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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzL9AGXiymn

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkB7607HSA

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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92IDynOBY7

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBBkRen2Q2

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFBhvYQuhL

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Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBl7lYKpHZW

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7otrXs0Ynl

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“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGx6zVavxdi

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“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qklZ9AuwB

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“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpPqEr7pNb

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMu9pkjypUe

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcWtC8jaFx

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A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRGKMX7cpq

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“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0p28QTvxzq

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

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“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWLNFE3N8L

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“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrihf6nhuaK

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“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpKeeC76Bf

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He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAAm5kQrzY

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“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9MnT7YNat

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvfV6MJ9iq

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgDMszsnEM

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“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeUfM9cVoL

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wo933n4qd

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

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

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

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

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“Why did mama cry?” 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8WcVWEQU8

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“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9RwEQxYCp

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4ru6uqqXO

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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd49V8BMY5O

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcsdXwXocN

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vXPeg7din

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“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKVp7XI7NO

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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasF7FEvwTv

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UQV5xuF6q

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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvI12A65xwv

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopJP6ntT0x

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

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

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

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“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3b5x2fW12J

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“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEI06cqi6n1

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“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAb3r7KdF21

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrTisCT0wU

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“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM709YOWDGa

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgaFOYIn5I

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

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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDoL9sG8NWW

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“Were you happy?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmSNZi9hjr

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He got quiet.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMLB1VakK1

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

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4O5n4Z990

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

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

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“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6BCrwT58b

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2macZaDU0k

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“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcZg2i3phQ

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“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEysHj0lm1v

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“He tried to whack you?” I said.1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lXlYdkUnm

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“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2g4U4Czvat

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQPC97EmmS

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

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

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLl9647yHQL

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“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsXNa4FPoF

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sba0r9RJd

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJ584Nvm4w

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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 1194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDeu105JuK

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZOkp0McGT

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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PfavHGTo6

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