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Memories of Golde Dicks Markham (1996) Golde Markham Dicks 13/125

Ma asked, “Where did you get that apple, Golde?”
“They were just sitting in a box on the sidewalk where anybody who wanted one could
get it,” I answered. “You could have gotten some, too.”
Pa explained, “The-fruit out there is to sell. To just pick up one like you did is stealing.

Please show me where you got this apple so we cam return it. You can then tell the man
you’re sorry you took it.”

Right then and there we turned around and tripped back south on that wooden side­
walk until we came to the store where I had taken .the apple.
“Here is the man the apple belongs to. What are you supposed to do?” he asked.
I walked over to the man and handed him the apple.

“I’m sorry I took this apple, Mr. Wilson.”
He laughed and said, “Oh, you can have the apple.”

But Pa said that I couldn’t have the apple because he wanted to teach me I couldn’t
just pick up things and keep them.
I was so embarrassed and humiliated. By that time I didn’t want the blessed apple. I
had no idea that I was stealing one. I really thought they were placed there for free takes. I

don’t enjoy apples too much to this day.

Pa enjoyed coming to Lake City for political speeches in the park. The speakers

always recessed for noonday dinner. One day Mr. McDuffie, owner of a grocery store,
insisted on us going home with him for dinner and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Tribble
and I were the only children at this time. I remember that the McDuffies served light bread

with a bottle of Heinz Ketchup. Tribble was just beginning to talk. He started eating light
bread with the ketchup spread on it. He didn’t stop until he finished off that entire bottle of

ketchup. We seldom had light bread or ketchup, so this was a big treat to Tribble.
When the bottle was emptied, he began to sob, “I want more bread and ketchup!”
Ma was so outdone with Tribble that Mr. McDuffie pushed his chair back from the

table and said, “People, please excuse me for a minute.”
He left his house on North Hernando Street to go to his grocery store. He came
bounding back in five minutes with a big bottle of Heinz Ketchup.

He looked at Tribble and said, “Son, you eat all of the bread and ketchup you want!”

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