It was Halloween night and my five year old son and I had just gotten home from trick-or-treating. I got him out of his circus clown costume, washed him up and had him brush his teeth and then we were off to bed.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR7OEVRgKl
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“I sure am glad that you're my son,” I told Jace after we had finished reading his storybook for the night.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEhjJpQz20
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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqB7h6M2Tcn
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BLdAVtWFj
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7THSLykZ87
I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0ly8r3wnD
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3B3CYPIsT
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlrsLMolEc
Jace gave me a tight hug and laid up against me until he was in the verge of sleep. “I used to be your daddy,” he said in a dreamy, half conscious manner. The look on his five year old face was dead serious. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1HWECX7xN
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiF3Wo6KNh
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Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcx6LYUlC3
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSkw8PpFkQ
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“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Plh6phuUK
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBHeAGNd5J
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“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaIoLgRVHX
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“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7TFOUzlAx
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“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIxi90wngT
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“Nuh uh,” he said again. “First we lived in the homeland and then we comed to America on a ship. It was stinky and made mama’s tummy hurt. She was glad when we got off it.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpj3Muovfv
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“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubhvsGvQKP
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A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZYyThCBJv
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IQKwHPNZN
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“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfb7MqR7HAG
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBEBtQ0PgA
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“Like we did?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1k07GC2ax
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EKQP9LaKg
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“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEagkqEPDE7
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChbUwvYXzK
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54zGatPmOC
“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyKoH2DNOF
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp51ENRcJc9
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5j5iOGHjVy
“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡom3KnUhMn9
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvqFRwhiCU
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTib4Gjmova
He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpAWERgWGW
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“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7kZDozviy
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“Mama didn't like the town we were in, so she said that we needed to go somewhere else,” he responded. “She said it was too crowded and people were mean.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvqzA6hQkJ
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My half smile turned into a look of pure curiosity. Where had he heard these things? Had he maybe seen a documentary on tv? Where was he getting this information?931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NMcvIoPnU
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“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1xDVvOMhS
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“Me and mama workded until we could buy a two horses and a wagon. Then we rode and walked. It was a long way.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJg1V2oBTb
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“A very long way,” I said. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHlfuRAC3H
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“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRn5qHPA4B6
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“We were farmers?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkB7pep2yP
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“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrLdsAfTWO
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbTs58TDKd
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“Why did mama cry?” 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsm5yZDyac
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2xl83Ukv8
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“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0iig7Aoly
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931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOaAJ866hE
I was taken back by the conversation my five year old son and I were having. He had never told me a story like the one he was telling me. It was unnerving listening to him to provide answers with such clarity.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq10mcecC6b
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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpIVBs1d6p
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Shaking his head he said, “No. The dirt wasn't very good and I didn't really know how to do it good. You and mama had to get jobs in town. That's where you met him.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIPMQPp6Q1
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The way he had said “him” was curious. He said it with no small amount of bitterness. “Who did I meet?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWufhUTSKp
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg2bd0bz4g
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“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7YLhZuFj8
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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFhAoc8WXG
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“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nTGnvnk1t
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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZYFrHfTGL
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“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGKcahgJDB
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdf7MuJtwSq
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“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPaVdWZhi8
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“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2WZLMlZ04
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“Innish?” I inquired.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcswfOFYbH3
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“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2qteyUi0j
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡha0J9kQiSb
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“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuO4xl3mQmJ
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“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHdhp24U3R
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYB78sMbU0v
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I became very concerned. Where had he heard this? Had someone been been using racial slurs around my son? Maybe someone at school?931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTAHLazr4r
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaSJSAh2wa
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“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoalqAujD4E
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“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40D9MRxAX9
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUonG54B2MB
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“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRplABs7Pez
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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwBFepa73a
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bVLuPilOQ
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“Were you happy?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTXh3S9Lb4
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He got quiet.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzzR31N7tR
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“Well?” I said.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CDFXv2aug
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“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCM7KcmX1qj
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1Q9dVszkk
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“I ran away?” 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MIJ8VFiVR
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“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTEG9b2cOi
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“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJowoyEImVN
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmbRW2iFdp
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“No. When I founded you you said you weren't coming home and the red headed boy told me to go away,” he said. “But I told him you was my daughter and you was coming home with me.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCSxMgT6Ek
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLdnYGxReW
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“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6md46zmYr
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“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLwv1mxrcw
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSMinJwael
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“He tried to whack you?” I said.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDgEzB1etG
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“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPD6O88qDGd
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmcujbzQn7
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuK0AQe1Fz
I sat in a stunned silence for a moment. I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of my son’s mouth. I didn't want to know, but I had to ask. “A wood chopper?”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcYoajufBK
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4gmERvUqb
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“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFrsHON4Jq
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLj4qIiwkL
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“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeMSVVwKMp
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931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0m9p5bY9R
“You comed out and told me you was gonna to go tell everyone in town,” he said in a tired voice. He was on the verge of sleep. “So I whopped you with the wood chopper, too,” he said dreamily. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPeXca0hvu
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQd6SUdQW4n
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“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvg18znYqaw
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlTLbDOpgK
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“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bXOnFLRu7
931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgVGOSgVI0
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He turned onto his side and started to close his eyes. Sleep was beginning to set in. A chill crawled up my spine and my arm and neck hair was literally standing on end. This couldn't have come from the mind of my five year old. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPUABR6c0P
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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TRCDqYF0Z
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931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWoWhxAPgY
There was silence. I thought he had fallen asleep, but as soon as I sat up and put my feet over the edge of his bed he said in the sleepy voice, “She asked if I found you and I said no. But I knowed where you was. I knowed where you would be forever.”931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnFXvghWBd
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And with that the heavy, steady breathing of sleep sat in. I stood up and stared at my sleeping son for I don't know how long. I was shaken. It took me a long time to get to sleep that night. 931Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzTAovlNlq
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