Episode 9 - "The Constant Companion" Quiz

Answer: flowers

Fresh chrysanthemums have been left for Ginger on her desk every day for a week. She thinks they're from Kenny, but he doesn't know anything about it. Ginger asks the school janitor, Gordon, but he doesn't know who they're from either.

Answer: pull out books and start studying

Gary comes home unexpectedly because he forgot something, and catches Val studying. She tells him she's going to take the high school equivalency test. Gary thinks it's great, but asks her why she doesn't ask Karen or one of the other neighbors for help. Val says that because Karen and Ginger have college degrees, and Laura had some college, she feels like a dunce around them.

She doesn't want to let them know what she's doing because if she fails, they would know.

Answer: a work colleague

Ginger's car won't start when she leaves work. A co-worker, Arthur, comes over to see what's wrong, but is no help. Ginger calls the auto club, and the mechanic discovers that the distributor cap is missing. He says he'll tow the car, but can't fix it until the next day. The mechanic offers Ginger a ride home (with a big grin), but Ginger accepts Arthur's offer instead.

Answer: stuffed bear

When Arthur gave Ginger a ride home, he invited himself in, and then asked for coffee. Ginger burned herself on the coffeepot, because of the potholder. When Kenny came home, he could tell Arthur was smitten with Ginger, and invited Arthur to stay for dinner. Arthur greatly overstayed his welcome, and Ginger had to finally hand him his jacket to get him to leave. Arthur admitted to giving the potholder to Ginger because she had burned her hand, but claimed he didn't leave the other gifts.

In addition to the corsage, children's books and flowers, Ginger also received perfume.

Answer: a cake

Kenny and Ginger are discussing all of the things that Ginger has received when they have a visitor. It is a singing telegram accompanied by a cake. The messenger sings "Happy Birthday" to Ginger, who says her birthday is months away. The cake has an '8' on it. Kenny and Ginger confront Arthur, who they think is giving the gifts, but he says it's not him.

Then they call the police, who send Lt. Steinmetz. He asks Ginger to make a list of people she thinks could be behind the gifts.

Answer: Pythagorean theorem

After Val has trouble with the sample equivalency tests, she considers quitting. But Gary tells her it's OK to ask for help from her friends, and then asks what's more important, her pride or taking the test. Obviously taking the test is more important because she does enlist Karen and Laura's help.

They're discussing the Pythagorean theorem when Richard walks in. He says it's easy to understand and uses a knife, fork and spoon laid out in a triangle to demonstrate.

Answer: an audiotape

Kenny is out of town when Ginger arrives home and finds the audiotape in the mail. After listening to the tape, which has a baby crying and a child saying 'mommy, daddy' on it, she tries to call Kenny at his hotel, but he's out. She begins to leave, but Lt. Steinmetz startles her as she opens her door.

She plays the tape for him and admits that she knows what it's all about, but it's very personal. Ginger begins sobbing and Lt. Steinmetz puts his arm around her to comfort her, but she realizes he's hitting on her and tells him to leave.

Answer: abortion

After Lt. Steinmetz leaves, the phone rings again, but Ginger is too afraid to answer it (it's actually Kenny calling) and she runs crying over to the Fairgate house. She tells Karen and Sid that when she was 16 she became pregnant by her boyfriend, John.

Her mother forced her to have an abortion. She and John drifted apart afterwards, and Ginger thinks he is still upset about the abortion. Their child would have been eight years old now. Sid tells Ginger she should confront John, and take Kenny with her.

When Ginger tells them that she never told Kenny about the abortion, Karen says she'll go with her. They talk to John's mother, Mrs. Handelman, but she says John died about six months ago from complications of the injuries he sustained as a Marine in Vietnam.

After returning to Karen's house, Ginger realizes that it is Mrs. Handelman who is sending the gifts to remind her of the grandchild she never had.

Answer: False

Gary drives Val to take her high school equivalency test which she's really nervous about. He asks if she wants him to go in with her, but she says no, she needs to do it on her own. He picks her up when she's done, and she announces that she passed the test.

Answer: No

Ginger goes back to confront Mrs. Handelman. Mrs. Handelman blames Ginger for killing her grandchild, as well as her son. She believes that John would never have joined the Marines and fought in Vietnam if Ginger had had the baby. Ginger explains that it wasn't her choice and this is something she has to live with. Kenny has returned home and is unpacking when Ginger arrives.

She tells Kenny that there was a boy she was involved with who joined the Marines after they split up. He was injured in Vietnam and recently died from complications due to his injuries.

She says that his mother sort of flipped out and wanted Ginger to suffer too, but she doesn't tell Kenny about the abortion.