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.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaU0XtSBJV

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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.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7Cu2rKcLK

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“I'm glad you're my daddy, too,” he replied.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDzqhFDsYZ

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I leaned in and snuggled him against me, “Alright,” I said, “It's hug time and then sleepy time.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHETwjwk8wR

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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. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNvyaeGA3m

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Raising my eyebrow I said, “No, silly boy. I've always been your daddy.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabK2SaGLvG

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“Nuh uh,” he quickly responded. “I used to be your daddy and you used to be my daughter.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEemBSleZc

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“What are you talking about, crazy butt?” I asked him.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRY1v0xjPx

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“Back when we lived in Minnesota,” he said. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaeBFYd5VP

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“Minnesota?” I said. “We've always lived right here.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvS6eLzTgqU

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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.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAoJiU0uY3

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“Have you been learning about immigrants at school?” I asked him with half a smile on my face.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CVgQE5njG

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A puzzled look swept across his face. “What's an injagrent?” he asked. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp96ypiFkaa

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“An immigrant,” I answered. “A person who came here from another country.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Qg5oilR1W

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“Like we did?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicdiQEuuig

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“Not like we did. We have always lived here.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNlF0t0cjT

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“Daaaaaaad,” Jace responded, “I tolded you! We used to live in Minnesota!”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgiITYPlXM

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“You're telling stories, sir,” I said to him and gave him a quick tickle. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkS27fl1ivH

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He laughed. “No I'm not!” he said. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QDpl7HHeJ

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“Well if we came over on a ship,” I said, “then how did we get to Minnesota?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡda8X0GZ27P

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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.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0981Ih9Uzx

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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?1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeMocCDz31

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“How did we get to Minnisota?” I asked him.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoccxbMfwi0

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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.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcHhYrKFxf

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“A very long way,” I said. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicZfxy8oIL

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“But we gotted there after a while,” he said. “And then we made a farm.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLpkszoSVZ

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“We were farmers?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tre4DBnNT

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“Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Mama cried a lot.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmkFsTrPdU

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“Why did mama cry?” 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmRT5bV8ew

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“Cuz she missed the homeland and her little sister.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEII1TRuni

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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.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMSHYJm9Dy

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“Well,” I asked, “were we good farmers?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VbEBbEEq6

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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.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmaSLDJfzs

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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?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZREhYgVZH

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“The red headed boy from the farm next door,” he answered without pause. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8bqpS4yPD

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“Was he a nice boy?” I asked. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAsIEqGSvR

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“No,” he replied. “He took you away from your chores and you wanted to spend all your time with him.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGAaeFE3Is

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“Was he a boyfriend?” I questioned.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYvnTqvhGZ

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“No. I told you no daughter of mine is going to be married to a spud eater,” he said. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDF0Qt8aZX3

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“A spud eater?” I asked. “What's that?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdNy67PAio

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“I can't remember,” he said. “It was cuz he was innish I think.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4Yf5HAjgj

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“Innish?” I inquired.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1cOhMXOp4

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“Yeah, innish,” he answered. “His family comed over on a boat, too.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwvszUTwm9

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“Irish?” I asked. “Do you mean he was Irish?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVWj2Xkpgt

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“Yes,” he said sleepily. “Irish. That was it.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieV5jJsaDC

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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?1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaypKThFGYZ

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“You didn't like him because he was Irish?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgID1upVep

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“Yeah,” he responded immediately. “I told him to stay away, but you kept sneaking out to see him.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhF44J6HUj

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“Did mama care that I was visiting the Irish boy?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHfJHTILVC

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“No. She said he made you happy, so we should be happy, too.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgC4nP2Oeaw

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“Were you happy?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvsjSErGEV

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He got quiet.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tLo7wHhKz

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“Well?” I said.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtCguVL2fE

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“No,” he answered. “I told you you couldn't visit him no more and you runned away with him.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPy7T58VhrV

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“I ran away?” 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5W8MGQauHS

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“Yeah. But you didn't get very far.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGKVgIQYCf

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“I didn't?” I asked. “Did you bring me home to be with you and mama?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVWlRa8gkm

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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.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vbrri4TEA

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“Was he very happy about that?” I asked; not really wanting to know the answer. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8wc3uM8KY

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“He weren't happy at all,” Jace responded. “He tried to whack me.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7REBeRX57B

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“He tried to whack you?” I said.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOr4TDgvsf

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“Yeah,” Jace replied, “But I whopped him with a wood chopper and he falled down.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2htKFAvfu

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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?”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywcmMsHL4D

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“I whopped him with one,” he said. “He didn't try to whack me no more.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SZNsNPcaO

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“So what did I do?” I cautiously asked him.1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYsgQ1bvYd

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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. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3mryMvPzS

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“What?” I said as other words escaped me. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijgpSyGhJD

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“I whopped you, too,” he said. “And I digged a hole in the ground and put you two in it.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGOaA2E2gf

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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. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxM80OdW9e8

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“What did mama say?” I whispered. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWjfsULmpN

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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.”1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAVMD0hdVS

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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. 1187Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkNBzENtK7

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