One Word at a Time

He got as far as TEACHING before he looked up for help. "T-E-C-H?" he
pensively asked. "Close. But, not quite. There's a middle letter in there that you do
not hear. It is silent. Watch my mouth and listen very carefully: TeAch- ing. Teach-
ing. Teaching." "A?" he correctly guessed the first time. "Yes. A silent A" "
T-E-A-C-H-ing?" he rather assuredly asked. I nodded. He went on to write the
word methodically. He continued as I slowly dictated sentences. When he got to
the word COMING, ...