Well, this “tomboy” loved to play boy games with the best of them and It was a hot summer day about 1945 and me and my friend, Kathleen, headed to Collins Market to get us a Pepsi and a pack of peanuts, yummy. One of my favorite people and memories of those days was one of their clerks by the name of Ernest (I called him Preacher), and we got what we wanted and ambled up to the counter to pay for our goodies and I needed a new bag of marbles as I was going to take on some of the fellers who thought they couldn’t be beat. I was new to the game other than watching a time or two, so I laid my bag of marbles on the counter and Ernest smiling said to me, “Idy, let me see you lag” (mind you he did not say leg but I thought he did), and I looked at him and said, “Preacher, you or nobody else is going to see my leg” . Bless his heart he turned as red as a beet and I reckon I had embarrassed him so badly. Mr. Collins and his wife let out a hoot and a holler kidding him and he turned coat and went toward the back. When Mr. Collins told me that he meant “lag” which he explained to me was part of the marble lingo, I looked for him to apologize but he was long gone. I don’t think I ever got to apologize but down through the years he remained a good friend of mine and to this day when I see a marble (and I have a huge collection of those jewels), I think of Preacher.
Thursday, May 13
Let Me See Your Lag
Well, this “tomboy” loved to play boy games with the best of them and It was a hot summer day about 1945 and me and my friend, Kathleen, headed to Collins Market to get us a Pepsi and a pack of peanuts, yummy. One of my favorite people and memories of those days was one of their clerks by the name of Ernest (I called him Preacher), and we got what we wanted and ambled up to the counter to pay for our goodies and I needed a new bag of marbles as I was going to take on some of the fellers who thought they couldn’t be beat. I was new to the game other than watching a time or two, so I laid my bag of marbles on the counter and Ernest smiling said to me, “Idy, let me see you lag” (mind you he did not say leg but I thought he did), and I looked at him and said, “Preacher, you or nobody else is going to see my leg” . Bless his heart he turned as red as a beet and I reckon I had embarrassed him so badly. Mr. Collins and his wife let out a hoot and a holler kidding him and he turned coat and went toward the back. When Mr. Collins told me that he meant “lag” which he explained to me was part of the marble lingo, I looked for him to apologize but he was long gone. I don’t think I ever got to apologize but down through the years he remained a good friend of mine and to this day when I see a marble (and I have a huge collection of those jewels), I think of Preacher.
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IdaLee, I'm curious...did you ever pour peanuts into your bottle of pepsi. I remember seeing kids do that when I was in school.
ReplyDeleteOh, "fer shore" the peanuts were put into the Pepsi and those little jewels fizzed and to this day I do that now and again. The two back then went together like ice cream and cake. A lot of times I would take my lunch money (to eat at the little cafeteria at Lower Broadway)and on my way to school stop and have me a bottle of "pop" and peanuts on my way up Broadway to school. Then it would come time for recess and I could smell the aroma coming from that little stone cafeteria and I knew they were having tomato soup and pimento cheese. Well, all I could do was stand and smell for I chose peanuts and pop and what I had left would not fit the bill of fare. Mom never had a clue that I did that several times and went without a full dinner. That was my choice and my tummy paid the price. Mercy, was that sneaky, I reckon!
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