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.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFBDIuWFAF
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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.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2rsPFVYAM
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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh31rheQx7s
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I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnIy6YHpLS
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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. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv10f7Emfyy
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Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBqbkK9l8h
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“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrx3mwSYps
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“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwVkVA1gtH
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“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAiJYBY36B
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“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTTmcgEiFG
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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.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaYi8gX8tX
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“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySB2imKiMm
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A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArGeMYs9YQ
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“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMlITNIYfk
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“Like we did?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBRhQEzhDe
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“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesnfZ2rLzU
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“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJRqDqMHpd
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“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxwDdZWO6u
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He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7O3dXDtdZ
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“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaKB6d32sF
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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.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkwmRoyPLG
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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?869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwrsNDpcIt
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“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbssPWBbXa
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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.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqhohxrWYl
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“A very long way,” I said. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fvpoVEeqm
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“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXD6WHv1pD
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“We were farmers?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMIBcjM03O
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“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCwSnbz0A0
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“Why did mama cry?” 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IbWSEgfCD
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“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYk35HJjD4
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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.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWsNKEZLMC
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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QxeqCfDf1
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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.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbi6oEoMQcl
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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?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAIQqmMyHD
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“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoosKKuvOoV
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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowoaIX9nhz
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“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNNvv3mKUM
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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb5V2KeOH8
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“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGjnZNZRYA
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“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54x62SL0T8
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“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkW7x2M7yzw
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“Innish?” I inquired.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlxG3rOBQq
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“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6b3f4KvSYd
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“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0l38P1E4m
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“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHxv3MQkWh
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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?869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8qmcFQDtX
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“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡta0z3OdOxr
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“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xewRG5jmq
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“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiDY174678
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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogLQ0QkWCg
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“Were you happy?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4t7FcEvUz8
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He got quiet.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBm92JrLdE
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“Well?” I said.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfXqqWlYfc
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“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pNh5u5H3J
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“I ran away?” 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XkJeCuNfb
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“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXup4pbIWR8
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“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7zVv4LQqh
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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.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNSeC9tvHu
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“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyT4iSHsuT
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“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhzkI8xrpt
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“He tried to whack you?” I said.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlyYysHHvz
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“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjR08lQRiLu
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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?”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1vCnvWENU
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“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSacYOKP55
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“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ulEOn38zb
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“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. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGq9Dp8saQ
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“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3ccpZ1nUf
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“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoe5x3D79X
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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. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrlDEbaEND
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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMI7kX2CMgB
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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.”869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOE0k7XY8X
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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. 869Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRdSDVL2Nu
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