Peaches

Retired Col. Mary Turner,  USAF

Mary lives in San Antonio, TX but comes by occasionally for a brief visit.  Her health is not the best and she is currently recovering from hip surgery.  A native of Alamo , TN and the daughter of share croppers; she know lots about life.  She has a gift for writing stories and I'm sure she won't mind my sharing one with you. 

Peaches 

There was an obituary in my hometown newspaper.  Lenon "Peaches" King had passed away at the age of 68.  His funeral was in the First Baptist Church.  Mr. King, a laborer, died at his home on Nov. 7.  He is survived by his wife, six sons, one daughter, nineteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.  He must have had a very happy life.

It doesn't say Peaches was black, but he was.  He and I played together in the late 1930's when we were three or four years old.  Our parents were working in the cotton field and we were left on a quilt in the shade of the wagon.  We made mud pies together, and got very dirty as we tried to color me the same color as Peaches.  We drank from the same cup, and ate from the same cookie although I was told not to because he might be unclean or diseased.  Sometimes I got spanked for my defiance.  I don't remember very much of this.  My Mother told me these stories and I believe they are true because I have a warm feeling about Peaches.

I saw him once or twice in a store where I was working as a teenager , and we exchanged a hello, how are you?  That is all I remember about Peaches, but his death has made me very sad.  It was Peaches who taught me that black people are not different from white people except on the outside.  It was Peaches who taught me to share food with others regardless of color.  And because of Peaches I learned to laugh and play and love.  Too bad I forgot all this later in life.