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.PENANABwzcKrL3Af
932Please respect copyright.PENANAirJAmXMWPP
932Please respect copyright.PENANAjDyalRHvtj
“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.PENANAbvXyWnGOPb
932Please respect copyright.PENANAFhOeFR4Xaz
932Please respect copyright.PENANACJYuviwVFt
“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.932Please respect copyright.PENANAxPvBotTyAg
932Please respect copyright.PENANAiLogbUJ9Rd
932Please respect copyright.PENANAe4wVHkyR0k
I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAz3kIa0pLPf
932Please respect copyright.PENANAv3XQVvZMpp
932Please respect copyright.PENANAj3InjWKIul
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.PENANAbOkNBoX7hl
932Please respect copyright.PENANA6AwFLZXQaF
932Please respect copyright.PENANAkPnSUhiRII
Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”932Please respect copyright.PENANASjwGDgHhLU
932Please respect copyright.PENANA9XrnyF5hoY
932Please respect copyright.PENANAJe7J1D19QJ
“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAzFg8nRYiDp
932Please respect copyright.PENANA6RXwZ2TVJw
932Please respect copyright.PENANAxokaXrJPKL
“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.932Please respect copyright.PENANAdTKikBqo3G
932Please respect copyright.PENANAey5YeeS9Qy
932Please respect copyright.PENANAw1ncR3uZ0p
“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 932Please respect copyright.PENANAWoOdVymeRq
932Please respect copyright.PENANAP0trYqfZx7
932Please respect copyright.PENANAAIShFgL3PQ
“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAewmoMTpfC4
932Please respect copyright.PENANAZEZKM1BRCn
932Please respect copyright.PENANAVowO9UTST7
“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.PENANAidhiYb9Dh0
932Please respect copyright.PENANAaTjDukU5pi
932Please respect copyright.PENANAd6rMFN101U
“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.932Please respect copyright.PENANAkOQIxwKIn5
932Please respect copyright.PENANAmXLbW1MKuf
932Please respect copyright.PENANAMXjMeBQYEk
A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 932Please respect copyright.PENANAbEYHJ3hE1i
932Please respect copyright.PENANAAPlZNfUzrr
932Please respect copyright.PENANAc72BMOAMAn
“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAdtqkDBK5X4
932Please respect copyright.PENANAgtOV5YIue6
932Please respect copyright.PENANACopJIRUdeA
“Like we did?”932Please respect copyright.PENANArkn556g0fn
932Please respect copyright.PENANAiRIdkbjMoS
932Please respect copyright.PENANAkIYbSB9NhK
“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”932Please respect copyright.PENANApTHM3bW3LJ
932Please respect copyright.PENANA94Mqrg5fUh
932Please respect copyright.PENANANAg1yUOT8a
“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”932Please respect copyright.PENANA9GjspWyc8N
932Please respect copyright.PENANAywszz9kVxV
932Please respect copyright.PENANAB8dPebL8Qq
“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 932Please respect copyright.PENANAnndmXsWRcf
932Please respect copyright.PENANAlschaKvxx1
932Please respect copyright.PENANAKVLakX3zow
He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 932Please respect copyright.PENANAF45aGW2qov
932Please respect copyright.PENANAYhRLPITb8R
932Please respect copyright.PENANA6UZUtkw2g2
“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”932Please respect copyright.PENANAWmW1Y8fvgy
932Please respect copyright.PENANAGCPadVi5KX
932Please respect copyright.PENANAOu2jCVM21a
“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.PENANAbQzrm315pQ
932Please respect copyright.PENANAvxtDENqSfa
932Please respect copyright.PENANAzhmeaAjGbx
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.PENANAI9q9Km7x8J
932Please respect copyright.PENANA7bTKw3TvkN
932Please respect copyright.PENANAvz0dQHC6YW
“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.932Please respect copyright.PENANA8oCL08U5pI
932Please respect copyright.PENANA5eB1ehYuaE
932Please respect copyright.PENANAUkIHJdyFnp
“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.PENANAJWLhYaubGW
932Please respect copyright.PENANA2NxGjQWP2P
932Please respect copyright.PENANAz6mEb9Q283
“A very long way,” I said. 932Please respect copyright.PENANAF5kEdTjRf3
932Please respect copyright.PENANAnrVpbXXCF3
932Please respect copyright.PENANADfyoiF3BVH
“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAyvuOsSDYJu
932Please respect copyright.PENANAt0Dx6zn5w4
932Please respect copyright.PENANA58N50eWnNh
“We were farmers?”932Please respect copyright.PENANADmv2Rb86vb
932Please respect copyright.PENANAxhfdSIPqc6
932Please respect copyright.PENANAxRCXP08PPe
“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAqOyiQmsziG
932Please respect copyright.PENANAjcX0WE9s5W
932Please respect copyright.PENANAaXEErOZKZo
“Why did mama cry?” 932Please respect copyright.PENANAg5a6VRDiji
932Please respect copyright.PENANAulqEu1XSBr
932Please respect copyright.PENANA8DFMeF9JOZ
“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”932Please respect copyright.PENANApn4eVcMCL0
932Please respect copyright.PENANAOx2MGGRd9e
932Please respect copyright.PENANAGB4hj6ctBS
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.PENANApoES21Vkgc
932Please respect copyright.PENANARNnWMFl5Uw
932Please respect copyright.PENANAY9TqA1IAPr
“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”932Please respect copyright.PENANALbFZwfSv5M
932Please respect copyright.PENANAUVISB9wJmP
932Please respect copyright.PENANAa1Mylwrurs
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.PENANAFlYObBjLza
932Please respect copyright.PENANADaGCc6kVBy
932Please respect copyright.PENANAdNE3PVwXP1
The way he had said “him” was curious. He said it with no small amount of bitterness. “Who did I meet?”932Please respect copyright.PENANArdwtSvlXr4
932Please respect copyright.PENANAGOA08ZcFLN
932Please respect copyright.PENANACvOknbC2Qk
“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 932Please respect copyright.PENANAvBDoKrHSem
932Please respect copyright.PENANAsKJwoYjCQB
932Please respect copyright.PENANAWRnnlHd0AU
“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 932Please respect copyright.PENANAbh7kI1D5no
932Please respect copyright.PENANA2EikLckHhw
932Please respect copyright.PENANAoW4MpBIBgY
“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”932Please respect copyright.PENANA8wANSXD7vF
932Please respect copyright.PENANAI2eBCkzsN3
932Please respect copyright.PENANAc1rS9yEdid
“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.932Please respect copyright.PENANAe9B6c3alzF
932Please respect copyright.PENANAqffH3oNptm
932Please respect copyright.PENANAq6OLKbmyua
“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 932Please respect copyright.PENANAYA3B1nlE0w
932Please respect copyright.PENANACtou6g7xpG
932Please respect copyright.PENANApGKnFDtWm9
“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”932Please respect copyright.PENANAQGoeN7Yf8M
932Please respect copyright.PENANAUqC7MpQs4E
932Please respect copyright.PENANA9ORUFEopYk
“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAf5zOJZHNhX
932Please respect copyright.PENANANVMa9M9pMg
932Please respect copyright.PENANAssnX8u9BCN
“Innish?” I inquired.932Please respect copyright.PENANAhPutGgQEB4
932Please respect copyright.PENANAev70sN6OuR
932Please respect copyright.PENANA3aPea07ImX
“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”932Please respect copyright.PENANACL4NzZRs3a
932Please respect copyright.PENANAmR9bRfTHsX
932Please respect copyright.PENANAIcfGWecYfz
“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”932Please respect copyright.PENANA6lhF1GtcK2
932Please respect copyright.PENANA5IA9avUYjY
932Please respect copyright.PENANA1PcPFEUqtq
“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAcvh9aBsczP
932Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZujkrlwDP
932Please respect copyright.PENANAcjEpkZfChD
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.PENANA1gmq1BdCgW
932Please respect copyright.PENANAH07JB0uXdl
932Please respect copyright.PENANA6e7thmxdE8
“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”932Please respect copyright.PENANArf3k0Klg1R
932Please respect copyright.PENANAobYnLPaIBD
932Please respect copyright.PENANAVEQnbucGiQ
“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAnew9aZGO6n
932Please respect copyright.PENANATlufv46Woh
932Please respect copyright.PENANA3zYUxKGiGi
“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”932Please respect copyright.PENANAh7XgNHSvYw
932Please respect copyright.PENANA8HNd9kLJ7Z
932Please respect copyright.PENANABSwlMBAe0F
“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAxvm1AxW6qz
932Please respect copyright.PENANASXYRO88mGy
932Please respect copyright.PENANA6Oh827Q3aM
“Were you happy?”932Please respect copyright.PENANAqKdd0qlkeW
932Please respect copyright.PENANA5Ck4PdFgTM
932Please respect copyright.PENANAxcyQde8HgV
He got quiet.932Please respect copyright.PENANACsi4iekoVS
932Please respect copyright.PENANAXEm0mcNkyq
932Please respect copyright.PENANAK20RRigLyA
“Well?” I said.932Please respect copyright.PENANAHYLcEYzU4y
932Please respect copyright.PENANATzawKabHr9
932Please respect copyright.PENANAnzNzMs66ya
“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAcAl6EgeVbZ
932Please respect copyright.PENANAHyzJnullqT
932Please respect copyright.PENANAGnr7Dr2lmt
“I ran away?” 932Please respect copyright.PENANAb9dECpsXcY
932Please respect copyright.PENANA1G9LpYtb3d
932Please respect copyright.PENANAMur7tslqfH
“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAgmY0kb3Nrv
932Please respect copyright.PENANANFNV7dBEko
932Please respect copyright.PENANAwwPYq9EPxn
“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”932Please respect copyright.PENANAITncEj8Km2
932Please respect copyright.PENANAkM0tp8pWcp
932Please respect copyright.PENANAauHPC4jGnI
“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.PENANAllvY0T3Bto
932Please respect copyright.PENANAF2wXH2mPFN
932Please respect copyright.PENANAjrQQmhCM0e
“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 932Please respect copyright.PENANAXizUMdfmFb
932Please respect copyright.PENANAeFrc5R3nzV
932Please respect copyright.PENANA9W9cRN7Yf1
“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAU2BhkHbZHA
932Please respect copyright.PENANAY0lWZ0vN68
932Please respect copyright.PENANAjgwZsYqemn
“He tried to whack you?” I said.932Please respect copyright.PENANAzkurW9hapR
932Please respect copyright.PENANAgDWQgJXnEg
932Please respect copyright.PENANABk2G41YmkS
“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAn9vXxKGy7E
932Please respect copyright.PENANAKNRcWyP4eJ
932Please respect copyright.PENANACv6g3AU6NO
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.PENANA7oxRU2rIG7
932Please respect copyright.PENANALEEgrYcc4K
932Please respect copyright.PENANAkeuRR1l9Dc
“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”932Please respect copyright.PENANACTG46OOExv
932Please respect copyright.PENANAu6E4Ni8nKy
932Please respect copyright.PENANAJM9D7kTyrO
“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.932Please respect copyright.PENANAFDTRP8znKz
932Please respect copyright.PENANAA7iLScRBsC
932Please respect copyright.PENANAMsG8xaOJXd
“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.PENANAOXxjAPWpTp
932Please respect copyright.PENANAIKepE3KFvI
932Please respect copyright.PENANAEUkxBAxRlV
“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 932Please respect copyright.PENANArvAzrcK5A6
932Please respect copyright.PENANAmWhr1MohpW
932Please respect copyright.PENANAKt81Asm2Gf
“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”932Please respect copyright.PENANAAe3J16joWe
932Please respect copyright.PENANAkxrY2OQpff
932Please respect copyright.PENANAx2SBeB79il
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.PENANAA8csAi2dhv
932Please respect copyright.PENANAGfNtPvNONQ
932Please respect copyright.PENANApAYtu1A3DY
“What did mama say?” I whispered. 932Please respect copyright.PENANALgMlpOkXUh
932Please respect copyright.PENANAXXs6vNqA9F
932Please respect copyright.PENANAUPsgo9KVEk
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.PENANADZibjbEmxJ
932Please respect copyright.PENANAHSsoPiwiXX
932Please respect copyright.PENANAcSrIi6WaC3
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.PENANAxJUBaMJq1Z
932Please respect copyright.PENANA4Tly8424Vb
932Please respect copyright.PENANA1dPt7SIrlc
932Please respect copyright.PENANAlq6G35vnLW
932Please respect copyright.PENANAPuzvE74o7h
932Please respect copyright.PENANAQqUwrE57EI
932Please respect copyright.PENANAO5IpVV1lly
932Please respect copyright.PENANAQN5zFdJdCf
932Please respect copyright.PENANAfgdUzAWBMT
932Please respect copyright.PENANAzVSEYNX6d6
932Please respect copyright.PENANAXbcEHzCgbT
932Please respect copyright.PENANAbOMzs8siYK
932Please respect copyright.PENANARZcusBIydF
932Please respect copyright.PENANAGedZu7AASo
932Please respect copyright.PENANAAwN6UK2WIz
932Please respect copyright.PENANAXRYeSGtwEj
932Please respect copyright.PENANASJrgW4tQag
932Please respect copyright.PENANAyRwK1paKIP