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.651Please respect copyright.PENANAMTpZNTYg4I
651Please respect copyright.PENANAXThypzKa0h
651Please respect copyright.PENANA537zrifvwe
“I sure am glad that you're my son,” I told Jace after we had finished reading his storybook for the night.651Please respect copyright.PENANAauYfV0O3ca
651Please respect copyright.PENANA8GppsKucgi
651Please respect copyright.PENANAvHHAdsS7Hi
“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.651Please respect copyright.PENANABMEmCzBast
651Please respect copyright.PENANACIiYSjXlV8
651Please respect copyright.PENANAauHWQlc8vu
I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAA3IupYbrmL
651Please respect copyright.PENANAuzl8mYMcjM
651Please respect copyright.PENANAWAyaIpC4pJ
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. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAryrKG8aWqw
651Please respect copyright.PENANA9BcRDLkC44
651Please respect copyright.PENANAa3EXPAPDfx
Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAWZnGfIo41D
651Please respect copyright.PENANAVj9RkHzots
651Please respect copyright.PENANAoMrTDS8RbI
“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAd85IRBYGMA
651Please respect copyright.PENANABGMk7D8Iiq
651Please respect copyright.PENANAieyayveEAc
“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.651Please respect copyright.PENANACc9D7NSjQF
651Please respect copyright.PENANA06729icd0z
651Please respect copyright.PENANAOEpZuXmSZM
“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAiW4OCosxWX
651Please respect copyright.PENANARFfqj5PWU7
651Please respect copyright.PENANAVfXppDEVH0
“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAfBVp6ekSdx
651Please respect copyright.PENANAJmRH5VUcVp
651Please respect copyright.PENANAQylxljChX2
“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.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAnd4j9wzTuY
651Please respect copyright.PENANA1RTvR743Fy
651Please respect copyright.PENANAWkDRzfJlvU
“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.651Please respect copyright.PENANAQCNogGp4Si
651Please respect copyright.PENANAOfP4XgrIwi
651Please respect copyright.PENANA7F7WE1AaTu
A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAehH8Kj77NA
651Please respect copyright.PENANAaGY53AJP9h
651Please respect copyright.PENANA7RSmZrfAMu
“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”651Please respect copyright.PENANA4Hi0KKVeD2
651Please respect copyright.PENANAqWGOMsvzZk
651Please respect copyright.PENANAzDHlamfEKy
“Like we did?”651Please respect copyright.PENANAsR6X5XGjL5
651Please respect copyright.PENANARZ7pMXYfPi
651Please respect copyright.PENANAhoaU83xUiZ
“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAgrOUGG0GAU
651Please respect copyright.PENANAMbOMBKFkLL
651Please respect copyright.PENANAkYuu6zAol7
“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”651Please respect copyright.PENANAJwzcinWKtM
651Please respect copyright.PENANAibc8ZJ6hDX
651Please respect copyright.PENANAk6ypmAU2FS
“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAAuuz9aYTl9
651Please respect copyright.PENANA6dFfSdimW0
651Please respect copyright.PENANA8zkt6oPIlf
He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAMJTf2RtrBq
651Please respect copyright.PENANAupmbPi8RE3
651Please respect copyright.PENANA0zLwbqIdbx
“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”651Please respect copyright.PENANAQu9wbi8cDe
651Please respect copyright.PENANAw3a1yRBm10
651Please respect copyright.PENANA0J3HKawEWQ
“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.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAPkcldmDYRR
651Please respect copyright.PENANAzeF00Gnpgv
651Please respect copyright.PENANAzBCBWgnPtY
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?651Please respect copyright.PENANAXNiEdBuFu2
651Please respect copyright.PENANAldRB8PNkmt
651Please respect copyright.PENANA32Bx0ihx8H
“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.651Please respect copyright.PENANAeIDI1rSS1i
651Please respect copyright.PENANAWV6sDRB0D4
651Please respect copyright.PENANAI2O8798bnL
“Me and mama workded until we could buy a two horses and a wagon. Then we rode and walked. It was a long way.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAz0mqaUaJaJ
651Please respect copyright.PENANANDdSIx1FmV
651Please respect copyright.PENANAcObpQzAVB2
“A very long way,” I said. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAb99KTdwGMr
651Please respect copyright.PENANAfxA4i1Ib8U
651Please respect copyright.PENANAncf3WH2Gyu
“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”651Please respect copyright.PENANADJAvFF13KK
651Please respect copyright.PENANAOBVvV49NbB
651Please respect copyright.PENANAfQ2Gc9GnZX
“We were farmers?”651Please respect copyright.PENANAtpq5VD3qaw
651Please respect copyright.PENANAfXfqhGVo62
651Please respect copyright.PENANAKoZgzliX6K
“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAtWZialYTIz
651Please respect copyright.PENANAF95Gbhd4CX
651Please respect copyright.PENANASvIUdS5SZO
“Why did mama cry?” 651Please respect copyright.PENANA9iRyTu15tm
651Please respect copyright.PENANAVTAlUI73Hw
651Please respect copyright.PENANAksVJ2oUMsR
“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”651Please respect copyright.PENANA17Ota1NqAd
651Please respect copyright.PENANAX2aBaeGFLu
651Please respect copyright.PENANAQAySeWSArS
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.651Please respect copyright.PENANAYINKrJtmqx
651Please respect copyright.PENANAnd71xoXOnB
651Please respect copyright.PENANAA5bIJVDw7q
“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”651Please respect copyright.PENANAZVmS8fcHh4
651Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0wZHBVumn
651Please respect copyright.PENANAwMnGw2r5Ad
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.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAFsAx58i2nG
651Please respect copyright.PENANA7SfGjJg4qr
651Please respect copyright.PENANAIspgCnBZhI
The way he had said “him” was curious. He said it with no small amount of bitterness. “Who did I meet?”651Please respect copyright.PENANAFqttleML4C
651Please respect copyright.PENANAANfXIdIG3o
651Please respect copyright.PENANAtYHp24Y0Ai
“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAZkFIeAQIEd
651Please respect copyright.PENANAIF6uyUtmFy
651Please respect copyright.PENANAOHDXGN6Lxv
“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAfu44lNmgyW
651Please respect copyright.PENANA9NeIfHwLQK
651Please respect copyright.PENANAbh41O9tw6s
“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAPZIu1Ji5OU
651Please respect copyright.PENANAnXuVGG6Vhu
651Please respect copyright.PENANARQ9PlF1In9
“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.651Please respect copyright.PENANAJHcvEflKMf
651Please respect copyright.PENANANX8R4B0qeo
651Please respect copyright.PENANAq6np9wwGFM
“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAYt6aL3Wujl
651Please respect copyright.PENANAxpYCbsIfi5
651Please respect copyright.PENANALRieExXvbj
“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”651Please respect copyright.PENANAPOZs9Q8ERX
651Please respect copyright.PENANAcLeG4Q7UJ8
651Please respect copyright.PENANAsE06sspNIj
“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAuhagPAYnGY
651Please respect copyright.PENANApUbH8nPGrl
651Please respect copyright.PENANAE3JSc2SRZ6
“Innish?” I inquired.651Please respect copyright.PENANAvzli7WLsOE
651Please respect copyright.PENANA7XoTd1FNM0
651Please respect copyright.PENANALGH6gmNXG1
“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAiLb23tOnkI
651Please respect copyright.PENANARrGGqNY8vd
651Please respect copyright.PENANA0RApPYCqa7
“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”651Please respect copyright.PENANA0U7cHtjrqs
651Please respect copyright.PENANA3RqQYAbRVW
651Please respect copyright.PENANAo7Mi0eO2Ko
“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAMLhgxv5k6O
651Please respect copyright.PENANAVVEYdANuLR
651Please respect copyright.PENANA2tlh3hdyvN
I became very concerned. Where had he heard this? Had someone been been using racial slurs around my son? Maybe someone at school?651Please respect copyright.PENANARXc6KnVgCy
651Please respect copyright.PENANA1bzKSk4csr
651Please respect copyright.PENANA366aH951pV
“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”651Please respect copyright.PENANALBlISwAuAF
651Please respect copyright.PENANA4pv1BKWkto
651Please respect copyright.PENANA4SJF4PKc4y
“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAGUciMxurmQ
651Please respect copyright.PENANA1BmreKoFQ1
651Please respect copyright.PENANAlebOjQlyLQ
“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”651Please respect copyright.PENANAs0SH7RmzX5
651Please respect copyright.PENANALtJCVJjvFp
651Please respect copyright.PENANAgAYgzfLKtk
“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAN7F4jhNnq3
651Please respect copyright.PENANAjtgcKqIi23
651Please respect copyright.PENANA62jr4lPYmp
“Were you happy?”651Please respect copyright.PENANAXE7r1MBQyn
651Please respect copyright.PENANAAEpGz1i6a2
651Please respect copyright.PENANAu6Sa77RLkT
He got quiet.651Please respect copyright.PENANADhuzUhzKLO
651Please respect copyright.PENANANPj4wlKpA3
651Please respect copyright.PENANAd0Qu8Kn2wA
“Well?” I said.651Please respect copyright.PENANAOK8f6gHlW3
651Please respect copyright.PENANAkzUTouPRlz
651Please respect copyright.PENANA4DcbMEnPXQ
“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAVzr089CrDV
651Please respect copyright.PENANAIdNfCoTlhz
651Please respect copyright.PENANAWcjWO7jqgn
“I ran away?” 651Please respect copyright.PENANA63yTJS8Oks
651Please respect copyright.PENANAEh0BmjD5zb
651Please respect copyright.PENANAB0rNWlIyEV
“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAbZgLsP8Pdc
651Please respect copyright.PENANAZ4Q1kWiFe7
651Please respect copyright.PENANAbcD8VA4wbN
“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”651Please respect copyright.PENANAYGLaa9jtXD
651Please respect copyright.PENANA4UX5ZpHukd
651Please respect copyright.PENANA2yoU1mfqUX
“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.”651Please respect copyright.PENANA0KlotceDvP
651Please respect copyright.PENANAzgo58bK8Vt
651Please respect copyright.PENANA62iBIFleWR
“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 651Please respect copyright.PENANACfQUSmehc3
651Please respect copyright.PENANAUqUPOREJLE
651Please respect copyright.PENANA6Nd0sAma7P
“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”651Please respect copyright.PENANA2vbwYtxlA5
651Please respect copyright.PENANAe56JSzWPHN
651Please respect copyright.PENANAajSQRWdyJD
“He tried to whack you?” I said.651Please respect copyright.PENANAguC4EysV3s
651Please respect copyright.PENANAPAUNSZMc8c
651Please respect copyright.PENANAFLCQFwKhhV
“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAV79YuQfs8t
651Please respect copyright.PENANA8FASVp5uaI
651Please respect copyright.PENANAguqvQvpUeP
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?”651Please respect copyright.PENANAG2vC5qwpX4
651Please respect copyright.PENANA5b93377C7r
651Please respect copyright.PENANAnmBOK7iy4Y
“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAFAzPx2rhJR
651Please respect copyright.PENANA4sLTeSw0uM
651Please respect copyright.PENANAj4yXNexprg
“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.651Please respect copyright.PENANAtSvmlrXkuv
651Please respect copyright.PENANA24geDs6UVt
651Please respect copyright.PENANApKkV2BZKHP
“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. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAklHArr3GPx
651Please respect copyright.PENANALmf5wFdWDk
651Please respect copyright.PENANAHxeqZKqJmf
“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAy4uoDCmetX
651Please respect copyright.PENANANzJ5A5OIpP
651Please respect copyright.PENANAEYQV8dWx0e
“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAx5qMsgNQ6G
651Please respect copyright.PENANA0nQVZYfU62
651Please respect copyright.PENANAHsFkDlZMpU
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. 651Please respect copyright.PENANA7w5Za0iu2r
651Please respect copyright.PENANAQin6TbUcMn
651Please respect copyright.PENANAhDKj7SZj1v
“What did mama say?” I whispered. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAzM7vj4rugA
651Please respect copyright.PENANAz0qsdm0lJQ
651Please respect copyright.PENANAdJrKFWPXz3
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.”651Please respect copyright.PENANAHLtxiy8lVh
651Please respect copyright.PENANA13k7qJhSMU
651Please respect copyright.PENANA22MbVke3uq
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. 651Please respect copyright.PENANAR6N4yhQ1Rg
651Please respect copyright.PENANAJqdSayYsZK
651Please respect copyright.PENANAjZMfTg5H3W
651Please respect copyright.PENANATpScE4djHg
651Please respect copyright.PENANAp4bzQvmU9m
651Please respect copyright.PENANA9mlkzn68EQ
651Please respect copyright.PENANAXaE9iGuh0p
651Please respect copyright.PENANAnTbDjn1ZQs
651Please respect copyright.PENANATuTysdppvX
651Please respect copyright.PENANAmjVUktHQem
651Please respect copyright.PENANAmmnRH35coG
651Please respect copyright.PENANAK26TRgcjUW
651Please respect copyright.PENANA1a12lvUUkB
651Please respect copyright.PENANAkhOkY7zwos
651Please respect copyright.PENANA4ulN1v5h80
651Please respect copyright.PENANASR5MZBL6gZ
651Please respect copyright.PENANAKKBM4qkdlw
651Please respect copyright.PENANAc5sDWMvTQH