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.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3D8mwhszJ
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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.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK11dMCVVgb
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEL6rEW8Y6z
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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3F47xSyCUH
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTynuggEaF
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn91u3VCEcp
I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhqYjNj8ce
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSHuiuFqPE
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Vc60jsoii
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. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8d4rUquFo
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIWF6Adoij
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh67RqnW3Gv
Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGeg2HOy0VB
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIVSFtQE7j
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4BJvJsBVU
“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3m8NPk3nl
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTK7cQzQKe5
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Wek2S1jIb
“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4OpBRRmGZ
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFBIwkLaWu
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQ6LjbxmXW
“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpukex3sR5N
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTo759cKke
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehjN7BTpPo
“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjF7TJVGcF
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzUkAhI7gd
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VhHvYPCLO
“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.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFkXDkUIBg
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZdOKOcsjp
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qXQ1YhB47
“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXeJRb1qMi
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiHBcK0cMt
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A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnD8V07rT3
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8H1hbJYy4Z
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzA5Jebl45
“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqyy5cZJQP
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0I28Rc69t9
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3mDBKOEQn
“Like we did?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHRyKeCuCS
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpWbqlqxKN
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rY0Pv57Rc
“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRF7H0quOW3
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVjzk1xfna
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kPnohUlSS
“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcmHfU4By9
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEykovTc9eq
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbF5gTlSXVG
“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEEcyFh8pg
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelqyvXrcUH
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3sVHoyCUN
He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6GL9se8oT
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuWAIPnEPJ
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXR8jq4dKg7
“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UyzlDglzo
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRdLzAw6Gj
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEDFzeviAd
“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.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyFV1cJNAH
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwrSmde7ro
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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?848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqERT09WNcA
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyacdnUnMW
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKk4jCXqlUs
“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOwvo7hvTv
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4x7JfjKog
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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.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HxyDJWaW5
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMndlbgQBvi
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“A very long way,” I said. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqUYSMEBn6
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3j7HTmlKV
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SIKgYfFzY
“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQx56MWkrW
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98U3fUTtnf
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“We were farmers?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklM62zVjXt
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVHOE82sel
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0Wz1fycdd
“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqPUzRKrKG
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1mlUwaA4O
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“Why did mama cry?” 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeaphtt4zpO
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYLbWjBqth
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“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMw52lV4pA
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZ4GstHC9i
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBupus4YgS
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.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jkKTctCs2
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB92UTeZIzO
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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4lVkVtBOu
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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.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdZC173Mqq
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8OI4Ym70m
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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?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtJ8ktd4IP
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRednI4EnBs
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dSj04yg08
“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwbxIoDaLb
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC647MaccBy
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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuu5iQm3hN
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“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbR1tsINZ6o
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoXB533Fja
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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71inUaHKwn
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgMdkxQLId
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tPklhSd7P
“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LXxuLou3Q
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfByx6odmYm
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“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9LrDD7QBG
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MikSAbkyf
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ29dSPFeUg
“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqxJHmz8hN
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡym0z2XvIwu
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“Innish?” I inquired.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgNuDN3xyv
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZEbryuccd
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhY6sXTzfdk
“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBu2BNmYQ0
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDoZzryXoF
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSI4G5U21zb
“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4A48bX6DW
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVG0gokw6X
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“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbqm7djRqP
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Urrqj5HKw
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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?848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiEZEwCzt2
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdc115imw2
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“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3e7wFFvRTZ
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Cc2SQrilO
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“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72i7pZrfmP
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaf6RDDSEIU
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“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPYOYhXStL
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINgKsGLh83
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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5N3q6TYit
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCkp0C6v5q
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“Were you happy?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvEQCucw9j
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQbiEtF2X2
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He got quiet.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTkcxKg9Pq
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtXZtqqtyG
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1sNBvK4ap
“Well?” I said.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtG60Av4KHa
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMFA2x7R2t
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU47zgEUD4d
“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhechNXnLWH
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuAelQdunS
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“I ran away?” 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjAcPEmEy2
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNw1Ra7jqQb
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjufvQdvJOX
“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡualxb0mpq6
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SXdHvqRiT
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“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvg32xwAQKv
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCexc0fDwk0
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HZJkoeRO0
“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.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15AdjOwevQ
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79rDPmkhuk
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORLIRXsEIi
“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOjY1jIFLB
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tuAGyL1Rf
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfLZz3R33f
“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8q2EEZRFi
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2bcVOUw1v
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YJNSv5m61
“He tried to whack you?” I said.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jRlGCQPNn
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqNSZRxyRx
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3OGYIBDSf
“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkzHgej8YH
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOKQ02fSRP
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9atZQUeAT
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?”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8j6AezI5H
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQ1wS11uOu
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA60wuqwSbn
“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLMcwc5XiF
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPC9NV5hcA7
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaTtnCc9mX
“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBgoWV7sZv
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyS9AtMyYSf
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKAQ8ojhSQ
“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. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAB4U9Ik4t
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIB2pOdckIx
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftPYJkCDNI
“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzGsFsKgJZ
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiluCui8nO
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYrj2h3yEO
“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iPs1J5YGs
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXripVvf3PF
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0ezKBzjLL
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. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmgRfEuC2F
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnEJFQwi4e
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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rGELJfYJi
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4kkBFjl5S
848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoqjiOddNN
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.”848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWhhCdWzyS
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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. 848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4zKUfDWef
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848Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhS6Z0i94G
