TOKM Ch.1-3 Journal #1: Jem

This summer had been a great one, probably, well maybe, the most the exciting one yet. We got Dill this summer from Meridian. He came for the summer to stay with his aunt, but he left when school started. He was always thinking of crazy things to do, he dared me to touch the Radley Place! Dill was fascinated by the house, he would stare it at and wonder what was going on inside. I told him the absolute truth about Boo. Miss Crawford told me everything about what happened. But that didn’t stop Dill, no way. He wanted to make Boo come out of the house! I already knew that he came out at night and walked around town. Dill didn’t care that Boo was one malevolent person. One day Dill made a bet that I couldn’t go past the front gate. I was real scared at first; wouldn’t you be intimidated if you had to go up to where Boo Radley lived? I had never said no to any dare, but this one was a tough one. I could die! Finally Dill irked me enough by saying that I was too scared and that people from Meridian were braver than people in Maycomb. So I walked to the corner and stood there staring at the house. I was trying to think of a way to not put my life in danger when Dill made a compromise, he said that all I had to do what just touch the house, and he wouldn’t consider the dare declined. So I said yes, and ran as fast as I could, touched the house, and ran back faster than I’d ever run away from that cursed house.
When Dill had to leave it was a sad day. I had been nice having some one to run around with me and Scout. In the summer Scout is the best, she’ll go a long with all of my pronouncements no matter if they’re true or not. I just speak my mind and Scout believes it. I told her that when school starts it’ll be different. I can’t have my little sister following me everywhere. Even if we do have a lot of fun re-enacting scenes from books and having adventures, school is my place to be older.
I had to walk her to school the first day. (Atticus persuaded me.) It wasn’t that bad, not too many people saw me so I wasn’t upset or anything. My morning was uneventful, but when I asked Scout how hers was, it was a different story. The new teacher, Miss Caroline, had gotten irritated that Scout could read. I didn’t see the problem but Miss Caroline was using a new teaching method and I figured she knew best, she was beautiful after all. Scout just had to persevere through the day, it was her first and she needed to get used to it.
At lunch time I walk out and I see Scout messing up a Cunningham. It saw that it was Walter as I walked closer. I told her to stop; it was unfair that she was bigger than he was. She then explained how Miss Caroline had gotten her in trouble. I don’t think it was Miss Caroline’s fault any more than it was Scout’s. Miss Caroline is new to the town; she wouldn’t know everybody’s business like everyone else does. I felt bad for Walter though and invited him to lunch.
Calpurnia cooked a real good meal, but I guess Walter felt the need to add molasses to everything. I understood though, he probably never gets to have the stuff. Scout did not get this at all though and she asked very rudely what he was doing. Walter got all ashamed and Calpurnia asked Scout to come in the kitchen. I could hear some of what Calpurnia said to her and I felt bad. Scout was so young, but how else was she supposed to learn about the ways of people?
There was more trouble after lunch, with Burris. Scout told me everything that Saturday in between trips of taking supplies up to me in the tree house. He was very mean to Miss Caroline and he shouldn’t have said those things. I think she’ll get used the ways of Maycomb though; it’ll just take some time.
- Jem