Journal #4: Perspective of Calpurnia: Chapters 10 - 12

Perspective of Calpurnia
Chapters: 10 - 12
Everyone was out of the house and I was alone. I was getting bored because there wasn't much chores to do that Atticus assigned me to do. So to keep myself busy I started cleaning the house and started making food for them so when they came back home the had something to eat.

The next day Scout and Jem started running into the house saying that there is a mad dog on the loose. I immediately want to tell everyone about the situation. The first person that I went to was Atticus. I called him up at work and told him about the mad dog situation. He said he would be right there. After I hung up the phone I immediately tell everyone even Boo Radely, but Boo Radely wouldn't emerge. I wanted to tell as many people as I can. Atticus soon came home with the sheriff of Maycomb, Heck Tate. They said it was Tim Johnson who was basically the town dog. I stayed inside and watched because I didn't want to see a poor animal just be killed without knowing. He wouldn't know what hit him. I see Heck Tate take out his rifle and put in his bullets that were around his waist. I was to scared to watch but I watched anyways. As I watched the mad dog, Tim Johnson seemed to be going in circles and wondering up and down the streets. When I was watching Heck Tate it seemed to me that he was focusing in on Tim Johnson. From the window I saw him throw the rifle at Atticus and he nodded his head. I said to myself he probably couldn't shoot it because the mad dog was probably to far for him to get a good aim. I then see Attitcus take the rifle and focus for about 10 seconds at the dog. His glasses fell off and he completely ignored it. I said to my self that Tim Johnson was in great peril. He shot at the dog and he fell down. Turning away when Tim Johnson fell down. It was the most loudest sound I have ever heard. I then saw everyone come out but I stayed inside.

The next day I was back at the Finch's. Wondering what my chores were to do now. I have already made Scout, Jem and Atticus food so the next thing that I did was continued cleaning up the house. After a couple of hours Jem comes in mad while I hear Scout crying in the background. I had no idea what happened but I couldn't help but over hear Jem and Atticus's conversation. There voices were inaudible. All I really heard from the conversation was that Atticus was forcing Jem to do all of Ms. Dubose's needs for your punishment. Of course Jem didn't want to contradict him because he would lose anyways. I hate Ms. Dubose. I thought she was one of the meanest and racist lady I have ever met. She was a very racist woman I thought. But I cannot do anything about the way she thinks about people. Jem was off to read to Ms. Dubose for about 2 hours. He has been doing it for about 1 month now.

It has been a month and a half now and Atticus got a call. He told me that he has to be gone for 2 weeks for an important job. I was speaking to myself what I was going to do with Scout and Jem when Sunday came around because those are the days where I went to church. Scout over heard me and told me that they could behave and we are old enough to be responsible and not fool around. I said that it was okay for them to go to church. It was the day before Sunday and I was getting them all baths and making them set up their nicest clothes that they had so they can wear them for church tomorrow. I was helping Scout take a bath and when she was finished I got Jem in the bath tub and helped him take a bath. He then yelled at me saying “cant anyone take a bath without family coming in.” I then left him on his own saying that he was a grown up now and he doesn't need my help anymore. When both of them were done with their baths I immideatly told them to show me what they were wearing for church. Scout was going to wear a suit that didn;t match at all with his tie. I helped him find a matching tie. When it was Scout's turn, she needed a little help. Her dress was just not good enough. So I made some changes.

The hours went by fast and it was Sunday. I told Jem and Scout to get ready because we were leaving to go to church soon. A few minutes later Scout and Jem were ready to go as I expected. When we arrive at church I see all the men and woman taking off their hats and bowing to Scout and Jem, probably because of what good old Atticus is doing for Tom Robinson. It was all but one person that didn't take any effort to bow to them or to take off their hat. It was the person that I disliked the most, Lula. She asked me why those two white children were in a nigger church. But I ignored and didn't respond. She kept on talking to me but I tried to ignore her. Church was almost over and Reverned Sykes wants everyone to donate money to the reach at least 10 dollars. I donate 10 cents. He says that this is for Helen who was Tom Robinson's wife. This money was for her to take care of her children why her husband was stuck in jail. Revered Sykes still says that there is not enough money so he tells people to close the doors so no one runs away. He says I will not let anyone out until I get the 10 dollars. No one was taking their money puches out or their wallets and it was getting hot and stuffy in here. So I take my money puch and dig for coins. While I was digging through my money pouch Scout and Jem were so generous of them to give me their quarters to give to Reverened Sykes. It still took a long time but we made it to $10 and I saw the dissapointed faces on some who had worked hard for the money but were put on the spot to give it away. But I was so proud of Scout and Jem that they had aquired a good deed on helping an innocent black person, Helen. Most kids probably would never give away their money to a blak person but Scout and Jem did.