in the door. Jem and Scout didn't come out running to me, which I was a little disappointed in. My sister wanted me to talk to Scout and Jem about how they should grow up as proper Finch's and behave accordingly. I got the usual "You're not raising your kids right and you need to do something about!" speech that our neighbors usually give me.

I walked into Jem's room where I found both Scout and Jem there. I tried to tell them what Alexandra had requested, but I just couldn't find the words for it. It was just too uncomfortable to tell them. I was fidgeting and stammering which I had never done before in front of my two kids. Most of the message came out in half-words, but in the end I told them to forget it. They looked shocked. Scout started to drag a comb against an edge of the dresser to make a terrible noise. Before I could stop, I shouted out at her to stop.

Scout buried her crying face into my vest which I hadn't had time to change out of. I didn't know what to do for a moment. Jem looked like he was about to cry to. I put my hand on Scout's head and reassured her that she didn't need to worry. I walked out of the room and almost slammed the door, but I caught myself. I closed the door gently and quietly.

I was enjoying my half hour of peace and quiet that my kids allotted me each day. I was thankful for this because I was constantly talking with people at the office. Scout came over and asked a curious question. She wanted to know what rape was. She was oblivious to many things, so I gave her a simple but true answer. She said if all it was was that, then why didn't Cal tell her on Sunday. This raised curiosity in me, so I began an interrogation of what happened on Sunday. The three of them went to Cal's church, First Purchase, and had heard that Tom Robinson was being charged for rape. She then got into a story of how Calpurnia said that Scout could go over to her house whenever was fine. Cal would even be willing to pick her up if necessary. I was about to say yes when Alexandra who had been sitting in the corner said no.

The two got into an argument that gave me a head ache. Scout said that she wasn't asking her, and only listened to me. I wasn't in acquiescence with Alexandra, but I had to take her side anyways. I told Scout that as long as Alexandra was living under our roof, that she had to take orders from her. Scout sulked off to the bathroom, the one door that had a lock on it inside the house.

Amiably Alexandra approached me. I wasn't sure what she wanted, but I guess I had to find out. She began to lecture me about Calpurnia. She said that Cal was a bad role model, and that we should fire her. I came back at her with Cal being part of the family, and that she wasn't going to leave until she wanted to. I needed Calpurnia to help me out. She had been around for the last seven years, and I still needed her, regardless of Alexandra being here or not. I returned back to the paper to forget about my sister.

Five minutes later I heard a commotion in Jem's room. I thought to myself that they must be fighting again which had become more common between the two of them. I busted into the room to see Scout tackling and fighting with Jem on his bed. I forced the two apart and ordered them to bed instantly. Scout went to her room, and I left.

It was about ten minutes later when I acquired the knowledge that Dill was here. He had hid under Scout's bed for the last two hours. I went to Scout's room to find him there eating the left over cornbread from our dinner. He seemed shocked and scared to see me. But Scout prodded him along with the answers to my questions. When I was done with the interrogation, I told Scout to get him more than just a pan of cornbread to eat, and I told Dill to get a shower. He was filthy and looked as if he was rolling in the dirt all day.

I phoned Ms. Rachel to tell her that her nephew was here. She came over to scold him, then give him a big hug and greeting. Apparently he had run away and his parents were looking for him. She left and said that it was fine that he could stay the night. The two went off the bed, and I followed suit.

To Kill a Mockingbird Journal #4: Chapters 10-12 (perspective of Reverand Sykes)

There was a nice surprise at my church on Sunday. Calpurnia brought Mr. Finch's kids with her. I know that Mr. Finch was on our brother Tom Robinson's case, so I quickly figured out why his kids were here. As I was walking down a pathway to the sanctuary, I saw them. But it irked me to see that Lula was giving them a hard time. Lula was a type of person that only wanted to be around colored people, and disagreed with anything that had to do with whites. But I can't ask her to leave, she is still a sister under god with us.

At first they were just jawing with each other. I knew that Lula would be upset with Mr. Finch's kids here. But it looked like Cal could handle it. Or at least I hope she could. Talking with Lula in the morning before a sermon wasn't my favorite thing to do, especially before we are about to worship god. Lula stopped in her tracks, then turned around and walked away. Calpurnia's son Zeebo emerged from the crowd gathered around them, and it appeared that he was giving them a proper welcome.

I continued down the path to the sanctuary. Everyone was preoccupied with talking with each other just like any other Sunday. I stood behind the pulpit silently for everyone to quiet down. I was looking around at our limited ecclesiastical items, when I noticed Calpurnia and our two guest in the first pew. Cal was talking with them, and pulled a couple coins out of her purse to hand to the kids. They talked back to her, but I couldn't here it. She quieted them down and pointed up to me. Shortly after, everyone quieted.

I started the sermon with a few community announcements. One of them was about Tom Robinson. I told the congregation that he had been loyal to First Purchase since he was a small boy. Everyone knew Tom Robinson and his current situation. I was saying that our morning collection for the past three weeks were going to his wife Helen, to support her and her kids. I thought I might have seen Mr. Finch's youngest start talking to Cal, but she was immediately quieted. I then opened it up to our opening hymn.

Zeebo walked down the aisles to the front with our only hymn book. It was a large old book, but it still served its purpose. Zeebo started us off with hymn 273. He read a line, and the congregation followed. This was the only way we could sing, for he was one of four people in the church that could read. When we got to the chorus, he closed the book because everyone knew the words. He opened the book and started again, with the congregation in sync behind him.

When the hymn finished, I called upon the holy lord to help the sick and the wounded, and led us in some prayers. I warned the men to watch out for women who might cheat them, and I warned Constance Jackson that she was in peril for arguing with her neighbor.

I finished the prayers, and called for the offering. Individually the congregation came up to the pulpit to drop in their change. It was mainly nickels and dimes, but I knew that we had to support Helen and her kids. Even Mr. Finch's children came up to drop a dime in. When the offering was complete, I counted the change, but it was not enough. I told the usher to shut the doors, and nobody was to leave until we came up with ten dollars. I slowly extracted the money from the congregation. By that time, it was hot, stuffy, and sweaty in the sanctuary. People were waving the makeshift fans to cool themselves off.

The ten dollars came after I pointed out a few members who I had not seen come up here yet. The doors were opened, and the warm air outside came in. Everyone sighed a deep breath that it was now over. I had Zeebo come up and give us a closing hymn. We finished the morning with On Jordan's Stormy Banks.

Mr. Finch's two kids came up to me afterwards. They were full of questions about the Robinsons. Especially the daughter. I tried to give them pensive answers, but they kept asking questions. Calpurnia came to my rescue when she put a hand on each of there shoulders, and they immediately stopped asking questions. They each politely said thank you for letting them come to church, and left.

I cleaned up the papers on the floor, locked up, and left for the Robinsons house to give them the morning offering. I felt happy that I was doing them a favor, and the lord one.