To Kill A Mockingbird Chapter 32 (Alternate Ending)

I woke to find Atticus still sitting beside Jem. He was reading a different book now, but I couldn't make out the title of it for my eyes were blurry from sleepiness. "How is Jem doin'?" I asked as I wiped my eyes with the back of my arm.

"He hasn't woken yet, but he's been sleepin' well."

Atticus put down his book and looked into my eyes as I stood infront of him. As he got up from his chair I asked "Don't you think we otta give Boo a gift for what he's done? I mean it sure does seem rude not to..."

"What Boo wants most of all is peace and to not be annoyed by other people. If you want to give him a gift for what he's done, you just leave him alone."

Later, Jem finally woke up and when Atticus left his room to prepare breakfast I proposed my idea to Jem. Jem was older now though, and he had to try and make a "mature" decision, so he said what Atticus had said and for a second I thought that maybe he had been awake when I had asked Atticus and he was just fake sleeping. I was about to question him on it, but I decided that if he hadn't been awake it would have just gone to his head that he had said the same thing as Atticus, so I just called him a party pooper and walked into the living room. I sat there rolled up in a chair thinking of what I could give Boo until Atticus was done making breakfast. Breakfast was absolutely delicious, but I didn't get to really soak it in for I was anxious to go back to my spot in the living room to think of what I could give Boo.

After another couple of hours I finally decided that since Boo had given me and Jem soap dolls, I would try to make him one. I would make one of a Mockingbird. That was what Boo was. He never did anything bad to anyone, and yet people made up horrible rumors about him and would torment him. I wasn't sure if he would like it, and I was absolutely positive that my artistic ability wouldn't be good enough to make it pretty, but if I worked hard I might be able to get it to the point that Boo would be able to tell that it's a Mockingbird. Besides, it was about the symbolic value, not the artistic value.

I went to the bathroom and took a piece of soap from it. I sat in the living room for what felt like an eternity until I had finally finished my carving. It was better than I expected. It wasn't good, but you could tell what it was.

It was dawn when I decided to walk it down to the Radley house. It was cold and goosebumps popped up all over my arms and legs. I didn't know how to give it to him and as I slowly walked down the street staring at the run down house, I decided that I would knock on his front door and hand it to him in person. I stutter stepped as I got closer to the Radley front door; I was unsure now if I really wanted to do it. The front door was scarier than I had anticipated. Although, I had been there just the day before and helped Boo through it, it was different now; I felt like I was trespassing. And I probably was. I stood there for a moment just staring at the front door and then gently set the carving down in front of the door. I turned around, walked out the gate, and started down the street. I never turned back to even look, for my curiosity was gone now. I had done what I needed to do. I walked back onto my porch, stopped, and looked back at the Radley house one last time, and as I did I could have sworn that I saw a shutter move.