Taking sides

Journal #3
- Chapters 8 and 9
- Perspective: Uncle Jack

I met up with Jem and Scout at Maycomb Junction on Christmas Eve, and I would be with them for a whole week. We were with my sister Alexandra and her grandson Francis. I was remembering one Christmas when I nursed Scout's foot that had a pretty nasty splinter in it. I kept her laughing about a preacher who hated going to church then I pulled the splinter out. She interrupted me about when I was going to pull out the splinter, so I held up a slightly bloody splinter. My memories were interupted when Scout asked about the package I was holding for her. I didn't want to tell her now, so I was thankful when Jem changed the subject to my cat, Rose Aylmer. Shes a beautiful yellow cat, and the only female I can permanently stand. I took out some snapshots of her for them to admire. I told them that she eats all the leftover fingers and ears from the hospital after they told me she was getting fat.

I found out that Scout took up a habbit of cussing. I thought that her mouth would stay ingenous for a while longer. After a while of hearing her cuss, I got fed up and decided to have a talk with her. After supper, I entrusted her with the responsibility of only saying that when there's extreme provocation. I was finished with the conversation, so I decided that we should decorate the tree now. We decorated the tree until it was their bedtime. I then put their presents under the tree and waited for them to awaken. I watched as they pounced on their gifts that was fanatical we knew we would only let them shoot out at Atticus's Landing.

I was inside the house when I heard Alexandra fussing about Scout and Francis; I paid no mind. That is until I saw Scout punch Francis straight in the mouth. I grabbed her arms, put them on her sides and told her to stand still. I asked who started the fight when Francis told Alexandra that Scout jumped him and called him a lady-whore. I got mad at her and spanked her a couple times. We decided it was time that we went back home, and once we got there Scout ran straight to her room and slammed the door. I went to her, told her she had it coming when she told me I wasn't fair. I was perplexed until she told me that I didn't hear her side of the story. So I decided to hear her out; once she told me I was debating wether to go back and give Francis a good spanking. That is till Scout told me not to tell anyone, and I knew I owed her that much, so I went with out sayin' nothin'.