Little Hero

Chapter 2

"Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus Finch on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he'd get him if it took the rest of his life..." Jonathan read from To Kill a Mockingbird under a big apple tree with his Atticus curled up on his side.

Atticus mind was racing with suspense. He stared at Jonathan wide-eyed. "What did he do next?"

Jonathan chuckled at his enthusiasm and continued, " 'I wish Bob Ewell didn't chew tobacco' was all Atticus said. Miss Stephanie said Atticus didn't even bat an eye, just took out his handkerchief and stood there and let Mr. Ewell call him names. Then, he put his hand in his pockets and strolled on," he closed the book.

Jonathan looked up and was met with a confused looking Atticus who was cocking his head to the side. "That's it! He didn't punch him or anything. Atticus Finch ought to teach that Mr. Bob Ewell some manners,"

Jonathan pulled his little body closer to him. "Bob Ewell has nothing on Atticus Finch, the man's the best shot in the county but if he did punch him what would that make Atticus Finch, hmm?"

Atticus, understanding where the conversation was heading answered with the typical answer, "He'll be just like him..." he said in a soft voice.

"Exactly. Now, sometimes the best option is to ignore bullies like Bob Ewell because-"

"Are you still mad about what happened with Marcus?" interrupted Atticus.

Jonathan, surprised, could see the guilt in Atticus' downcasted eyes. "If you could understand what the bird said, you'd feel mad too. I told him to stop but he wouldn't listen. So, I fought him to save the little birdie. I didn't mean to change into ... 'that' but the scary voice...kind of made me do it,"

With his new-found ability to talk to animals, Atticus found it was hard not to ignore the fact that a defenseless bird was crying for help while being tortured by a merciless human. The animals were his friends and no one messes with his friends. Turning into a gray monster, however, was not part of his rescue plan. He thought he had been punished enough with the scolding he got from Hephaestus but it seems not.

He sighed as he played with the grass by his feet. "I wish I was normal."

'I wish I was normal', how many times has he heard that from Clark. Like father, like son, mused Jonathan. Jonathan pulled Atticus into his arm and gave him a big hug. It always soothed Clark when he was upset. The boy immediately melted in the old man's embrace. Enjoying, the show of affection even if it was in a dream."I'm not mad at you champ. I could never be mad at you for long,"

Jonathan pulled back from the hug and look directly into Atticus' eyes while carrying a comforting smile. "I just want you to remember that you have to control your temper even though it's hard. Bullies like Marcus and Bob Ewell do mean things because they want us to fight back. They think if they show us our dark side, it'll make them feel better about their miserable selves. Do you understand?"

Atticus nodded. "I guess...but what do I do if someone starts being mean to me and the scary voice starts whispering?"

The scary voice in question often comes when Atticus feels angry. They seduce him by saying evil words to influence his actions. Sometimes he was able to ignore them, sometimes he couldn't and gave in to those voices.

Jonathan stroke his chin for a moment to think and finally,"Aha. Well, whatcha gonna do is look them straight in the eye and say....nothing,"

"Nothing?" said a perplexed Atticus.

"Yup. It drives them crazy and when that scary voice starts to whisper. Take a deep breathe," Jonathan inhaled deeply to demonstrate. "And think of the happiest moment in your life. Can you do that, champ? "