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.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjznXjc6JY0
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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.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4yhSUqgFp
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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9HlAyJftb
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6oPp20m3C
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExzH0pfTp3
I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehND0mhOlC
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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. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAeomuG0JN
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Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBg1t0W94RZ
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“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡva7yL3KlYM
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSjCl2TS5S
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“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtAWh7BHQZ
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“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodGpiIJXj9
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“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXkQIptzew
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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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcrXdSJpn8
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“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BBybPtq74
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A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFNmYdcLFQ
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“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYDziFmko7
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FBDqVs4VT
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“Like we did?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNy8SWrIaI
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“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx779wqprRy
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886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2u8kkufMF
“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssz2XUGYwf
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaL6wwxL9Tz
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“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCG2YjO6RU
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He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDNkS08YgY
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“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGkJeKHAnn
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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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQO8sIf2oc
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzAw8WghKA
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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?886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVZ5niVJRX
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“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwtGHArdeS
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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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAE8qIikv1J
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“A very long way,” I said. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNyTxqfELj
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“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC69dINzOcO
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“We were farmers?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuuYxKwL5i
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“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5WGG9273h
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNwOTBGdmG
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“Why did mama cry?” 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSpHHjseqP
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTeaVyi0Lj
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“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyemVwkAsg
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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.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsD3qDp6Hj6
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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGtq2Bo47P
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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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHGAUSG70V
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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?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYK4IoC2uRH
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“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCQfaXXz6F
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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlPqaWQXQl
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“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEkzHTKcpm
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRJTO1Sod6
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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nm47gEVaT
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“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQl6hPgEHs8
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“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7Y1ZVaU9U
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“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeb6EIEWwPW
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“Innish?” I inquired.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfZr5cwE4E
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“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFdEoy2uKN
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnsw2cLbVg
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“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyl1oWO3eVI
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“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjO1NGs5OEz
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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?886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcxitcRsQp
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmMDD3dpZJ
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“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59F31RwbHk
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“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQP8w7EFmBR
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6KdXeRsAa
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“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3HNrrCvzY
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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxfy4p5q6I
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmR7eA0hPj
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“Were you happy?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkgO5JgCbx
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He got quiet.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMA9M4AnTb
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“Well?” I said.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsy0PR4RJUH
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“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86ue9lObev
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypqoSxoaHI
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“I ran away?” 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgb9herKgd
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“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14ZZppZWTN
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuy3LNvGCv
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCq8h0MNTG
“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObYk74QmZQ
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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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRBevUF6Cv
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62WpYGhiRQ
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“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8RpXl5dUL
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886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFfM4Zpjvs
“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzMpq3yxgv
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Yby81sO4S
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“He tried to whack you?” I said.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVLSbzSx0T
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkP5o18Twtw
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“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnIqAalUqG
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImmxoGNsYI
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90TiVTmEpi
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?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9t7hPqG1oU
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKogUJZ89E
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“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUtVC8pRbL
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaKyeg6PFe
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9m73o5qe6Z
“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrQYUYXhy2
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxD4pXiQVYQ
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYYouyJmcw
“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. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7v8xO7KL8d
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTgYz8AkqG
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“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMaSI781kx
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhL1htRoIp
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9R5AFAmKM
“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPKeZnWVqC
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5UfJ2hQ9M
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVQXbtkEQD
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. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNQhziq99s
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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MD7xf211e
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUIoEophs9
886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacudzCmoSI
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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCMNGNPdLc
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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. 886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwdET6a0d5
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