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"Basic safety first," instructed Chuck. "When you're going to your car, always have the... the things you unlock the door with."

"Keys?" asked Charlie.

"Yes, always have them ready, and be sure to stay unaware of your surroundings," said Chuck.

When Chuck couldn't remember a specific word, in order not to break the line of thought, he sometimes substituted it with any word that popped into his mind. When he wasn't in a hurry, he would try to describe the word, in order to get across his meaning. However Chuck communicated, it always became worse when he was under stress or pressure. Charlie tried hard not to ask dumb questions, but Chuck could not always remember the answers, and he would become more agitated. Unfortunately, the lesson did not last long. Charlie and Chuck had to walk home and call Jerome to tell him where they left his car.

Vera couldn't volunteer, and Maggie, who wanted to help but couldn't, (Maggie didn't know how to drive either), talked her friend Jeff Erickson into giving Charlie some lessons using Jerome's still intact car. At first, Charlie felt awkward having a police officer for an instructor, but she found him to be helpful, and most of all, patient. He was such a good teacher, that Charlie felt sure that in a month or two, she could drive to school. She was thankful to Maggie for the idea, and to Jeff for helping her out of the predicament she had been in.


Bill Paulson leaned back in his suede office chair and opened a letter addressed to his client.

"Lisa," Bill asked, holding down an intercom button to his secretary, "what's this letter doing on my desk?"

"A tap dance?" guessed Lisa, bursting into laughter. "Seriously, boss, it's a letter for Wallace Shipley."

"I thought I told you to toss the fan mail," replied Bill.

"This letter was different," explained Lisa.

"Oh, one of those," sighed Bill. "O.K., I'll take a look," he replied. Upon finishing the letter, Bill placed a phone call to his famous client.

"Hello, Wallace, Bill here. Since you're a soft touch for a sob story, I thought I'd pass this on. You've been sent a letter from a grandma in California who is asking for an autographed photo for her granddaughter."

"Bill," replied Wallace Shipley, "you know I always turn down those kinds of requests."

"I know," answered Bill, "but this one is different. Without naming names and getting into the particulars that you won't let me tell you, this grandma thinks she doesn't have another year to live. Her granddaughter is a big fan, and the grandma wants to do something special and fulfill this birthday wish. There's more to the story. Actually, it's a rather long letter. For what it's worth I don't think the grandma is making it up-- sounds too real."

"I don't know," hesitated Wallace.

"What if I can get the party in question to promise not to publicize the photo? Would you do it then? You did it for the leukemia guy, and the multiple sclerosis lady. Hey, it's not like anyone is asking for something impossible... like a personal appearance."

"All right, but only if the party in question promises," replied Wallace.

"Great!" replied Bill. "I'll send her one of the many glossies we didn't use to promote that interview you didn't take."

"The ones in the recording studio? I thought you threw those away."

"Someday those photos will be worth a lot of money, my friend," laughed Bill. "In fact, they already are. Everyone is dying to see what the famous Wallace Shipley looks like!"

"Very funny," replied Wallace.

"I'll overnight two pictures to you to autograph. Get it back to me ASAP. The grandma needs it by the twenty-third."

"Sure," replied Wallace.

"On another note, you're not stalling on the ever-postponed, next album because you're going to sign with another personal manager, are you?" joked Bill. "Just remember, I knew you before you were Wallace Shipley!"

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