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.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxw0agvDaQ
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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.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKEujviYMW
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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZUplnH8eQ
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9835Z3uVu
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxz4XgELU1E
I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaPoD2gC1S
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5lMQ19Fz0
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKSKtVO4sE
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. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQOYH3nmI5
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjlaGiJKvH
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJZyEY0GkF
Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9jTK6gG8a
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvTEcnX5hj
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“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXFqPPj9lY
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwliSRw0pRD
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“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRZcRGLx5r
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“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpiVVbON3p
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgXPhlci09
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVvStgcZ1O
“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY61YBzCTLo
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkH6a8OGK4
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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.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVedqTsNUkm
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“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsCib3mLQP
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyStYMpV6SV
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A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwjshD4Rrd
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJuBAwTi1G
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtotQFLeCx
“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzu8v6hgG8y
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGU2FrZeeLr
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“Like we did?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmqHPQQAP7
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPKCmbrX2r
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtp7xaGztKo
“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10vFAqKS2k
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpQsuDaOj2
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuBxMq9CUi
“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMU34IR6P3m
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPoGV1661v
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozIKscAFuw
“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NvGeIoRSr
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzUjfjgU6w
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He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVky6CKGpx
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqnNWMKIgf
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uWXGGW6oy
“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDGWgEk3lq
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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.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oA6FDypSL
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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?839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxAvjPyQ2g
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6HB1B7Xrv
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“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDeMENdf5i
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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.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pvbaU434Z
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqigg2YdIh
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“A very long way,” I said. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tFPWPqnpU
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCbGSgXwty
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“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeQLeBUPsL
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMu4gCZuhtb
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“We were farmers?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7u3g1z0QLn
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90ikn3ZUSp
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“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUwtk3Ud27
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcICMSGSyUb
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“Why did mama cry?” 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkBLxCp49c
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZNQi6Mwkj
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“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSiWLyvrDp
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eEzMeODTt
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBv1LvpSL3
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.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMy9YMYAaT
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUCHqkf08h
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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKkEinjrz9
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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.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssCjEhZj4n
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJUTOljial
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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?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU1yneGdGe
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPhokMOakr
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6Ld1Kjzx3
“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhk2t7fsKFW
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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXjVD4WVbj
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“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ECB3irEFx
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkqHurGsNY
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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJzWnDInao
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“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG92oyxB0lM
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpG8oPMZ0F
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“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVffB4sQLsY
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡej5LBKwiKp
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSO1d9b9XpC
“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTX3WT7osP
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDedGI5sNC
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSe96dWjC9
“Innish?” I inquired.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71eAZnv10j
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmVPcpYm7n
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyYAeEnUkp
“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWO33WqtAUD
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClEk62ZVjU
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbErQvyepJ
“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsGhmhdD7b
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBBrgmVIWL
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“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6aVXkurht
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5dn6FGP4l
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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?839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamj2wvoPcu
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWn2gaLVryb
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“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBgoagyM9J
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“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYPU5d3fMo
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6e50Ce8tqK
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“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqEvGHO8v7
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvEk0mOMVl
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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2ArDU366X
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzVbjdZBBG
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“Were you happy?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBHjXM1HjR
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMK9mTAU1a
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He got quiet.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8twVxfIK5q
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVDzNqIDLI
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“Well?” I said.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhE7dbFsSmO
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbs72ZN3Rc
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyO4zFb6wN
“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hYyKAFOOr
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnJjbRUrUV
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKs7MQzxKW
“I ran away?” 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2FzwENiT8
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxXZqms7am
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sjgur9Xgy
“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3SNwuoahQ
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlvg4I3VmX
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“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOd538P7sbB
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WvLvBvdD1
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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.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hQJn4MKIO
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqu4aZRzG6y
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“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnWfZQwcyX
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgX8OR7m3g
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“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfioOVyUBQa
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKz6pydRW3q
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSEx7Zt7ys
“He tried to whack you?” I said.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KjkzeWSm7
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LpWX69BpI
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“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sQI5HhbP3
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MLM5fsdrZ
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdKOMAXstN
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?”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMp4blW8tQ
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpP1cgXgQP8
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxecidPGBS
“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJVDSvigzx
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrouWldfHYk
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJE1HxuwaHt
“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZukWlZmPta
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoMekXOKji
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1uw4ENbHt
“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. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXWAWIDxeK
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkMQLKCrVl
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“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGBDAbvQ7J
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgbdNunZdo
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWd5mcTRX8l
“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2QHVrOOBv
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oK9EdAW4R
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRCyvxSg5j
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. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnpcvPo1cQ
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjPbrzclHt
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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgELuNEiiB
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivSOiimUuj
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiKefl800j
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.”839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UsaVo9MFa
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJh74c91p4c
839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkHC1xDxPf
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. 839Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0jCxI1VUi
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