6 Chapter 5 Annie Sullivan Arrives

Chapter 5 Annie Sullivan Arrives It was March 3, 1887. Helen did not know that this was to be the most important day of her life. Helen was aware that everyone in the family seemed excited. She could feel the tension in the air. Her mother bustled about the house. Things were cleaned and polished. Her mother and stepbrother dressed to go to the train station. Helen pulled her mother, wanting to go out with them, but her mother said no.

Finally, Annie Sullivan arrived in Alabama on the six-thirty train. Mrs. Keller greeted her in a soft voice, her blue eyes sparkling. A small crowd gathered to see the "Yankee girl who was going to teach the Keller child." Alone in a strange place, Annie looked anxious, pale, and tired. On the way to the Keller farm, Annie sat in the back of the carriage and looked around her. The small town of Tuscumbia looked like towns in New England. This comforted Annie, and she relaxed. She was eager to meet her new pupil. Helen stood on the porch. She felt the vibrations of the carriage coming down the lane.

She stretched out her arms for her mother. Instead, a stranger walked into her arms and held her. Helen didn't like strangers. She refused to let Annie kiss her. But Helen was curious about strangers, too. Helen felt Annie's face, dress, and bag. Then Helen opened Annie's bag. She expected to find the treats that company often brought for her. Her mother tried to stop Helen. Finally, Mrs. Keller had to rip the bag out of Helen's hands. Helen grew very angry. Her face turned red. She clutched her mother's skirt and began to kick. No one did anything. Then Annie held her small watch against Helen's face. Feeling it ticking, Helen quieted down. The tantrum passed.

Helen followed Annie upstairs to Annie's room. Helen helped Annie remove her hat. Then Helen put the hat on and moved her head from side to side. Annie watched Helen and wondered how she would teach this beautiful young colt of a girl. She was not sure she could. Annie took a deep breath. But tomorrow, she would start trying. The next morning, Helen was brought to Annie's room. Helen helped Annie unpack. There in Annie's trunk Helen discovered a lovely doll. The doll was a gift to Helen from the children at the Perkins School. Laura Bridgman, the former deaf and blind student there, had made some of the doll's clothes. Annie spelled the word doll slowly into Helen's hand. Helen thought that the doll was now hers. Whenever Helen wanted something, she pointed first to it, then to herself, and nodded. But Annie had no way of knowing this. She was trying to show Helen that d-o-l-l meant doll—that the word stood for something. Annie took the doll back. She was going to repeat the spelling of doll in Helen's hand. But Helen grew furious. She thought Annie was taking the doll back after she'd given it to her.

Annie tried to take Helen's hand. Helen would not let her. Helen began to throw another temper tantrum. Annie tried to sit Helen in a chair. She wanted to calm Helen. She wanted to start the lesson over. No use. Helen got angrier and fought harder. Annie finally let Helen go.

But Annie was not giving up. She ran downstairs and got a slice of cake. She brought it to Helen. She spelled c-a-k-e into Helen's hand while holding the cake under Helen's nose. Helen tried to take the cake. Annie spelled the word cake again and patted Helen's hand. This time Helen spelled the word back. Annie gave Helen the cake to eat. Did Helen understand that c-a-k-e meant cake? No, not really. Helen was just copying Annie. Helen did not know that if she went to Annie and spelled c-a-k-e in Annie's hand that Annie would realize that Helen wanted cake.