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+Episode 3.16, A Wonderful Gift, Part 1
+--------------------------------------
+
+With Ole Pen
+
+It’s been awhile since I’ve written. So much and so little has
+happened. After a week with no trace of Ryan Hunter and his group,
+the county lowered the Terrorist Threat Level back down to ‘Yellow’.
+I’m still trying to deal with the idea of life without Ryan. Yes, I’m
+thrilled, but I still think about him, and I often have to remind
+myself that he’s gone.
+
+Grace went home after her mother agreed to admit herself into rehab.
+Sarah is in Baltimore. I don’t know why she couldn’t do it here, but
+I guess this is a special Jewish center for that purpose. Rabbi
+Polonsky left today to join her, so Grace is back as my roommate
+until her mother returns.
+
+I told Dad that I knew Ryan was gone, but he said he still had to
+complete his investigation. He left this morning to consult with the
+FBI about it, and he won’t be back until Tuesday evening. I know it’s
+just a few days, but I’m still going to miss him. I like having him
+here every day.
+
+The Goetzmann’s finally came over the Saturday before last. Mom made
+her leg of lamb. Everyone enjoyed it. Elizabeth was glad that I found
+out about Adam taking dance lessons. She felt bad about deceiving me,
+but Adam wanted to keep it a secret. She said Adam is doing really
+well. We talked and listened to the CD’s she brought with her, and
+she showed me a few dances that she had learned. We had a good time.
+Yesterday was a struggle, but I feel better now, having said goodbye
+once again to Judith. The crocus is still blooming. The Herald had a
+story this morning. Visitors to Mercer Creek discovered the crocuses
+Adam and I planted. They have bloomed as well! I had Luke look up the
+‘Joan of Arc’ crocus for me. They’re not supposed to do that, at
+least not until the spring. Strange.
+
+I’m falling back in love with Adam. I guess I never really fell out
+of love, but it still scares me. I need to slow down. How do you
+control your heart? I should tell him how much I really love him. Not
+sharing our true feelings is what caused our breakup in the first
+place. Isn’t that what I demanded of him? God, please help me to do
+it right this time.
+
+Next week is Thanksgiving and my birthday, both on the same day. That
+happens every few years. At least I wasn’t born on April 1st!
+Everyone is trying to get hints of what I might like as a present. In
+years past, I’ve always given everyone lots of ideas, but this year,
+I can’t think of anything I want.
+
+I stopped taking street fighting lessons from Ms. Keady, except for
+once a week. She wants me to at least practice that often. She feels
+she knows the jitterbug well enough now, and tomorrow, we start
+teaching students. We are both amazed that we never got caught with
+what we were really doing in the gym. I asked Elizabeth to help with
+the teaching, and she agreed. Since I’ll be dancing so much during
+school, I’ve decided to skip dance class this week.
+
+Ms. Keady has made only one request, in addition to me helping to
+teach the other students. Her daughter wants to meet me. So, after
+school tomorrow, she and I will be visiting the Children’s Hospital.
+I hate it when anyone is hurting, but children are the worst. I
+started to tell my dad, but then I realized I didn’t have to. I told
+him anyway.
+
+Well, I have to go to sleep. It’s going to be a stressful next few
+days. I have built up my endurance, but jitterbugging is still a
+dance that’s quite exhausting, and I’ll be doing a lot of it.
+
+At School
+
+Joan and her army walk to class. Is it still her army, now that Ryan
+is gone? Good question. They come upon Alice posting flyers on the
+wall.
+
+Alice – “Would you like to come to the ‘Battle of the Bands’ on
+December 3rd? There will be five bands, including ours. It’s to raise
+money to rebuild St. Paul’s Church.”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, it sounds like fun. Do they need help?”
+
+Alice – “Brother Jimi thought you might ask. He would like you to
+accept the donations.”
+
+Adam – “I’ll help with the lighting.” He smiles and continues,
+“Because Joan will need someone to catch the loot.”
+
+Joan – “Oh no, we’re not doing that again. I’ll talk to my dad and
+see if he can have some police officers there from the beginning.”
+
+Alice – “Brother Jimi has already seen to that. Don’t worry;
+everything will be fine this time.”
+
+Joan – “How did you find out about it?”
+
+Alice – “Brother Jimi called and asked me if we would play. He saw us
+play at a wedding reception, and he liked our music.”
+
+Joan wonders for a moment, “Friedman, where’s Glynis?”
+
+Friedman – “I don’t know. We went… we studied biology yesterday. I’m
+surprised she’s not here today, too.”
+
+Elizabeth walks past, “Hey, you need to get to the gym.” She winks,
+“I hope you dance.”
+
+Adam – “What was that about?”
+
+Joan – “Oh, it’s nothing. It’s a song from one of the CD’s she
+brought over the other day. But she’s right, I have to go. I’ll see
+you later.”
+
+At the Girardi Residence
+
+Richard answers the door, “Will, come in, I’m so glad you decided to
+come.”
+
+Will – “Well, I can’t make promises, but I have decided that it’s
+time we talked.”
+
+Richard – “Let me introduce you to my family. This is my wife Trenna,
+my daughter Emily, and my son Trevor.”
+
+Will initially extends his hand, but each pulls him in for a hug and
+responds with an appropriate greeting. Emily continues, “Uncle Will,
+tell me about Joan. I was so excited when Dad told me that I had a
+cousin. When can I meet her?”
+
+Will – “I don’t know just yet, but we can talk later.”
+
+Will and Richard go into the study alone.Richard begins, “I could
+tell you remember my mother’s name. Please don’t hold that against
+her. She’s really a sweet kid.”
+
+Will – “It was just the initial surprise. Don’t worry; I would never
+take our problems out on Emily or Trevor. In fact, that’s the main
+reason why I decided to come. I haven’t been fair to my children.
+I’ve been depriving them of knowing their uncle and cousins…”
+
+At the Herald
+
+Rebecca walks up to Kevin’s desk, “Here are some more stories I want
+you to edit.”
+
+Kevin – “Why don’t you just make your suggestions online, instead of
+hand carrying them?”
+
+Rebecca – “I like to write my notes by hand, but you still get the
+original stories.”
+
+Kevin – “Okay, but it seems inefficient.”
+
+Rebecca – “Well, I’ll consider changing. We are going to have to
+reduce our operating costs. With the FBI freezing Hunter’s assets,
+that puts us in a real bind. I’ll be at a meeting with them today to
+discuss it.”
+
+Kevin – “They just don’t want Hunter’s money to go to sponsoring
+terrorism.”
+
+Rebecca – “I know, but the government doesn’t have any more right to
+his money than we do. We are the victims here. We are going to get
+some of it released, while the lawyers fight it out.”
+
+Kevin – “Good luck with that!” Kevin has been enjoying Grace’s
+company at home for too long. He continues, “The fascist corporate
+state wants it all.”
+
+At School
+
+Joan and Ms. Keady are pleased with the response to the dance
+lessons. As expected, more girls join in than boys, but Ms. Keady
+decided not to make participation mandatory. All students have the
+choice of dancing or running laps. Given that, some of the boys
+decide to dance after all.
+
+Joan isn’t as tired as she expected. It must be the endorphins. The
+shower was wonderful, but it still didn’t wash off all the sparkle.
+It’s like being a little high, but it’s a natural high, and boy is
+she hungry. Lunch couldn’t come soon enough.
+
+It’sJoan’s turn in line and the lunch lady asks, “Whatcha want,
+sugar?”
+
+Joan leans over the counter and says softly, “I’m really hungry
+today. Can I have extra of everything?”
+
+Lunch Lady – “Sure you can, baby.” She fills the tray with extra
+large portions, “There you go.” She smiles and continues, “Have a
+good day, Joan.”
+
+Joan does a double take. Is she God or does she just somehow know her
+name? With Adam and Grace standing there, she can’t pursue it
+further, so she thanks her and continues to the table.
+
+Adam – “Wow, I’ve never seen you take so much food! You always eat
+like a bird.”
+
+Joan – “Can it! I’m a growing girl. I’m hungry.”
+
+Adam – “No, I didn’t mean it that way, I’m sorry.”
+
+Grace – “Children, please, not at the table.”
+
+Friedman – “I like girls with meat on their bones.” Both Grace and
+Joan slap him in the head, “Come on, stop it!”
+
+Joan smiles and looks at Grace, “We haven’t done that in awhile. Life
+is good!” The distraction offers an opportunity to change the
+subject, so Joan continues by asking, “Adam, are you ready to dance
+with me?”
+
+Adam – “That’s something we need to talk about, but later.”
+
+Joan – “What?”
+
+Adam – “Not now.”
+
+Joan – “You mean you don’t want to dance with me? Then what are the
+dance lessons about?”
+
+Adam – “I said, later.”
+
+Joan – “No, I want to hear it now.”
+
+Adam gets mad and leaves the table. Joan looks back at the others
+with a surprised look on her face. Grace comments, “You’re messing
+up.”
+
+Joan gets up to follow, but first says to Grace, “Don’t let anyone
+touch my lunch. I’ll be back.” She catches up with Adam in the
+hallway, “What’s wrong?”
+
+Adam – “I just didn’t want to talk about it there. It’s private.”
+
+Joan – “Okay, we’re alone now. What is it?”
+
+Adam – “I’ve been working really hard to learn how to dance, but I’m
+not that good yet. I want our first real dance to be special, not
+something in gym class.”
+
+Joan – “Okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that. But I still have
+to help teach the class.”
+
+Adam – “I know, but I was wondering, could you and Elizabeth switch?
+I would rather you not see me dance until later.”
+
+Joan – “I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Ms. Keady. But what if I
+can’t?”
+
+Adam – “Then I’ll run laps. I know you don’t trust me yet, but I have
+my reasons. I promise, I’ll tell you everything soon.”
+
+Joan – “Okay, I’ll see what I can do and I won’t bring it up again.”
+She pulls him in for a kiss, “Let’s go back and finish lunch. I’m
+still hungry.”
+
+At the Girardi Residence
+
+Trennahas laid out a selection of lunch meats, peanut butter, jelly,
+and bread. All have gathered around the table. Emily is rocking side
+to side in her seat, enjoying her sandwich, “Uncle Will, can you tell
+me about Joan now?”
+
+Will – “You know, Kevin and Luke are also your cousins.”
+
+Emily – “Yeah, but they’re boys. Tell me about Joan. How old is she?”
+
+Will – “Joan is almost eighteen.”
+
+Emily – “Wow! She’s exactly twice my age. I’ll be ten in January.
+What does she look like?” Will retrieves pictures of all three
+children from his wallet and hands them to her. “Wow! She’s pretty
+and she wears her hair long like mine. What does she like to do?”
+
+Trenna– “Emily, you’re asking too many questions. Your Uncle Will
+might not want to talk so much yet.”
+
+Will – “It’s okay, Joan likes to dance and she practices yoga. She
+likes music and she has a boyfriend named Adam.”
+
+Emily – “What kind of dance?”
+
+Will – “I don’t really know. She’s mentioned waltzes and the
+jitterbug. All kinds, I think.”
+
+Emily – “Mom, see? Joan dances. Why can’t I take ballet lessons?”
+
+Trenna– “We’ll talk about this later.”
+
+Will – “I’m sorry.”
+
+Richard – “That’s okay. Emily just has the attention span of a nine
+year old. We’ve just been waiting to see if this is what she really
+wants.”
+
+Will – “So Emily, tell me about yourself.”
+
+Emily – “Well, I want to be a ballerina.”
+
+Trenna– “Emily.”
+
+Emily – “Okay, and I like to sing. What kind of music does Joan
+like?”
+
+Will – “Mostly pop music, but she likes some of the music I have on
+records.”
+
+Emily – “I like country western the best. LeAnn Rimes is so hot!”
+
+`How do I live without
+you? <http://dc19.4shared.com/download/12889944/c7342f76/Leann_Rimes_-_How_Do_I_Live_Without_You.mp3>`__\ *\
+I want to know.
+How do I breathe without you?
+*If you ever go.*
+How do I ever, ever survive?*\ ”
+
+Will – “Wow, you’re really good. Have you ever thought about taking
+singing lessons?”
+
+Emily – “Mom, see?”
+
+Will – “So Trevor, tell me about yourself…”
+
+At the Children’s Hospital
+
+Joan is able to switch gym class with Elizabeth. The results are much
+the same as the first class. Elizabeth tells her that all of them --
+Adam, Luke, Grace, and Friedman -- joined in the jitterbug lessons.
+Joan would have loved to be part of that, but it was more important
+to avoid a crisis for Adam. She still wants Grace to come to one of
+her dance classes. Maybe this will do the trick.
+
+After school, Ms. Keady takes them to the Children’s Hospital. They
+talk on the way, “What is your daughter’s name?”
+
+Ms. Keady – “This week, she’s Ultra or Pearl. Her name is actually
+Zoe, but she likes nicknames, depending upon what she’s reading at
+the time. She’s been reading the ‘Ultra’ comic book series. Pearl
+Penalosa is the heroine.”
+
+Joan – “Can I ask why she is in the hospital?”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Zoe has a brain tumor. It’s causing the symptoms of
+narcolepsy. Do you know what that is?”
+
+Joan – “Something about falling asleep?”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Yes, but it happens unexpectedly. She may be talking and
+then suddenly, she’s asleep. She usually wakes up a few seconds
+later, but the periods have been getting longer, sometimes as long as
+a few minutes. The doctors haven’t been able to treat the tumor, so
+they’re trying a new drug to treat the symptom.”
+
+Joan – “Will she be okay?”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Fortunately, there’s no pain, but my fear is one of
+these times, she just won’t wake up. My sister had the same thing.
+She died when she was nine.”
+
+Joan – “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Well, she wants to be treated like a normal girl, so
+please try your best to do that. She dreams of becoming a dancer.
+That’s why when I told her about our lessons, she wanted to meet
+you.”
+
+They arrive and sign in at the security station. The guard looks up
+Zoe’s name and responds, “Ms. Keady, they have moved Zoe to a new
+room. She’s now on the third floor, in the Harold Lloyd suite, room
+21.”
+
+They enter the room and Zoe immediately reaches for her mother with
+open arms. Ms. Keady melts into her with a loving hug. This is a side
+of Ms. Keady that Joan has never seen. The drill sergeant gym teacher
+she has known is now the most loving mother.
+
+Ms. Keady – “How are you feeling today?”
+
+Zoe – “Fine. Look! A doctor came by and gave me this book. He said I
+could keep it.”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Let me see.” Zoe holds up the book so they can see the
+cover. “\ The World at Ripple Pond, sounds nice. I have to talk to
+Dr. Wilson, but I’ll be back soon. You and Joan can talk for awhile.”
+
+Ms. Keady leaves and Joan says, “That was nice of the doctor to give
+you the book.”
+
+Zoe – “Yeah, he comes by a lot. I don’t know his name. He’s a real
+nice man, but he talks kind of funny. Do you have a pen so I can
+write my name in my book?”
+
+Joan retrieves a pen from her purse and Zoe writes her name on the
+inside cover, “There, now everyone will know it’s mine.”
+
+Joan – “Can I see?”
+
+Zoe hands her the book and Joan leafs through, “This is really a nice
+book.” She returns to the front page and notices where Zoe has
+written her name, “Oh, Raphaela is your middle name. That’s a very
+pretty name.”
+
+Zoe – “Yeah, sometimes I like to be called Raphie. That was my aunt’s
+name, but I never knew her.”
+
+This whole experience is very unnerving for Joan, but she has
+promised to act normal for Zoe, so she says nothing. Zoe asks, “Tell
+me about dancing. What kind of dances to you like?”
+
+Joan – “Oh, I like all kinds. I guess my favorite would be the waltz,
+but all are fun to do. Do you have a favorite?”
+
+Zoe – “I don’t know the names, but mom dances with me. She doesn’t
+like me to do it alone, but I do anyway, sometimes. I’m pretty good,
+except when I go sailing.”
+
+Joan – “Sailing?”
+
+Zoe – “When I go to sleep. Sometimes, I fall down. Will you show me
+the waltz dance?”
+
+Joan gets up and Zoe climbs out of bed. “Are you sure you are allowed
+to get out of bed?”
+
+Zoe – “It’s okay. They don’t start the medicine until tomorrow. Come
+on, dance with me.”
+
+Joan takes Zoe’s hands and walks her through the steps. Zoe is right,
+she is a quick learner. Soon, they are dancing around the room. Ms.
+Keady comes back and smiles while watching from the doorway. When
+they finish the dance, she comes in and makes a big to-do about how
+well Zoe dances. Joan, of course, provides the appropriate
+encouragement as well. Zoe climbs back into bed and picks up her
+book. She begins to read aloud, “Once upon a time, Princess Juliette
+was walking in…” Suddenly, Zoe is asleep.
+
+Joan looks at Ms. Keady, “So, I guess this is sailing?”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Yeah, that’s what she’s decided to call it.”
+
+Joan – “What should I do?”
+
+Ms. Keady – “Nothing, just wait. Soon, she’ll wake up, and if nothing
+has changed, she’ll continue reading, and she won’t realize anything
+has happened.”
+
+Joan waits for what seems like forever. Then just as suddenly, Zoe
+continues, “…the meadow. A handsome prince came by and offered her a
+ride on his beautiful horse. They rode all morning, and then…”
+
+At the Girardi Residence
+
+Will is in the basement with Trevor. Richard has built a marvelous
+train platform for him, actually for both of them, to play with.
+Trevor has two trains racing around the maze of crossings, bridges,
+and tunnels. Will is impressed with Richard’s craftsmanship. “You and
+your father have done a great job making this train set.”
+
+Trevor – “Yeah, we have a lot of fun with it, but sometimes it gets
+boring. Would you like to see something neat?”
+
+Will – “Sure!”
+
+Trevor moves a lever and both trains move onto the same track, “Watch
+this.” Trevor increases the speed and each train roars around the
+platform on a collision course.”
+
+Will – “Wait, they’re going to crash!”
+
+Trevor – “That’s the idea.” Within seconds, train cars and train car
+parts begin flying off the platform.
+
+Richard rushes down stairs to investigate the commotion, “What
+happened?”
+
+Trevor – “Uncle Will moved that lever. I told him not to.” A smile
+paints across his face.
+
+Will – “I… but I…” Will decides it’s pointless to argue. He gives
+Trevor a glare and agrees, “Well, I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting this
+to happen.”
+
+Richard is astute enough to know what really happened, but decides to
+let if go. “Will, I found some pictures that I think you might want
+to see. Let’s go up to the study. Trevor, please clean up this mess.”
+
+Trevor – “But Dad…”
+
+Richard – “And no more trains for a week.”
+
+At the Children’s Hospital
+
+Zoe – “…and they all lived happily ever after.”
+
+Joan – “Or they all moved towards spiritual growth and
+enlightenment.”
+
+Zoe – “What?”
+
+Joan – “Oh, never mind. That was a nice story. You read very well for
+your age.”
+
+Ms. Keady – “She has a good teacher. Mrs. Olg is retired, but she’s
+still the best teacher in Arcadia.”
+
+Zoe – “I like Mrs. Olg too, but I want to go to a real school
+someday.”
+
+Ms. Keady – “I know, honey. Maybe this new medicine will allow you to
+do that.”
+
+On the way home, Joan is quiet for a while, but she finally decides
+to speak, “Zoe is really nice. Would it be all right if I visit her?”
+
+Ms. Keady – “I put you on the visitor’s list, so you can visit
+whenever you like.”
+
+Joan – “Thank you.” She pauses before continuing, “I don’t know if I
+should ask this, but where is Zoe’s father?”
+
+Ms. Keady doesn’t respond immediately, but then says, “Zoran and I
+had planned to marry on Valentine’s Day. He had business in Tokyo, so
+we spent Christmas there. On the way back, our plane crashed. There
+were 393 passengers on that flight, but he was the only one who was
+killed. I will never understand why.”
+
+Joan – “I’m so sorry to hear that. I shouldn’t have asked.”
+
+Ms. Keady – “That’s okay, it was a long time ago. Please don’t tell
+any of your friends. At school, I’m still Arcadia’s army drill
+sergeant, and I want to keep it that way.”
+
+Joan – “Don’t worry; I’m good at keeping secrets.”
+
+At Home
+
+Grace and Luke are waiting for Joan to arrive. They agree to study
+biology and government together so Joan can catch up on the classes
+she missed today. While they wait, they play Skip-Bo at the dining
+room table.
+
+When Joan arrives, she sits with them and asks to be dealt in, “I
+need to do some mindless activity for awhile.”
+
+Grace – “I gather you don’t want to talk about your trip with Ms.
+Keady?”
+
+Joan – “Ms. Keady’s daughter is Zoe. She’s very pretty, and someday
+she will have all the boys chasing after her, that is, if she lives
+that long. It’s really heartbreaking. Why do bad things always seem
+to happen to good people?”
+
+Helen overhears Joan’s comment, “That’s a question that only God can
+answer. I’ll say a prayer for her.”
+
+Joan – “You know what she wants most?” Joan doesn’t wait for an
+answer, “She wants to go to school like a normal kid. That really
+makes me feel sad, because I know how much I complain about school,
+and that’s all she wants.”
+
+No one responds. They just begin to play the game, giving Joan the
+mindless activity she seeks.
+
+At the Girardi Residence
+
+For Will, going through the pictures with Richard is melancholy and
+cool, kind of bittersweet. It brings back some of the bad memories
+and some of the good times he had forgotten. Will is especially drawn
+to an 8X10 photo of his father in uniform. He remembers it from when
+he was a child, but he never knew what had happened to it.
+
+Richard – “I was thinking about having copies of this made. Would you
+like one?”
+
+Will smiles, “Yes, that would really be nice.”
+
+Richard packs up the photos, all except for one album and the photo
+to be copied, “These are some more recent photos I would like to show
+you after dinner.”
+
+Trennacomes in, “You forgot to get lettuce. I have dinner on the
+stove. Can you run to the store and get some?”
+
+Richard – “Sure.Will, I’ll be back in a little while.”
+
+Will – “I can come with you.”
+
+Richard – “No, you and Trenna haven’t had a chance to talk yet. You
+can do that while she watches dinner.”
+
+After Richard leaves, Will and Trenna go into the kitchen. Will
+comments, “What smells so good?”
+
+Trenna– “Spiced beef, it’s a recipe passed down through my family. My
+ancestry is Irish. My maiden name is Muldoon.”
+
+Will – “Well, it smells delicious.”
+
+Trenna– “I think you’ll like it. I’ve also made peach cobbler for
+dessert.”
+
+There’s a lull in the conversation, so Will asks, “How did you and
+Richard meet?”
+
+They sit down and Trenna smiles, “I was selling equipment for a
+medical manufacturer. We were demonstrating an ultrasound scanner
+where Richard was one of the resident doctors. Afterward, I invited
+Richard and the other doctors out for dinner. I was surprised when
+they all declined, except for Richard. It was intended as a business
+courtesy, but I found that I really enjoyed Richard’s company. I
+couldn’t stop thinking about him. Then a week later, I called and
+asked him out. We dated for a while, and then we fell in love. Well,
+I think I actually fell in love with him that first night. It’s not a
+Romeo and Juliette story, but it worked for us. I’m very happy.”
+
+Will – “No, it sounds like a nice story.”
+
+Trenna– “Tell me about Helen. How did you two meet?”
+
+Will – “Bailey’s Donut Shop. I was a rookie street cop then, working
+on the night shift. My partner and I made a habit of stopping in at
+Bailey’s after our shift. I noticed Helen was usually sitting and
+quietly reading in a corner booth. I didn’t say anything for weeks,
+but then I just had to say hello. She told me to leave her alone and
+she got up and walked out.
+
+I left her alone for a few days. Then I got my partner to talk about
+her with me, just loud enough for her to hear. She ignored us, but we
+kept it up for a few days. Then I caught the tiniest smile. I sat
+down with her, but this time, she didn’t leave. She still wouldn’t
+talk to me, but she let me talk to her. By the time she finally did
+talk to me, I think I had told her everything there was to know about
+me. It was still several more weeks before she would go out with me,
+and a couple of years before she would marry me. It was a challenge,
+but I finally made her fall in love with me.”
+
+Trenna– “That a nice story. I’m looking forward to meeting her. What
+else can you tell me?”
+
+Will – “Well, for years she stayed at home raising the children. But
+two years ago, she started working at the school office, while the
+kids were in school. Last year, she became the school’s art teacher.
+She really enjoys it. She also paints. I don’t know the first thing
+about art, but I know she’s really good. She’s even had her work
+shown at the Franklin Art Gallery in Arcadia.”
+
+Trenna– “That’s really impressive. I don’t paint, but I do love art.”
+She gets up, checks the oven, and turns down the burners on the
+stove. “I bought a painting a few years ago. Richard says I’m weird
+for buying it. Let me show it to you.”
+
+She takes him to the upstairs hallway where it is hanging, “It’s a
+reproduction of MC Escher’s ‘\ \ `Ascending and
+Descending <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/AscendingandDescending_MCEscher.jpg>`__\ .’
+What do you think?”
+
+Will looks at the painting for a while, “I don’t know. There’s
+something wrong with that staircase.”
+
+Trenna– “That’s the beauty of it. It’s impossible, yet there it is! I
+love it.”
+
+At Home
+
+Joan, Grace, and Luke play cards until dinner, so the studies have to
+wait. Between Luke and Grace, Joan catches up. However, the physical
+and mental exhaustion of the day causes Joan to have to go to bed
+early. She lies quietly trying to make sense of the day, but she’s
+just too tired to think. As she falls asleep, she wonders, “Is this
+real or am I going crazy?”
+
+At the Girardi Residence
+
+After dinner, Will and Richard retire to the study. Richard shows
+Will the pictures in the last photo album. It’s a collection of
+photos from their wedding through the present. Richard turns through
+the pages, explaining each picture. As he turns the next page, a
+photo falls out. Will picks it up. It’s a picture of Richard and
+another man. Written on it is, “Thanks for the tip.” Richard can see
+Will is curious, so he explains.
+
+“That’s Frank Burns. He was the best man at our wedding. I first met
+Trenna when she came to show some equipment at our hospital. She was
+the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I knew she had planned to ask
+us all to dinner, so I paid the other doctors $50 each to decline.
+That’s what he means by ‘Thanks for the tip.’ I got to spend the
+evening alone with her. I wanted to ask her out right away, but I was
+broke. Then she called me. Trenna is happy believing that she seduced
+me. That’s why I’ve never told her what Frank meant by his remark.”
+
+Will smiles, “That’s a nice story.”
+
+At School
+
+Joan and Grace meet up with the others, and they are shocked to see
+Adam has a splint on his finger, “What happened!”
+
+Adam – “Elizabeth got mad at me last night. She slammed my finger in
+the car door, but it was an accident.”
+
+Grace – “Spill it.”
+
+Adam – “Well, I was trying to be funny and made the mistake of making
+fun of Jim Krosier. He’s in our dance class too. It appears Elizabeth
+has a crush on him.”
+
+Joan – “She mentioned him the other day. He’s her favorite dance
+partner.”
+
+Adam – “Well, he’s more than that. They are going out on a date this
+weekend.”
+
+Joan – “Well, you just need to learn to keep your hands out of places
+where they don’t belong.” She smiles and gives him a kiss.
+
+Glynis– “Oh, I’m so jealous. Huggy-bear, kissy-face.”
+
+Joan – “What’s your problem?”
+
+Glynis– “The reason I wasn’t at school yesterday. Apparently, I have
+mono. I’m not allowed to kiss for a while.”
+
+Luke – “Friedman! Have you had a fever or anything?”
+
+Friedman – “No, apparently, I was just the donor.”
+
+Everyone laughs, except for Glynis and Friedman.
+
+At Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
+
+Richard and Trenna send the children back to school. Trenna works
+part time selling pharmaceuticals, while the kids are at school.
+
+Richard decides he wants to show Will where he works. They enter the
+pediatric trauma center, and Richard introduces Will to some of the
+staff. He then begins to show Will some of the facilities and
+equipment that aren’t being used. Will can see that Richard is very
+proud of both his family and his work. He thinks to himself that he’s
+glad he decided to make the trip. He regrets not having gotten to
+know his brother, a good and decent man.
+
+Over the PA comes a message, “Code Yellow. All physicians and staff
+report to your stations.” Simultaneously, Richard’s pager goes off.
+Richard is initially annoyed, “Now what! I told them I was taking the
+day off.” He pulls out a card from his wallet, “I haven’t had this
+code before.” He reads the card aloud, “Code Yellow – Disaster.”
+
+Suddenly, the trauma center becomes a flurry of activity. Doctors,
+nurses, and other specialists begin arriving from other parts of the
+hospital. Richard and Will walk over to the nurses station where
+Richard asks, “What do we have?”
+
+Nurse – “A major accident on I-95, just north of the tunnel. Five of
+the vehicles were school buses. There are about 20 children on the
+way.”
+
+Richard looks sadly at Will, “I’m sorry, I have to go to work.”
+
+Will – “I understand, I’ll call you later.”
+
+Richard goes to work and Will makes himself invisible by standing in
+a recess in the wall. Children begin to be brought in and the hallway
+quickly becomes a triage area. A gurney with a girl a little younger
+than Emily is parked in front of Will. The girl is covered with cuts
+and scrapes. She cries while the doctor tends to her wounds. She
+reaches out her hand, “I want my mom. They said my mom would be
+here.” Will melts and takes her hand, “She’ll be here soon. Don’t
+worry.” He holds her hand while the painkiller takes effect. Her
+mother does arrive, just before they take her to the OR.
+
+At the Herald
+
+Rebecca returns from her meeting with the FBI. She hasn’t said
+anything yet, but the expression on her face indicates that it did
+not go well. She sits at her computer for a few minutes, and then
+walks to the center of the room, “Listen up, everyone.” She pauses
+briefly, and then continues, “I was at the meeting with the FBI to
+discuss the freezing of our assets. They want to search our database
+to ensure that no one was involved with Ryan Hunter. Although we
+would like to cooperate and get this behind us, this is a clear
+violation of the First Amendment. We had to refuse.
+
+The battle has gone to the lawyers. I don’t know how long this will
+last or how long this newspaper can survive without cash flow. I ask
+all of you to hang in there, and hopefully, this will be resolved
+soon.”
+
+Rebecca returns to her desk and Kevin notices that she appears to hit
+the ‘Enter’ key. A message pops up on his screen. It reads:
+
+*Kevin,*
+
+*That was my official statement. As your friend, I suggest you polish
+up your resume.*
+
+*Rebecca*
+
+At School
+
+The jitterbug lessons go pretty much the same as yesterday. Some
+students decide to join after watching for awhile. Adam is unusually
+quiet during lunch, and Joan wonders if he is still mad about what
+happened yesterday. She decides to strike up a conversation, “I
+haven’t heard you mention Pax recently. How is she?”
+
+Adam – “She’s fine. In fact, my dad is allowing her in the house now.
+We kept the shed heated, but she still got very lonely. She sleeps in
+my room now. She has claimed my bed, but begrudgingly lets me have it
+when I go to sleep.”
+
+Joan – “That’s good to hear that she can spend time with you in the
+house now. She’s such a great dog.”
+
+Adam – “Yeah, and my dad likes her too. He takes her out for walks
+and plays with her when I’m not there. He’s not a dog person, so I
+never would have believed this could happen, but Pax has won his
+heart.”
+
+Joan – “Believing in things that you can see is easy. It’s the things
+you can’t see that I sometimes have trouble with.”
+
+Luke – “Well, you can’t see air, but we know it is there, even though
+we can’t see it.”
+
+Grace – “You mean like religion, because I know you believe in God,
+and you can’t see him?”
+
+Joan thinks to herself, ‘But I can see him!’ She leaves the thought
+there and replies, “I guess I mean, what if you discover that
+something you never thought could be true, actually might be true?
+What would you do?”
+
+Grace – “You’re being too cryptic, but if you know it’s true, then
+believe it.”
+
+Glynis– “I once believed that dogs were boys and cats were girls. I
+didn’t learn I was wrong until we got another cat.”
+
+Friedman – “Thank you for sharing that. Atem re’item, Exodus 19:4,
+You have seen. If you know it to be true, then you must believe it.”
+
+Adam looks at Joan, “I believe in things that I can’t see. When I
+told you I talked to angels, it wasn’t completely a metaphor. I
+believe in God and angels, and I talk to them all the time. I just
+don’t talk to anyone else about it.”
+
+Joan smiles, happy that Adam would share that with her, “Yeah, but
+what if this thing is so incredible, that you have only heard of it
+happening in legends. Would you still believe it?”
+
+Luke – “You really have only two choices; to believe it is true, or
+believe you are insane. I think the jury is still out.”
+
+Joan’s eyes become like daggers. “Thanks Luke, don’t you think I’ve
+thought of that?”
+
+Grace – “If you’re not going to tell us what it is, I don’t think we
+can help you. Maybe you should talk to a priest, or to Lilly.”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, maybe. I don’t know. I guess I’ll just have to figure
+it out on my own. Thanks for the ideas.”
+
+Joan quietly continues eating and thinks to herself, ‘Believing in
+God hasn’t been a problem, because I can see God. But I don’t see
+this, I just think it might be true. Is that enough?’
+
+On the Way
+
+Will remained at the hospital until the backlog of children were
+treated and forwarded elsewhere. He had a similar encounter with a
+young boy and tried to comfort him. It was inspiring for him to watch
+Richard work.
+
+On the drive home, Will listens to the news. “Joppatowne Elementary
+School’s field trip to the National Aquarium turned into tragedy
+today. Their school buses were involved in an accident on interstate
+95, just north of the Fort McHenry Tunnel. Almost a 150 children were
+treated at area hospitals. Fortunately, there were no fatalities…” He
+searches the dial, but can’t find anything he likes. He resumes
+listening to the CD Lilly loaned him. He thinks about Helen and the
+kids, and how wonderful it will be to be\ `back home
+again <http://dc19.4shared.com/download/12899598/4f56cdc4/John_Denver_-_Back_Home_Again.mp3>`__\ .
+
+At the Bookstore
+
+Business has been light, so Joan has been able to do the reading
+Madam Marx gave her. She takes a tablet and begins writing things
+down: The passage from Corinthians; the meaning of Raphaela;
+Raphaela, Ms. Keady’s daughter; her being named after her aunt. Was
+the Raphaela in her dream Ms. Keady’s sister? *The World at Ripple
+Pond*. She checked. That was never a book the store had ever ordered,
+and as far as she could find, it has never existed. Yet, now Zoe also
+has a copy, given by a mysterious doctor who talks funny. The ‘Joan
+of Arc’ crocus. It had no business blooming until the spring. Oh, and
+the frog! We had it cut to pieces. How could it have jumped out of
+her hand and out of the window?
+
+She wonders for a few minutes, then continues writing. ‘I leave hints
+all over the place. I’m all about hints.’ Then she writes, ‘Some
+things have to be believed to be seen.’ She slowly begins to circle
+this last entry, over and over again. She misses the days when God
+would just give her assignments. ‘Sure, whatever you say.’ At least
+then, she knew what she was supposed to do, even if she didn’t know
+why. ‘God, why won’t you just walk through that door and tell me I’m
+right or tell me that I’m nuts?’
+
+The door chimes and she looks up, “Dad! What are you doing here?” She
+runs to him, and gives him a big hug.
+
+Will – “I looked at my watch as I was coming into town and realized
+it was about time for you to get off work. I decided to give you a
+ride home.”
+
+Joan – “I’ve missed you. I know it was only a couple of days, but I
+like having you home.”
+
+Will – “Well, I don’t have any more trips planned, so I should be
+home for quite a while. Are you ready?”
+
+Joan – “Yeah.”She gathers up her things and sets the alarm as she
+leaves. On the way home, she tells him about how much fun she has
+been having teaching the jitterbug. Then she continues, “So, how was
+your trip?”
+
+Will – “Good, it turned out better than I had expected. I’ll tell you
+about it after dinner tomorrow. I know you’ll probably beat me, but
+would you like to play a game of chess when we get home?”
+
+Joan – “No, not tonight, I’m too tired. I’m going to get something to
+eat and go to bed, but I would like to play again.”
+
+Will – “I’ll be ready.”
+
+They arrive home and everyone is glad to see Will. As they are
+getting ready for bed, Helen asks, “How was your trip?”
+
+Will – “Good, good, better than I had expected.”
+
+Helen – “So, does that mean we’ll be having company for
+Thanksgiving?”
+
+Will – “Yeah, I invited them last night.”
+
+At Home
+
+School was pretty much the same as the previous days. Elizabeth and
+Joan talked for a while and she apologized profusely, “I’m really
+sorry for breaking your boyfriend. It really was an accident.” Joan
+asks about Jim. “He’s really good looking and he’s a great dancer.
+I’ll let you have a dance at the ‘Battle of the Bands’ if you want.”
+
+After school, Joan and Will have their game of chess. Will is
+actually playing very good. Joan looks at the board and devises a
+strategy for him to win. She’s getting better at this. She only had
+to make one subtle mistake to insure her loss.
+
+Will – “Did you let me win again?”
+
+Joan – “No! You won fair and square. You’re getting better each time
+we play.”
+
+Will isn’t sure whether to believe her, but he decides that maybe he
+actually did win this one.
+
+Dinner is wonderful. Oh, it was just spaghetti and meatballs, but all
+of them being together again made it special. After dinner, they all
+gather around the table again.
+
+Will – “Earlier this week, I told you I had business with the FBI. I
+actually went to visit your Uncle Richard. I…”
+
+Joan interrupts, “That’s great! What made you decide to go see him?”
+
+Will – “Well, you kids almost getting killed reminded me about of how
+important you are to me. I got to thinking that I wasn’t being fair
+to you.”
+
+While her father is talking, Joan remembers what God told her. She
+smiles, pleased as she realizes that her father has decided to play
+his missing note.
+
+Will continues, “You should be able to know your uncle and
+cousins.So…”
+
+Joan interrupts again, “Uncle Richard has a family?”
+
+Will – “Yes, he’s married and has two children. His wife is named
+Trenna, and his children are named Emily and Trevor. Anyway, I
+decided to have a talk with him. It’s still going to be difficult for
+me, but I think I’ll be okay. It’s more important for you to be able
+to know him and his family.”
+
+Kevin – “When will we be able to meet them?”
+
+Will – “Next week. I have invited them for Thanksgiving.”
+
+Joan – “I remember that uncle Richard is a doctor. Do you know what
+kind?”
+
+Will – “He works at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. I saw him
+working. He’s really impressive. I’ll tell you more about that
+later.”
+
+Luke – “How old are his kids?”
+
+Will – “Emily is nine and Trevor is seven.” He looks at Joan, “Emily
+is dying to meet you. She will probably stick to you like glue. She’s
+quite a little pistol, but she’s really a sweet kid.” He looks at
+Luke, “Trevor is a handful. He probably should have been named
+Damien, but it will only be a few days. He will likely want to spend
+time with you.” He looks at Helen, “Trenna is a stunning strawberry
+blonde. She’s really nice, smart, and a great cook. I’m sure you’ll
+like her, too.”
+
+Luke – “What do you mean when you say Trevor should have been named
+Damien?”
+
+Will – “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m sure you two will get along.”
+
+Kevin – “It sounds like they are really good people. I have some
+news.” He pauses momentarily, “Things at the newspaper are not going
+well. Rebecca didn’t say anything specifically, but I think if the
+problem with the FBI isn’t resolved soon, there may be layoffs, or
+the newspaper may even have to close. It doesn’t look good.”
+
+Will – “How do you know this?”
+
+Kevin – “She told me to polish up my resume. I really like my job,
+but it looks like I may not have a choice. I have looked around and I
+think working as a paralegal would be interesting. It still involves
+research and I would have to do some writing with it. I’ve found a
+paralegal course and one in creative writing at the same place. Both
+courses are available on line. I’ve enrolled and will be starting
+them after Thanksgiving. So that’s the news with me.”
+
+Helen – “Kevin, I hope you are able to keep your job, but if you do
+get laid off, I’m sure you will be able to find something else. And
+if you can’t find something right away, you can try to finish your
+courses early. You never know. This may turn out to be a good thing.”
+
+Later that evening, Joan goes up to Luke’s room, “Can I look up
+something on your computer?”
+
+Luke – “You know I don’t let anyone touch my computer.”
+
+Joan – “Come on, you know mine died. I won’t hurt anything, I
+promise. It will only take a few minutes.”
+
+Luke relents, “Okay, but don’t close any of my windows and I’ll be
+back in a few minutes.”
+
+When Will told her that Richard worked at the Johns Hopkins
+Children’s Center, something resonated within her. She does a Google
+search and clicks on one of the links. She reads:
+
+*The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center is a full-service children’s
+hospital within the Johns Hopkins Hospital, with 160 inpatient beds
+on eight different units and a separate pediatric emergency
+department. Our pediatric nurses pride themselves on providing
+competent and compassionate patient-focused, family-centered care. If
+you want to be a pediatric nurse…”*
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+It’s nearly morning and Helen is finishing a good night’s sleep. In
+her dream, she is alone in the church. A handsome young man, whom she
+has seen before, steps up to the lectern. He has lost his brown
+corduroy coat and is instead wearing traditional clothing. “Father
+Mallory was feeling ill this morning. My name is Father Deus.” He
+begins to give the most beautiful sermon she has ever heard. It’s
+about believing in things that can’t be seen. When he finishes, he
+steps down and sits beside her, “That’s a pretty nightgown you’re
+wearing.”
+
+Helen – “Yeah, I try to dress well when we meet here. So, what’s the
+occasion? Is something bad going to happen?”
+
+God – “Why, is your life in desolation?”
+
+Helen – “No, but it always seems like I see you only when something
+bad is going to happen.”
+
+God – “Well, this time it is different. I want you to pay attention.
+You will be told something that you have been told before. You will
+know it when you hear it. I would like you to consider believing it
+this time.”
+
+Helen opens her eyes to see the clock reads 5:59 a.m. She turns the
+alarm off before it sounds. She lays and wonders for a while before
+getting up.
+
+At School
+
+Joan has gym class when she is usually taking calculus, but she
+doesn’t mind missing it at all. Everyone in this class has decided to
+join in. Many in this class have already talked to their friends
+about the dance lessons. Some have even been practicing with others
+who have already taken their first lessons. Only time will tell if
+dancing becomes a regular part of physical education, but the
+prognosis looks good.
+
+In government class, Brian Beaumont gives a brief presentation on the
+plans for this year’s job fair. He remembers Joan’s essay and asks
+her to help. Joan is reluctant at first, knowing that she already has
+herself spread pretty thin, but Grace razzes her, “Come on, practice
+what you preach.” When Grace agrees to help her, she decides to
+volunteer. This creates a conflict, because Joan really wants to
+visit Zoe after school.
+
+At the Police Station
+
+Mimi – “Thanks for meeting with me. We could have done this earlier,
+but with your terrorism investigation, I decided it could wait.”
+
+Will – “Well, I’m curious if the information I provided helped.”
+
+Mimi – “Yes and no.Officer Garcia was a suspect in the missing money
+and heroin from the evidence locker, so your request to investigate
+his involvement at the community center bust seemed warranted. Also,
+the fact that some of the money and drugs were found during the
+warehouse raid seemed to suggest his involvement as well, but even
+with all of that, there just isn’t enough evidence to go to trial.
+What we have could just be coincidences. I’m afraid we’re going to
+have to close the book on this one, unless some new evidence comes to
+light.”
+
+Will – “Well, the man’s dead. I suppose it really doesn’t matter now,
+no reason to soil his memory.”
+
+Mimi – “So, how is the Hunter investigation going?”
+
+Will – “Rapping up.We’re running out of leads. It’s a good thing he
+skipped town, because we don’t have as much evidence as I would like.
+If this goes to trial, I question if we have enough evidence to get a
+conviction.”
+
+Mimi – “Do you have any information on the murder charge by the
+Millersville police?”
+
+Will – “I had Carlisle talk to Detective Anderson in case there was
+any information related to our investigations. They only have a
+motive and no alibi, not a strong case, either. The FBI is another
+matter. They have him involved in manipulating stock futures. It
+appears that’s how he made his millions.”
+
+Mimi – “Well, he’s gone, and I think Arcadia will be better off
+without him.”
+
+Will – “On that, we totally agree.” As Mimi leaves, Will thinks to
+himself, ‘You may have been the most cunning criminal I have faced,
+but you sure don’t know how to play poker.’
+
+At the Herald
+
+Rebecca returns once again from a meeting with the FBI. She seems to
+be in a better mood than yesterday. There was a new agent present who
+wasn’t at the previous meetings. His name is Victor Delacruz.
+
+Rebecca once again takes center stage, “May I have your attention?”
+She pauses while people gather around, “We have reached a tentative
+agreement with the FBI. It will require some sacrifices on our part,
+but the plan will allow us to emerge as a stronger company than
+before. When the plan is finalized, it will be posted on our internal
+web site. All full time employees will be allowed to vote for or
+against the agreement. Thank you.”
+
+Rebecca walks over to Kevin’s desk, “Hey, have you had lunch? There’s
+a new street vendor selling Philly cheese stakes. Sound good?”
+
+Kevin can sense that Rebecca has an ulterior motive, so he goes
+along, “Yeah, it’s actually been quite awhile since I’ve had a cheese
+steak. Let’s go.”
+
+Once they have gotten their sandwiches, Rebecca begins the
+conversation, “When I said that all full time employees would be able
+to vote on the agreement, there was a reason. We are going to have to
+let go of all of our part-time workers and paid interns. Everyone
+left will have to take a 5% pay cut, but that will be offset by stock
+purchases. It’s not a great deal, but it may allow us to avoid
+layoffs of full time employees.”
+
+Kevin – “Adam is going to be heartbroken. He really enjoys his work
+here.”
+
+Rebecca – “I know. I like Adam too, but this is a business decision,
+nothing personal. Charlie in Ads told me he didn’t like being told by
+Hunter to hire him, but he has been very satisfied with Adam’s work.
+He will give Adam all the references he wants.”
+
+Kevin – “I’ll call Joan and give her a heads up.”
+
+Rebecca – “Adam won’t find out until he comes to work this afternoon,
+but yeah, I think you should tell her.”
+
+Kevin looks at his watch, “She’s in class now. I’ll call her after
+her last period.”
+
+At School
+
+During lunch, Joan contacts Susan Jordan at UMC. To Joan’s delight,
+she agrees to participate in the job fair. Adding someone from the
+medical industry to the job fair will be a lot easier now that she
+has a volunteer.
+
+Just before the meeting, Kevin calls to tell her about Adam losing
+his job. She considers not going, but Adam doesn’t know yet, so she
+decides to attend and rush things along.
+
+It turns out that Grace has her own agenda. She proposes inviting a
+union leader to explain the job opportunities in that profession and
+the trades. There isn’t any opposition to either of their proposals,
+since Grace has already lined up a volunteer as well.
+
+At Sal’s Arcade
+
+Luke and Friedman enjoy the new game that was months overdue. They
+have played it before, but the released version of ‘Phantom Warrior’
+has more features than Friedman’s pirated version.
+
+Glynis, along to watch, quickly becomes bored. She finds her own
+game, ‘Whack-a-Mole’, and becomes enamored with this decades old
+carnival favorite. She names each of them Alfred and calls out their
+name each time she whacks one. Friedman has been trying hard to
+ignore Glynis’ effort at anger management, but he finds it
+impossible. He and Luke join the crowd that has gathered around her.
+
+All activity in the arcade ceases and the crowd begins to chant along
+with Glynis, “Bam! Alfred. Bam! Alfred…” Excitement grows as she
+nears the record that has stood for over seven years. When she goes
+over the top, bells and whistles chime from the machine. She
+continues on, adding a substantial number to the original total, but
+alas, she misses one and the game ends. Many in the crowd offer their
+congratulations and as she types her name into the permanent record
+of the machine, she looks at Friedman and adds, “With a little help
+from Alfred.”
+
+At the Rove Residence
+
+After the meeting, Joan calls home to tell her mother that she will
+be late for dinner. She leaves school and walks over to Adam’s house.
+She finds Mr. Rove preparing to leave for work and tells him that
+Adam will be losing his job. Carl decides he will talk to Adam in the
+morning and allows Joan to stay with Pax.
+
+Paxis happy to see Joan. She retrieves a ball from Adam’s room and
+begins to taunt Joan with it. If Pax could talk, Joan knows she’s
+would be saying something like, “Come on, play with me. Bet you can’t
+take this. I dare you. No, you can’t have it. Oh, don’t give up so
+easily. If you promise to throw it, I’ll let you have it. Come on,
+please! Outside? Outside?”
+
+Joan has never had Kevin’s arm with a ball, so when she takes Pax
+into the front yard, she often throws and hits one of Adam’s many art
+pieces. Fortunately, she doesn’t break anything, but by the time Adam
+arrives, she and Pax have everything in the yard that will move,
+moving.
+
+Adam is in a moderately bad mood, but it pleases him to find Joan and
+Pax there. He is also astute enough to know there must be a reason
+for her presence. He takes the ball from Pax and throws it. “Kevin
+told you?”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, he called me after school. I’m so sorry.” She gives him
+a hug, “I’m sure it won’t take you long to find something else.”
+
+Adam – “I think I already may have.” Joan gives him a surprised look,
+but he continues before she can speak, “Do you remember that mural I
+restored at Ike and Ishmi’s Bagel Co-op?”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, over on Walnot Street.You did a beautiful job.” She
+pauses to throw the ball for Pax, “And funny! Those eyes were so
+cool.”
+
+Adam smiles, “Yeah, I liked them, too. Anyway, I ran into Mr. Zonker,
+Ike, the other day, and he told me that people have been asking who
+did it. He has a list of names if I want it. I wasn’t interested at
+the time, because I was busy with work and dancing, but I think I’ll
+pay him a visit.”
+
+Joan – “That’s great! You are so talented. Hey, can I come with you
+sometimes? You…” Pax demands her attention and get a ball toss “…you
+almost never let me watch you work.”
+
+Adam – “I usually like to do my art in private. You know what a lot
+of it means to me.”
+
+Joan – “I know, but do you remember what I said about us talking
+more, sharing our feelings? You need to let me in. Your art is a very
+important part of you. I’ll never be able to do what you do, but I
+want to understand it. If I can watch you work, you can explain what
+you’re doing and then I’ll understand. See?”
+
+Adam takes the ball from Pax and gives it a long throw. He then takes
+Joan in his arms and gives her a kiss, “Are you starting to fall in
+love me again?”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, a little.”
+
+At Home
+
+Joan has finished her reading and struggles to complete her calculus
+assignment. When she finishes, she goes to Luke’s room to have him
+check her answers, “Luke, can you check my homework?”
+
+Luke – “Just a minute.”
+
+Soon, Grace comes down, “We were just talking.”
+
+Joan doesn’t respond, but just goes upstairs and waits while Luke
+checks her work. He tells her that she has one wrong and explains how
+to find the correct answer. Joan thanks him and as she leaves, she
+wonders why he is being so nice.
+
+She goes back down to her room and talks to Grace, “You need to cool
+it, at least here. Mom has told you the rules.”
+
+Grace – “Yeah, I know, but we were just talking.”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, well no talking in bedrooms, okay?”
+
+Grace – “Yeah, I hear you.”
+
+Helen calls upstairs, “Joan, telephone. Grace, I need to talk to
+you.”
+
+Grace goes downstairs and Joan picks up the phone, “Hi, this is
+Joan.”
+
+Cee-Cee– “Hello, where are we going tomorrow?”
+
+Cee-Ceedoesn’t have to identify herself. Although she speaks English
+very well, she still has a strong Chinese accent. “I don’t know.
+Where would you like to go?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “I was hoping you would know. A voice in my head only
+suggested that I go with you.”
+
+Joan realizes she must mean her planned visit with Zoe. It also dawns
+on her that she still doesn’t know what God wants her to do with
+Cee-Cee. Could it be that all of these hints have really been about
+her? “Oh, I plan to visit a friend at the Children’s Hospital after
+school. Would you like to come?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “Sure, I love children. Shall I pick you up at school?”
+
+Joan was going to say she would meet her there, but there is no sense
+in taking the bus, “Sure, that would be nice. About three thirty?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a pleasant night.”
+
+Grace comes back upstairs and calls up to Luke, “Luke, your mom wants
+to talk to you.” She goes into Joan’s bedroom, “Did you rat on me?”
+
+Joan – “You mean about being in Luke’s room?”
+
+Grace – “Yeah, I just got the third degree from your mother.”
+
+Joan – “No, I didn’t say anything, but you deserved it. You know the
+rules.”
+
+Grace – “Then if you didn’t tell her, how did she know?”
+
+Joan – “She’s a mom. She figures things out.”
+
+At the Children’s Hospital
+
+Cee-Ceepicks Joan up as scheduled. On the way, she asks, “Are we
+going to meet someone special?”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, her name is Zoe. She’s really sweet. She’s the daughter
+of my gym teacher.”
+
+Cee-Cee– “How old is she?”
+
+Joan – “I’m not sure, but I think she’s about seven. Oh, she likes to
+dance. If she asks, maybe you can dance with her tonight.”
+
+Cee-Cee– “Sure, I can do that.”
+
+As they approach Zoe’s room, Joan sees God walking toward them, “Hi,
+Joan.”
+
+Joan – “Hi.”She looks at Cee-Cee, “Cee-Cee, this is my friend, ah…”
+
+God interrupts, “May I speak to Joan in private for a moment?”
+
+Cee-Ceestands stunned for a moment, with a glowing expression painted
+across her face, but then she responds, “Sure, it’s very nice to meet
+you.”
+
+After Cee-Cee walks ahead, Joan says, “God, I have no idea of what
+I’m doing!”
+
+God smiles, “What are you expecting to happen?”
+
+Joan – “I’ve made a list of all the hints. You’re all about hints,
+right? I still don’t understand how this can be within the rules?”
+
+God – “You are an instrument of Me, bound by the limit of time and
+space. Perfect.”
+
+Joan – “But I don’t think I’m ready!”
+
+God – “There will always be another test that you’ll be afraid you
+will fail. You just need to remember what I have told you… three
+times now. And what is that?”
+
+Joan sighs, “Some things have to be believed to be seen. So how does
+Cee-Cee fit in?”
+
+God – “Cee-Cee has been asking that same question. She has already
+learned that the spiritual pathway to me is from within. You must
+learn it, also. Look inside your soul.” God begins to leave, but then
+adds, “You have known how it is to have an adversary. Enjoy having an
+ally.”
+
+God leaves, and Joan and Cee-Cee walk into the Zoe’s room together.
+Zoe – “Hi, Joan. You just missed Mrs. Olg. Who’s your friend?”
+
+Joan is speechless for a moment, realizing the connection, but then
+says, “This is Cee-Cee Lin. She’s a dancer too, and I met Mrs. Olg in
+the hallway. She is really a nice person.”
+
+Zoe – “Hi, Cee-Cee.I wish I felt better. I would love to dance with
+you.”
+
+Joan notices it right away. Zoe looks terrible. Her skin is pale and
+her eyes have dark circles around them. Her beautiful wavy black hair
+now looks dry and lifeless. “Well, we can just talk. I brought you a
+book. It’s kind of young for you, but I still enjoy it.”
+
+She hands Zoe the book and Zoe glows for a moment with excitement, “I
+haven’t read this one. I have ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ at home. I still
+like to read it. Thank you.”
+
+A nurse walks in, “Princess Julie, it’s time for your medicine.”
+
+Zoe – “It’s Juliette. Can you come back later? I want to talk to my
+friends.”
+
+Nurse – “Okay, but only for a few minutes. We have to keep to the
+schedule.”
+
+The nurse leaves and Zoe says, “I’m sorry. When they give me the
+medicine, it’s going to make me tired.” She pauses, thinking for a
+moment, “I really don’t think this stuff is helping me. I’m pretty
+smart, but I don’t see how a medicine that makes me tired is going to
+help me to stay awake.”
+
+Neither Joan nor Cee-Cee can think of anything to dispute her point,
+but Joan comments, “Well, we’ll stay here until you fall asleep.”
+
+The nurse returns and after Zoe falls asleep, Joan asks Cee-Cee to
+take Zoe’s hand. Cee-Cee does, but asks, “What would you like me to
+do?”
+
+Joan – “Pray with me that God will heal Zoe.” Joan takes her other
+hand and they both begin to pray silently. After awhile, Joan opens
+her eyes. She sees that Zoe is still the same. Nothing has changed.
+She stands up and kisses Zoe on the forehead, “I’m so sorry Zoe.”
+
+The drive home is in silence, because Cee-Cee can tell that Joan in
+not in the mood to talk. As Joan gets out of the car, Cee-Cee asks,
+“May I come by to visit tomorrow?”
+
+Joan – “Sure, in the morning or afternoon.”
+
+Cee-Cee– “Good, I’ll see you in the morning. Have a good night.”
+
+At Home
+
+Joan was quiet during dinner and went to bed early. In addition to
+feeling depressed because of her failure, she began to feel sore all
+over. Helen has observed that Joan is in a mood, so as she tucks her
+in bed, she asks, “What’s wrong?”
+
+Joan – “I’m just sad for Zoe. I think she’s dying.”
+
+Helen gives her a goodnight kiss, “I’ll say a prayer for your
+friend.”
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Cee-Ceearrives at nine and Helen answers the door, “Hello, Mrs.
+Girardi. I’m here to visit with Joan.”
+
+Helen – “Come in, Joan is still asleep. Can I offer you some coffee
+or tea?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “No thank you. Would you mind asking her if she will see me?
+I won’t stay long.”
+
+As Helen and Cee-Cee walk upstairs, they meet Grace coming down.
+Cee-Cee says, “Hello, I’m Cee-Cee. What is your name?”
+
+Grace – “Grace, Joan has mentioned you.”
+
+Cee-Cee– “I didn’t know Joan had a sister. It is very nice to meet
+you.”
+
+Grace – “No, I’m not her sister. We are just friends.”
+
+Helen – “Is Joan awake?”
+
+Grace – “Sort of, but something is wrong. I think she’s hurting. I
+was on my way down to tell you.”
+
+Helen and Cee-Cee enter Joan’s room. Helen says, “Grace says you’re
+not feeling well.”
+
+Joan – “Oh, I’ll be okay. I think all the dancing this week has just
+caught up to me.”
+
+Helen feels her forehead, “No fever, where does it hurt?”
+
+Joan – “Pretty much everywhere.After Cee-Cee leaves, I’ll take a
+long, hot bath. That will help.”
+
+Helen – “Okay, but let me know if you need anything.”
+
+Helen leaves and Cee-Cee pulls a pint-size canning jar from her
+purse. “I brought this for you. It will help.”
+
+Joan – “What is it?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “It’s Leopard’s Bane in a Witch Hazel base. I use it for
+bruises and aching muscles. It works really well.”
+
+Joan – “How did you know I would have bruises?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “I didn’t know exactly, but for some reason, I thought I
+should bring it. Sit up and let me do your back.”
+
+While she applies the suave, Cee-Cee continues, “Do you remember when
+I told you that I can also feel when God is present?”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, the warm blanket thing, right?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “Yeah, it’s like that. Well, I also feel it when I’m near
+you. I can tell that you and God have a special connection. And after
+last night, well, it was so wonderful to finally see her!”
+
+Joan – “You knew?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “Yeah, like I said, I can feel it. I just want you to know
+that if you ever need help doing God’s work, please ask me.”
+
+Joan – “Did God ask you to say that?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “No, not this time. This is my choice.” She finishes
+applying the salve and hands Joan the jar. She turns her chair around
+and sits looking away, “I would like you to do the rest of your
+bruises.”
+
+Joan looks at the canning jar, “This stuff must be home made. Where
+do you get it?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “ “My mother taught me how to make it. I was very athletic
+when I was young and I was always straining something. I ordered a
+Leopard’s Bane plant several years ago and my uncle already had a
+Witch Hazel shrub growing in his yard. Now we have the flowers
+growing on the side of our house. I just harvest the Leopard’s Bane
+flowers and Witch Hazel leaves and make up the mixture as I need it.”
+
+Joan finishes applying the salve, “You can look now.” Cee-Cee turns
+around and Joan continues, “Cee-Cee, why do you think God talks to
+us?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “I don’t know. We are very lucky. But he does talk to
+everyone, even if it is just by leaving hints. The hints are
+everywhere.”
+
+Joan – “I think the hardest part is keeping it a secret. I feel so
+alone.”
+
+Cee-Cee– “The distance you feel, that cold isolation, you don’t have
+to live there forever. It’s a choice that only you can make. I never
+would have told you, a complete stranger, had God not asked me to do
+it. But as soon as I met you, I could feel it, and then I knew why.
+Unfortunately, you are right. If the wrong people learn of it, we
+could both end up committed somewhere.”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, I spent a whole summer in crazy camp. Brainwashing is
+what it was. They made me believe I was crazy, and they never let me
+consider the possibility that I was actually talking to and seeing
+God. It was so horrible!”
+
+Cee-Cee– “My mother told me to keep it a secret for that very reason.
+My uncle, brothers, and sisters are good people, but this is just
+something I can’t share with them. Have you told anyone?”
+
+Joan – “I almost have, I would like to, but no.”
+
+Cee-Cee– “Your brother Kevin has kept a secret about me for years. I
+think you could probably trust him, and your mother seems to be one
+who could be trusted. How about them?”
+
+Joan – “Maybe, but it would be a burden for them to know. I don’t
+know if I want to do that.”
+
+Cee-Cee– “I’ll tell you something else I have learned. Your mother
+also has a connection to God. It is not nearly as strong as yours,
+but it’s there.” She pauses and smiles, “Well, it’s up to you. I have
+to go. I have some studying to do and then Roger is taking me dancing
+tonight. This will be our first time since he started taking lessons.
+I’m really looking forward to it.”
+
+Joan – “Roger is a good dancer, but you must be so much better than
+him. Won’t it be awkward?”
+
+Cee-Cee– “The secret to being a good dancer is to make your partner
+look good. Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did,
+but she did it backwards and in high heels.”
+
+Joan smiles, “Well, have fun! I don’t think I’ll be dancing anytime
+soon. Thank you for coming by with the medicine.”
+
+Cee-Ceepoints to the jar, “Twice a day until they’re gone. See you
+later.”
+
+Will and Helen are sitting at the kitchen table discussing
+Thanksgiving dinner. Helen is telling Will about her conversation
+with Trenna, “We have worked out the menu. We are going to have a
+blend of both of our traditions.”
+
+Will – “Will we still have sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie?
+
+Helen – “Don’t worry, we’ll still have your favorites. We’ll just be
+adding some Irish dishes that Trenna likes to serve.”
+
+Will – “Great, then we’re all set.”
+
+Helen – “One more thing.Joan asked if she could invite Adam and Carl
+Rove, and I told her she could.”
+
+Will – “Okay, but I thought this was going to be a special family
+gathering this year.”
+
+Helen – “It will be, but Joan really wants Adam to be here, but she
+doesn’t want to leave Carl alone on Thanksgiving. It’s her birthday
+dinner too, remember.”
+
+Will – “Right! I knew that, I just forgot it was on Thanksgiving this
+year. Has she given any hints of what she might want for a present?
+
+Helen – “Not a clue.It was so much easier when she used to make wish
+lists, but I think she’ll like what we got her. That was a good idea
+getting Luke to tell us everything that he would want in a computer.
+That reminds me, I need to check on her. She’s not feeling well this
+morning.”
+
+Helen walks up to the bathroom. Steam is billowing from under the
+door. She knocks, “Joan, are you all right?”
+
+Joan – “I’m fine. I’m Olaying my troubles away.”
+
+Helen – “Save some hot water for me. I haven’t had my shower yet.”
+
+Joan chuckles and says to herself as she turns on the hot water, ‘No,
+it’s mine, all mine.’
+
+Kevin calls from his room, “Mom, can you help me with this?”
+
+When Helen enters his room, Kevin continues, “I need help getting
+this poster to lay flat while I put it in the frame. Can you hold it
+for me?”
+
+Helen looks at the poster, “You’re giving that to Luke?”
+
+Kevin – “Yeah, it’s hilarious!”
+
+Helen – “But their naked!”
+
+Kevin – “No they’re not. Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t already
+been looking.”
+
+Helen – “That’s what I’m afraid of. Have you shown this to Lilly?”
+
+Kevin – “She thought it was to risqué, but agreed that Luke would
+like it. We were going to give this together, but she didn’t want to
+have any part of it. She’s getting him a poster of her own.”
+
+Helen helps Kevin to put it into the frame anyway. She knows that her
+displeasure with it is mostly because it makes her realize that her
+baby boy is growing up.
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Joan comes downstairs, still sore, but feeling much better. She
+enters the kitchen to look for something to eat. Helen observes, “Is
+that a new perfume you are wearing?”
+
+Joan – “Do you like it? It’s Leopard’s Bane and Witch Hazel.”
+
+Helen – “Yeah, it really smells good.”
+
+Joan smiles, “It’s actually a sports cream. Cee-Cee gave it to me.
+Between it and the bath, I’m feeling a lot better.”
+
+Helen – “Can I make you some brunch?”
+
+Joan – “Decisions, decisions, breakfast or lunch.” Joan browses
+through the refrigerator and cupboards, “Aha! Pop-Tarts without
+Luke’s name on them. I’ll have some of these.”
+
+Helen – “Well, I think you could have picked something a little more
+nutritious, but okay. What are your plans for this afternoon? Will
+Adam be coming over?”
+
+Joan – “No, I have homework to do. I have a lot of catching up to do
+from missing so many classes this week, but I’ll get it done. Adam’s
+checking out some job prospects. He thinks he can get work restoring
+artwork.”
+
+Helen – “That would be a good job for Adam, something he loves and is
+good at.”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, he’s actually excited about it. He was hurt when he was
+laid off, but I think he will enjoy this new opportunity even more.”
+
+Helen decides to change the subject, “I have been meaning to ask. I
+don’t mind that you have older friends, but I have been wondering
+about you and Cee-Cee. You seem to have gotten very close to her in a
+short period of time. What is it that you have in common?”
+
+Joan hesitates, trying to find words that won’t be too revealing, and
+decides to answer with a question, “You’ve talked to her. What is
+your impression?”
+
+Helen – “Well, she seems to be an intelligent and a very pleasant
+person.”
+
+Joan – “She’s is, but it’s more than that. She sees the world
+differently than most people. We share a connection that I can’t
+explain. I can talk to her about things. I just really enjoy spending
+time with her.”
+
+Helen – “It’s okay. Cee-Cee seems like a wonderful friend. I was just
+curious.”
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Will comes down stairs, now having taken a shower and changed
+clothes. He goes into the living room where Luke and Grace have been
+talking. “Are you two ready to go?”
+
+Luke – “Yeah, we’re ready.”
+
+Grace actually wants to go, but feels like she is intruding. “Mr.
+Girardi, this is a father-son thing. Are you sure you want me to go?
+I can stay here.”
+
+Will – “No, it’ll be fine. You’re part of the family now. Besides, I
+may need you to help explain some of this stuff to me.”
+
+Grace – “Hey, I can do science, but I’m not crazy about it like Luke.
+Maybe you two should go without me.”
+
+Luke – “Come on, we’ve already talked about this. Let’s just all go
+together and have fun.”
+
+After receiving these assurances, she relents and they leave for the
+show.
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Kevin comes down with his framed poster for Luke. He hides it in the
+den for later. “What’s for lunch?”
+
+Helen – “We have ham left over from last night. Would you like me to
+make you a sandwich?”
+
+Kevin – “No, I’ll do it. Whatchamaking?”
+
+Helen – “I’m not making anything yet. I’m just making sure I have
+everything for the lasagna.”
+
+Kevin – “Whoa, isn’t that Dad’s job?”
+
+Helen – “Your father just prefers to make it, but I know how to make
+it, too. If Luke enjoys himself today, your father will stay as long
+as he wants. It takes two hours to make, so if they don’t come back
+by 4:30, then I’ll make it. We just both want Luke to have his
+birthday dinner on time.”
+
+Helen continues to check for the needed ingredients while Kevin fixes
+his sandwich, “Where’s Lilly today?”
+
+Kevin – “She had some shopping to do and she wanted to do it on her
+own. She’ll be by later when she’s done.”
+
+At the Inventor’s Show
+
+The show, organized by Professor Steinholz for inventors to be able
+to demonstrate and hopefully find buyers for their inventions, offers
+a whole range of products, from the ever-improving salad spinner to a
+new x-ray transparent padding device that offers women some relief
+during mammography exams. There is something for everyone.
+
+Luke is intrigued with the variety of items on display. He remembers
+Professor Steinholz’s speech about the practical application of
+ideas, and here is a whole gymnasium full of them. Sure, many of the
+products are no more exciting than a Ginsu knife, but the inventors
+are here, showing their proud inventions, and courageously facing the
+risk of failure, a quality Luke has come to admire.
+
+Luke spots Professor Steinholz with Susan Jordan talking to an
+inventor and decides to say hello, “Hi, this is a great show you’ve
+arranged.”
+
+Professor Steinholz – “Thank you, I’m really pleased with the turn
+out. Have you met my fiancée, Susan Jordan?”
+
+Luke – “I have seen her and have heard you talk about her, but no, we
+haven’t met.”
+
+Professor Steinholz provides the introductions, and Luke introduces
+Grace and Will, for Susan’s benefit. Susan responds, “Oh Luke, your
+father and I have already met. Chief Girardi, how is Darcy?”
+
+Will – “I saw her with Officer Cattrall the other day and she’s doing
+fine. Thank you again for taking care of her.”
+
+Susan – “It was my pleasure, and thank you for chewing out Dr.
+Thomas. I couldn’t say anything at the time, but everyone loved
+watching you put him in his place.”
+
+Will smiles, “Well, I don’t often lose my temper, but he had it
+coming.”
+
+Professor Steinholz is called away, but Susan remains to talk. Luke
+asks, “My sister says you will be at the job fair, is that right?”
+
+Susan – “Yes, when she asked, I thought it would be a wonderful
+opportunity to explain the careers available in the medical
+profession. I’m really looking forward to it and to finally meeting
+her. Well, I have met her, but not when she’s been lucid.”
+
+Luke – “Fiancé, that’s new, isn’t it?”
+
+Susan – “Yes, just two weeks ago. We plan to marry on April 8th, and
+then we’ll take a cruise for our honeymoon. It’s been eight years in
+the making, but it was worth the wait.”
+
+Will – “Eight years, that seems like a long time.”
+
+Susan – “Dietrich really loved Abbey, his first wife. It was hard for
+him to let go and share is his heart with me. But I had to wait. I
+love him. What else could I do?”
+
+Will – “Well, I don’t know Professor Steinholz very well, but he
+seems like a nice man. I wish you two all the best.”
+
+Susan – “Thank you.”
+
+At Home
+
+Joan finishes her homework and calls Adam. When he answers, she asks,
+“Where are you?”
+
+Adam – “Outside, I was about to knock.”
+
+Joan hangs up and goes down to let him in, “So tell me, did you get
+the job?”
+
+Adam – “I think I got two of them and maybe more later.”
+
+Joan – “Great, tell me about them.”
+
+Adam – “The Dumbar building downtown has a mural in their lobby.
+Settling has caused a crack to run through it. They will have someone
+else fix the crack, but they want me to restore the painting once
+that’s done.
+
+The other job is a new mural for the Hogan County Historical Society.
+They want scenes from Hogan County. They already have one with some
+of the more common scenes, but they want to add another one. I did
+this sketch and they loved it.”
+
+He shows her the sketch, “This is Ole Paint. They loved it when I
+told them how he got his name. This is Southern Junction, at the end
+of Shaffer road. This is the Allan apple orchard, and do you remember
+the old Nashman house at the lake?”
+
+Joan – “Yeah, that was so pretty.”
+
+Adam – “Well, they thought so, too. They liked my idea, except they
+thought it would be better to have each one in a different season. I
+can do that, so now I just have to do the final sketch. If they like
+it, it’s a go.”
+
+Joan – “Great, I’m happy for you.” She gives him a hug.
+
+Adam – “Well, I’d better go. I’m driving up to Lake Nashman tonight.
+I’ll draw the sketch in the morning, and then come back.”
+
+Joan – “Why don’t you drive up in the morning?”
+
+Adam – “I don’t have anything planned for tonight and I’d really like
+to get it done. The other places are closer and I can do them after
+school.”
+
+Joan – “Where are you going to sleep?”
+
+Adam – “In the camper.I’ll be fine.”
+
+Joan walks him to the truck and kisses him goodbye, “Drive gently.”
+
+Adam smiles back, “Whoever thought of that stupid saying, anyway?”
+
+Joan – “I don’t know, it was just in the driver’s manual.”
+
+At the Inventor’s Show
+
+Continuing on, all are enjoying some of the strange and creative
+inventions. They come across an interesting display and listen to the
+man give his schpeil, “What happens when you go to the bathroom in
+the middle of the night? Do you turn on the light and squint, open
+your eyes and blind yourself or poke around in complete darkness?
+Have you ever fallen into the toilet because the seat was up? Worry
+no more, because with\ `Toilet Landing
+Lights <http://totallyabsurd.com/toiletlandinglight.htm>`__\ , you’ll
+always know…”
+
+Grace reads the poster aloud, “Only $15.50 and they support the
+American Heart Association for Women. Yeah, I can definitely see that
+connection!”
+
+They continue on, stopping at every booth. The variety of inventions
+is quite amusing. There are the\ `Sponge Bob Foot
+Pads <http://totallyabsurd.com/spongbobfootpads.htm>`__\ ,
+the\ `Amazing FlyGun <http://www.amazingflygun.com/main.asp>`__\ ,
+a\ `Floating Shade <http://totallyabsurd.com/floatingshade.htm>`__\ ,
+and\ `Scooba <http://www.hammacher.com/publish/72736.asp?promo=homepage>`__\ ,
+like Roomba, the robotic vacuum, but for mopping tile, linoleum, or
+sealed hardwood floors. Numerous other inventions keep them
+entertained through the afternoon.
+
+At Home
+
+Lilly arrives from her shopping and Will, Luke, and Grace return from
+the inventor’s show at about five. Helen already had the sauce
+simmering and the noodles boiling. Will joins her and together they
+complete dinner.
+
+Dinner is wonderful for Luke. Lasagna is his favorite, and as is the
+tradition, dinner is followed by serving a double-decker German
+chocolate cake with chocolate milk.
+
+After dinner, it was present time. Luke was still hoping for a car,
+but did not have his hopes up. Kevin started first, “Well, we all got
+together and talked about what to get you. Since you spend so much
+time with Professor Steinholz and in your room, we thought your room
+could use some sprucing up. Here you go, happy birthday. I hope you
+like it.”
+
+Kevin hands Luke the poster that he framed earlier, “Wow,\ `String
+Theory <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/stringtheoryg.jpg>`__\ .
+Yeah, this is great. What’s not to like?” He looks at his mother, who
+responds, “No, I don’t approve, but it’s okay.” He then looks at
+Grace, who has a smirk on her face, “Okay, but put it behind your
+door.”
+
+Lilly – “Well, I don’t approve either, but he’s your brother, so I
+guess it’s okay. Mine is not so risqué. Happy birthday, Luke.”
+
+She hands him another framed poster. He unwraps it and smiles,
+“Great,\ `String Theory for
+Dummies <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/stringtheory3.jpg>`__\ .
+Thanks, Lilly.”
+
+Grace – “Mine are a little smaller, but I think perhaps more
+scientifically founded.” She hands him two smaller framed posters,
+“Happy birthday.”
+
+Luke opens one and smiles, “\ \ `Super Duper Symmetric String
+Theory <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/Super_Duper_Symmetric_String_Theory.jpg>`__\ .”
+
+Grace – “You seemed to like Professor Farnsworth when we watched
+*Futurama*.”
+
+Luke – “Yeah, he’s pretty funny.” He opens the second one, “And of
+course, the\ `Alternate String
+Theory <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/string-theory.gif>`__\ .
+Thanks, these are great.” He tries to give her a kiss, but she shies
+away.
+
+Joan – “Well, I think you have enough posters. I hope you like this.”
+
+She hands him a rather heavy package. He opens it, “This sounds good,
+*Hiding* in the Mirror, by Lawrence M. Krauss. Thanks.”
+
+Joan – “Well, I hope you like it. I read it and I thought it was
+good. I remember you reading The Physics of Star Trek, so I thought
+you might like this one too.”
+
+Luke – “I will, thanks.”
+
+Will – “Your mother and I already agreed basically on what to get you
+for your birthday, but it was quite a struggle when it came to the
+particulars. I think you’ll like the compromise that we made.”
+
+Will stops talking and Luke wonders, ‘Okay, so what is it? Where is
+it?’
+
+Helen – “It’s parked across the street.” She hands him the keys,
+“It’s the blue Pontiac Vibe.”
+
+Luke jumps up and down and heads for the door, “Wahoo, I have wheels!
+Vaa-rooomm,::
+
+    Get your motor runnin\ ’,
+    *Burumbump* burumbump,
+    Head out on the highway,
+    *Burumbump* burumbump.
+    *Lookin*\ ’ for adventure,
+    *Burumbump* burumbump,
+    *In* whatever comes our way,
+    *Burumbump* burumbump.
+    Born to be wild…*\ ”
+
+All follow him outside. As they walk, Will whispers to Helen, “He
+must think you said Viper.”
+
+Luke walks around the car, looking at the exterior and into the
+windows. He opens the driver’s door and has a seat, “This is so cool.
+It’s definitely not hot, but it’s not bad.” He notices the gearshift,
+“Oh, this will be a challenge. Why did you pick a car with a manual
+transmission?”
+
+Will – “Your mother and I considered a lot of cars. This one was on a
+final short list that we came up with. I found this one for sale at a
+government auction. I got it for a really good price. It’s a 2003
+with only 12,000 miles on it. It’s in great shape and only has a few
+minor scratches on the outside. I can help you to learn how to shift.
+It won’t take you long to get the hang of it.”
+
+Luke – “I can figure it out. I know the theory of operation. I’ll
+just have to practice. Can I take it for a ride?”
+
+Helen – “Your father will take you out in the morning and show you
+how to correctly shift the transmission. Once he’s satisfied that you
+know how, then we’ll let you drive it on your own.”
+
+Luke – “Mom, I can do it!”
+
+Will – “I’m sure you can, but there are some other things we need to
+talk about. Let’s go back inside.”
+
+Once inside, Helen continues, “This is yours and your sister’s
+birthday present. It is for you to share, at least for now.” She
+directs herself to Joan, “Your father and I would like you to start
+driving again. What happened this summer wasn’t your fault. That’s
+why they call them accidents. You are a good driver.”
+
+Joan exchanges glances with Grace and Luke before responding, “I have
+driven, I just don’t like to. I’m doing fine taking the bus.”
+
+Helen – “When have you driven?”
+
+Joan – “A few weeks ago. Dad was working, you and Luke were asleep,
+and Grace wouldn’t drive me. I had to talk to Sister Sarah. It was
+important. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
+
+Will – “So, you are driving again?”
+
+Joan – “I’ll drive if I have to, but the bus still has my name on
+it.” She looks at Luke, “You can use the car most of the time. Happy
+birthday.”