When I was seven, I lived with my mother and Aunt Flo and Uncle Wes and my brother Forrest on School Street in Stockton. My mother had to work, so Forrest and I were taken care of by Joseph, and his wife Mary and his sister Florence. They were an elderly trio and lived right behind the house where we lived. As a matter of fact, there was a gate in the fence between the two yards, so it was very easy to go from one house to the other.The thing that I liked best about going to Joseph and Mary and Florence's house, was that at lunch Mary always fixed green onions sliced up in vinegar. They were so delicious! Joseph grew them in his garden, and Mary sliced them up and poured vinegar over them, and then everyone had some for lunch. I just couldn't ever get enough of those green onions. Mary fixed them every single day, and I always got my share, but they were so delicious that I could have eaten them all.
Well, one weekend day I decided that I just had to have more onions than my fair share. I thought about how to get more, and I thought about it, and I thought about it. Finally I decided just what to do. So, quiet as a mouse, I opened the gate between our the back yards and quiet as a mouse I sneaked into their yard. Then, quiet as a mouse, I sneaked over to Joseph's garden and began picking onions right out of the ground! I knew that those onions didn't belong to me. I knew that I shouldn't do it. But, Maya's Granny is so sorry to report, I just pulled them right out of the ground anyway. I was so busy pulling the onions right out of the ground that I didn't hear Joseph come out of his house.
Caught! Caught stealing onions! How humiliating! Oh, I just couldn't believe that I been caught doing something so naughty! Joseph was very disappointed that I would steal from him. And, so that I would remember not to steal from people again, Joseph said that I couldn't have any onions at lunch for a whole week. That was an awful week. Joseph got onions in vinegar for lunch. Mary got onions in vinegar for lunch. Florence got onions in vinegar for lunch. Even Forrest got onions in vinegar for lunch. I swear they ate them slowly and smacked their lips and made a point of letting me know how much they enjoyed them. Even Forrest, who was only two years old and one of my biggest fans. I had to watch them eat green onions and remember that I shouldn't steal from people.
And years later my mother told me that Joseph told her that when he caught me it was all he could do to keep a straight face and not laugh. He'd never heard of a child stealing vegetables before.
10 comments:
And onions at that! I mean, tomatoes, corn, sweet peas from the vine...those would make more sense than onions. :) Too funny. Do you ever make green onions and vinegar any more?
That was a great tale. I'll have to try it. I love cucumbers in vinegar. I guess I'll be adding green onion next time.
Onions, I am not a fan of those little veggies. Think of it, now you can have all the onions and vinegar you want. That is the great part of being a grown up.
I hate vinegar, so I cannot share in that memory. I was stealing flowers from a garden once (at age 3) to give to my mom, and I messed in my pants. It came to me that it was a punishment for stealing...LOL
Usually when I have green onions and vinegar now they are both part of a salad, with many more things included. I should really try just them again.
Of course, oninons aren't the only thing I ever snuck out of a garden. Apricots and pomagranates and grapes that I can remember.
I remember as a child my dad and I eating green onions dipped in salt. We would chomp on them like carrots. Now I prefer my green onions french cut and sprinkled over asian stir fry.
Reminds me of "Peter Rabbit" in Mr Mcgregor's garden. You didn't lose a little blue velveteen jacket when you were caught did you? :))
I might have sntiched a few things as a kid, but never an onion, I assure you.
The idea of snacking on raw onion really makes my stomach turn!
Green onions and vinegar, huh. Yea never heard of that.
I will have to give it a go this weekend.
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