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.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuMh45fOCc
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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.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1o90bxKsw
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8YjHIpzrz
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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUC0qHOQZ4
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZDL2pfIZ5
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKh4sOBs3kC
I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvd6vlS8iMG
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRiAsgRJgh
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzU3Ix3fJO9
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. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSU2qPcduJW
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtJPBDEqox
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXs9v0xzVFV
Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauJ3ks8uw1
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2uZPbmNhk
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYHAL1KFF3
“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvXH4qBinE
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDLZhrF3nI
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“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenN1lZDaai
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡly6nQ6KRJP
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7BgBVjH3d
“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSWpXvK9Ds
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjnSzJ3Qhp
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSk78l9HZH
“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT805DN6U30
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcc9VvVZWv0
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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.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JtFx1Hu6u
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“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiMsEe6ffY
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A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQrHfnlh7y
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9lvIgS26S
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVssLCXi9H
“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWidPXqNPp
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJshsJZJcOT
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“Like we did?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOTCt1qAx9
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVuapaQsR1
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“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzert2vzcPA
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlCytSpFpd
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uUMfutRrZ
“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5c9uhQUZSv
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4vjS3WsL1
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLCPZX762C
“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOHuazhBgU
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSrlpgzaDS
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCedHgnLIxN
He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7VFU7HJto
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEzWADVEMj
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFDAQNtCN4
“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxVv2H3bVC
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932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskZ7nY7zT4
“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.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLpRpjJtpa
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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?932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbID1DiK6D
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8H97VwCzIA
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6WEA9HILA
“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaNuctBcQT
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlI7R89DCcB
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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.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xpErcQ6EM
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXcSCiO35Q
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“A very long way,” I said. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6uo9rfnp8
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“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqsbs9CXvl
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuKiEmrMwB
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“We were farmers?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjJxD36m6S
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFn6mUovKM
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“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoUOR9hLFb
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanX8kkJnoc
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“Why did mama cry?” 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXw8UM2XAI
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7DSaOHUnJ
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“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgksXKoX8G
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyyq6WRvPt
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoS5C7lafLy
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.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy12MrqdhtM
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPrEaUEqSl
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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDY4lQvblP
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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.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qUYUXqnc2
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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?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfxPqvvhBI
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeI6VWAkQR
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“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKB1GLMmYV
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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUfEmawbpU
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“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxqqSL7b2K
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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriIujEH4zB
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“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdU8y2DUwF
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23UaTcTtH0
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“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeN0SuPRIBL
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXUk3pqS4l
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“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTU6YrWTAe
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVk4dkkhn91
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“Innish?” I inquired.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeI6NllEVdu
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNW8aMh6YYn
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMipX0cfQs
“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdhRJl7imw
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDUgGtKbwa
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“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJG1ze1XEE
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Q5hTGDue5
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“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPifd79xHh
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GHUduGNdw
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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?932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4M63o6eghV
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrebU7sdhWJ
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“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVYNNNYB7r
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQuawkahJ7
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zn6EAL8dJ
“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVo0fn5sME
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUlAVoUq3L
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“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpl23wXcRuN
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk92WrbZx8p
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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkx9khIVKVK
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8wwYWu7sL
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“Were you happy?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8yS1ygSL0
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He got quiet.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqs1ylTItZ
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRo5kiUDNSP
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoHjMChUoS
“Well?” I said.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPJfSy0d14
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932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiqd9iyvKM
“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqZensBlye
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmL673fRtP
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMm9O7cPegJ
“I ran away?” 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPvSN0N8sl
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUM8CoPeZ7
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“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9x8qhmBY2
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGzn18fJVS
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDO8sxiCz4s
“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmfdGvDdj1
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnkD7F5zYW
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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.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xLc829IrQ
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlloEvZbWUx
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“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSowMXTFlv
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932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2avCQY1Bg8
“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QVpCxktfb
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafZrPe0Suj
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNF9lSA6c8
“He tried to whack you?” I said.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRksW99C2eh
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANyGfi5t0B
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“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvIQTgfxXw
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yNtCrvfDT
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXURr5IRTp
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?”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasA0g7G4eP
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzDvadSw04
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCg0sqk2FiF
“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGz0pWbe5jA
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dDKl8bAU8
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALFInLNtff
“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9Fhf2MI6N
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSq9tN7udS
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg62wJl6Tcv
“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. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7p3THdljz
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRze6LhW93x
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“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEiptMFddF
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztC67LsFux
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOW9m3uQpf
“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFY37Lgjbo
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIh6XbGtAbP
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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. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDb2azFPzb
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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCngInw9mwJ
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLm4jqrvHYI
932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwa279xa6nl
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.”932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5J2EzR8Io1
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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. 932Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1JBSakLel
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