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.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4oKWLt7T4

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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.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHS2h3irsFU

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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1n74pDyDVb

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I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBREzRyJGX

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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. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCxzWoreC1

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Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkb58xx7Pmm

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“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRjnXjtg7N

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“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLXG0N7KrA

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“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoBMswQKpr

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“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7xFnE0duV

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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.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtbx5a9s3T

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“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSPhWGUIVz

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A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8VUbqkmWu

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“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFATSsAtE9T

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“Like we did?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHE3v6uVYhn

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“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA96OMVhdzP

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“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2e7ap1yAd

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“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFccdAq89h

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He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4nlsqfT4V

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“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cYFS7cdDG

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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.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUmOcHTMaj

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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?1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjWZ5av1dF

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“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8olLr7PhG

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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.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsYHiFdTgO

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“A very long way,” I said. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40q8EV7C8C

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“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUjkM7D6ik

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“We were farmers?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXA04PdbkM

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“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsZ3ah6wnS

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“Why did mama cry?” 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfztXtD03wg

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“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIv9sxeDvu

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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.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXy8LIP0kN

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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wbbOXvu9T

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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.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KMAhqn3vk

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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?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxG9FmChquq

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“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKohBPZHXpk

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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3WubsTPP7

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“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTkPDdaipR

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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLqwV4eyi9

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“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYW2kFccQpq

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“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxpD2mpvss

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“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxYbM12RlJ

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“Innish?” I inquired.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7L3kKeuMIK

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“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNE8zNrPyE

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“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjn0PkEI7X

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“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQObiQrPDKR

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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?1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfLxkaryPs

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“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQsSk2RBaj

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“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4wQE1LjTh

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“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrAqccy4Ui

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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeE9uEEEuUM

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“Were you happy?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnuxd5G6yk

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He got quiet.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qHAlcLbUz

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“Well?” I said.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JZERjehq8

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“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrutHZVqvw

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“I ran away?” 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBFQkFKYNi

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“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03jm1soanh

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“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CWm4TziyU

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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.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xPCRfcQsI

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“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHcRnL41rg

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“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6aVwdTZf0

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“He tried to whack you?” I said.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfy8CP5qeK0

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“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtli3SjFst

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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?”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJV5ZB6mUV6

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“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksAyXLYV5X

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“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57jKpC7mdd

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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. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKTwsFMRRE

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“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXErv51aPB

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“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocv789VXQh

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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. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jFIcGCuwm

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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWl6irpo6n

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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.”1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwEy35DDOd

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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. 1193Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9c28zHgfnR

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