TKAM #4

Journal #4
Chapters 10, 11 & 12
Perspective: Mrs. Dubose


There was a Mad dog down our street, old Tim Johnson!. Well, everyone heard that Atticus had shot the dog. He's got mad dog disease! Who could have thought that in February!

Atticus came to my front steps with those wild children of his and said I looked like a picture this evening. He told me about the courthouse news and hoped that I would have a good day tomorrow. The next day, I was sitting on my porch when I saw those two gremlins walk by.
"Where are you going at this time of day? Playing Hooky I suppose. I'll just call up the principal and tell him!"
They told me it was Saturday, and I didn't care. Jem said that they have been going to town alone ever since they were little, and I told him not to lie and contradict me. I told them that Mrs. Maudie told me that they broke down her scuppernong arbor this morning. I was accusing them. I also told them they won't do anything with their life except wait on tables at the the O.K. Cafe. I heard Jem muttering something in Scout's ear, and my next sentence did the damage.
"Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers!"
I looked at Jem and he was stiff.
"Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!"
They left me and went into town.

That night, I came out and absolutely went mad! My camellia bushes were trashed! I saw a baton snapped in half, and every little thing that I see bad, I always accuse the evil Finch kids. I thought Jem has gone fanatical! I told Atticus, and Jem had come to apologize to me and clean up the mess he had left. He said that he was sorry, and added but he ain't. I was debating on a punishment for him, and I had told him that I wanted him to read to me for a month as a punishment every afternoon after school and Saturdays for two hours aloud.

It was Monday and both of the Finch kids had come to my door. Jessie, my "slave" who takes care of me for my morphine addictions opened the door.
They came to me and my greeting was "So you brought that dirty little sister of yours, did you?"
Jem said she wasn't dirty and that he wasn't afraid of me, but I told him to read. I told them to come closer until they were adjacent from me. Every time Jem didn't know a word, he skipped it, but I kept catching him and making him spell it out. I fell asleep. The alarm went off and Jessie shooed the kids out because it was time for my medicine. It continued like this for a month. One afternoon I was constantly correcting Jem when I screamed at a knock on the door. Atticus came in wondering where his kids were, and I told him that it was not time for their release. Everyday, I made my alarm go off a couple more minutes later. One day, I kept antagonizing Jem for a couple hours. I asked that Jem read to me one more week when Atticus said he felt that the reading is done. Jem wanted to say something. When the kids came back for more reading, I let them go with "That'll do" late. I got bored and kept picking on the kids and saying that Jem will regret ruining my camellias. He answered, then I told him that you can't kill flowers unless you pull it out by the roots. He murmured and I told him not to murmur and that he can't hold his head up for what his father is. On the last day of reading, I let the kids go and said good day to them. I was so concentrated on them to finish reading. Before that day, I asked Atticus to make my will. I had Jessie make me a Snow on the mountain, which is a camellia wrapped with cotton, in a candy box to give to Jem. I had just called Atticus to give this to Jem. He is coming over right now.

Atticus spoke to me, and he had a sense of perplexity. I feel like I am going to die. I told Atticus to give the box to Jem. I am going to isolate. I can't hold on any longer.......................good-bye.