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.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUE59GpeRtS
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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.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2P2BS8luho
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJQQMFTK9S
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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPn6NtZ7yf4
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHJdjpOgWs
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKNZH4Dmy5
I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqbYjLKnzw
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvR4b4zM1N
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ksKj3cB6G
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. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPb5b1pRLoH
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA1ZUnEqd4
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdB8odTrcg
Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DqjTz7VeO
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVRwB2Ka6l
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BzE96JD0z
“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MM16T5YqM
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0vjTwzPcz
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJs8wEuqsz
“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIuaA99S9u
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTxhfqWYaY
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMu7Ez5tL3
“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpiCmDVAhl
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoitzI6Ldc3
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdowjHcFiBa
“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbY5TW1pssF
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfXAvnTSr0
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGUdvoXybU
“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.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRW8WUA3aPP
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ia5KVPHcj
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlR53rLpFO8
“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslH9Oqt41g
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CvlALvL6j
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21jg5Lt9jW
A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXy6dLUl64S
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvah6ei0pSe
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1JSJffDFL
“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzfcm9vBIa
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpeF56IKxl
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQLp0ddo8M
“Like we did?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUhriSlIAL
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRT9HLnJh5b
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPFugYtbKu
“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yhsGYh9x5
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FkZuTiJbJ
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3aFOcGBe9
“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZRHhbnQ2f
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWwiWaaMGx
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIkWrvQCQE
“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurEu6WoFna
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEACHgPQvSh
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjDCjws9DW
He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ixbxv9ElG
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGbaYv9hLW
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUVeuVnX0l
“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZvwUWhLYw
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZVkVtUeWo
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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.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhLQ81dUDI
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMlS9U8Cm2
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQ1jwCJONM
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?936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKtth4wP6d
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpZzWXX1pr
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg90VLzWzO
“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdVWEV8RVI
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoKCAoiVuj
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7e0pUTdLY
“Me and mama workded until we could buy a two horses and a wagon. Then we rode and walked. It was a long way.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0C1EeuC3R
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrtdrkUwZa
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“A very long way,” I said. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgOtLq4QAJ
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8IuSxoeaN
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSU9seoFr5Z
“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNBxGHUbYC
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAI2zTmt9tT
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKweBVLWo4
“We were farmers?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSbZoriukQ
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHbx8AG9BL
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzVYemSWnm
“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzgOm3iRT9
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JecbCW9ak
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MNT0PU6Qt
“Why did mama cry?” 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUF9t0Zgg99
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75ovrnDDgM
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWgK3sYBYK
“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzAu2s8UEH
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZewdXc4i3
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0bdznVIRU
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.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILPibf6jQB
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutECDCaOlP
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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLr9hzbw7fi
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4HyRWe2MY
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfG6B2vLGL
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.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFHEATitJw
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAVmEwFkVM
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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?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkLIRYy5zZ
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirzJYUwRRa
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfs3J9UslV1
“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPqCQI1kx3
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlkIOz97wx
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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerrP3lWsbU
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“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDobOdB0tV
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpgpPJYBGk
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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4B37CbBUse
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mPpiZSuXe
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdRtv1je5G
“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7hvOuIag4
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0x8TaMZGa
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghIn6GkUhX
“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NGBIglxqd
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdACHC5tbUq
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruHI5JE8Qw
“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0LnrpMDt0
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzw3GTqfbJX
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF71lWFn0nd
“Innish?” I inquired.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yHZBDkbAf
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLH0YgZNX0
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnkX5N8BId
“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFb6WwG8aC
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MB0uzjuVU
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTWpA8JIMt
“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5ahjR5gIa
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPtAljliVF
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeesX38nLGe
“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4e838mIBp
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGK75mciLeY
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLlU84jstT
I became very concerned. Where had he heard this? Had someone been been using racial slurs around my son? Maybe someone at school?936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3K4R3nNbZ
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8XOptgkGv
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY836Nt7s8x
“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurJJFmvZVK
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOcqdpZQjv
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“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dICNbwwO8
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhhdsjQHkU
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8Oa3BchqO
“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZQ97WBWD3
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIw9dp6v8qo
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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5Jx9AcLj0
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡox0Zqm8sKx
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZTEwjOqft
“Were you happy?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEZH2UnKZj
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aq4460cFk
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghYdODVdyO
He got quiet.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosKWtmHyNZ
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcyGBcKXSg
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZYo0a8Yo4
“Well?” I said.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBC4BQDoEVY
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDkQ7XiS2T
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJH7EaMWPS
“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WDbVYuSlD
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoljfPjzSiX
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMQz9RVlD3
“I ran away?” 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhFEyqczXR
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbsEfoY7Vu
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFW1TPgRUHC
“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1bj6RjNKQ
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjq2ZWiZJx
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUqF11Zvsb
“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLVukWyFHF
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrJvpSfqUo
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2t4ssUK27
“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.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04hPKCcLuo
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASzakl49SH
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiZhJuPASO
“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYSP2lHrUM
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxFVGNDDu8
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdo77iQbhr8
“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73CUpyGWZE
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijI8LxErbL
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7lIsVixCt
“He tried to whack you?” I said.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeP7HXzPwZ
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rhjB9fTNg
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyj4QT1kql
“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KWSyjf9WM
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXHPmrIAsL
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNCZB9NQPD
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?”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcktEOdcg5N
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrj5LbyfWYm
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRh6JMNOWM
“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtOey56HGF
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjkq93bQci
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Aj4lH4y2O
“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukYkgvosVO
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrp1iKFtjk
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqAcJXotG5
“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. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLuuWdmEK2
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ifz9y0mC2
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“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASG76yQBTD
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwndb6yylo
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBd7yhEwMHc
“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCMJ7mjEZm
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvDAshdQ4s
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjk7R1qQOA
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. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesxqEEgiqs
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvIJPyZZaC
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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PV8J3uJxJ
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibcIsIA452
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPatC5kCWpt
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.”936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeRiA1Edtn
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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. 936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ImAvkVikz
936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCjUJFDe4L
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936Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPfNPPeUXF
