Stories of Halloween - I Was Your Daddy Once

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.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidDbFlx0C8

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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.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJjicN6YTS

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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2yivPJoC9

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I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQMY2gMoVd

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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. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQ4cz07BsT

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Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4NwAqU1rw

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“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0vukSAtqm

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“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjO54dJqt2y

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“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIm36K7GEbr

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“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWr8YWj6zbz

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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.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2H2VGrLWXO

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“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN48sy5dPZ2

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A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2Wr7kl4e9

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“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7s4pEnnGxC

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“Like we did?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAWtbN5KSs

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“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxJb5M4XAy

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“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aiV8etu2c

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“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEA45xRfWxa

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He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWqqOGUwZX

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“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4fKsy1D0V

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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.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2J9ZGghYN

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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?1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqB7QFA1J0

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“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvBYttoziE

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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.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoThVZWZxL

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“A very long way,” I said. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyR4UV0hG1c

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“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXvRhwG6Gs

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“We were farmers?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsO7khr6eK

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“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuot41gGql

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“Why did mama cry?” 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSImYsPsmUQ

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“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAb5tCWJna

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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.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqcEEK8Vua

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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnsuumzYJe

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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.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPm98ukcm3E

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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?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcLWUoz6M5

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“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsflHRFChsw

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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxyxNl8JUT

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“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDq9G3kXIQ

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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklEDBsKRPM

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“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3wYlHE9es

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“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWjG9NJV4k

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“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUxKOxAtiF

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“Innish?” I inquired.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKUFsaxtmn

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“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWAGQMd1tv

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“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqGhio6in3

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“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdnuYtTAyY

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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?1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQR2V4ZvyEN

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“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsypC0xlYR

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“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvg2hUfsDF

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“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMQmetQi6B

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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSiIxjbY6q

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“Were you happy?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHX2j4o1SE

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He got quiet.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yFeis3LFE

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“Well?” I said.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyepeBaiIdc

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“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxR21hnvvV1

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“I ran away?” 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxij019xrH

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“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdwJlEdJNg

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“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfDHXjYu5m

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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.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wwAs6pEz7

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“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtblaZxG2Jq

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“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjiAKkhQvu

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“He tried to whack you?” I said.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EEOjNbAmr

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“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKAJYtwQ4c

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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?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGLuYIbVpN

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“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgVyJefUbR

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“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEu3wkt1ZJY

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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. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtclWcUVAwe

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“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTonszl3IR

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“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpt0fwYfo4

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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. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfuTXprfL9

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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEtZL1vaIA

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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.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYYBWw6ALw

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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. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsH2ECjzJow

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