Back to Abnormal

Back in Odyssey, Eugene expects to resume his old research position at Campbell College. Instead, he learns that Dean Rogers and his former colleagues have all left. The new dean has never heard of Eugene, has no research opening for him, and can offer only cafeteria or maintenance work.

Eugene next brings Whit a carefully researched idea for an Imagination Station adventure about the Revolutionary War. Whit already has such a program, and upgrades made during Eugene's absence now allow the machine to create adventures by scanning books. The work that once made Eugene indispensable is no longer needed in the same way.

Whit suggests that closed doors may be God's way of leading Eugene down a path he would not choose for himself. Eugene is troubled that his skills appear useless, but Whit encourages him to try different doors rather than assuming that change has erased his purpose.

Grady faces an unwanted change of his own. His mother has taken an evening janitorial job in their apartment building, leaving him to prepare dinner and care for his younger sister, Samantha. Grady resents losing time with her and repeatedly invents minor emergencies so she will leave her work and come upstairs, even though the interruptions may get her fired.

Wooton tells Grady a story about a child who complained after moving from Albuquerque to Alaska until he learned that resisting change prevented him from finding anything good in his new home. Grady understands that he must make the best of his situation and decides to act as the responsible man of the house.

His first independent evening goes badly. The refrigerator fails and leaks, stored food spills on the carpet, Samantha hurts her leg, and water runs through the floor into a neighbor's apartment. Grady finally calls his mother, but he begins to understand that helping her requires honest responsibility rather than either sabotage or pretending he can handle every crisis alone.

At home, Eugene pours his unused creativity into voice-controlled appliances. The refrigerator dictates weekly menus, the oven refuses to abandon its programmed lasagna, and even the sink responds to spoken commands. Katrina appreciates his abilities but does not want household machines controlling their lives and urges him to find a place where his inventions meet a genuine need.

Wooton introduces Eugene to Grady, who asks for an upgraded refrigerator. At the McKay apartment, Eugene discovers that the appliance does not work at all. He also sees exposed electrical wires, a window that will not close, milk stored on the fire escape, and a boy sleeping on the living-room couch while his mother and sister share the single bedroom.

Eugene repairs the refrigerator, window, and dangerous outlets. He also installs an intercom so Grady can contact his mother downstairs without abandoning the apartment or repeatedly interrupting her work. Mrs. McKay is moved to tears by improvements that make the family's difficult circumstances safer and easier.

For Eugene, the experience reveals a use for his gifts that no research title or advanced machine had shown him. He and Katrina pray and seek advice about the direction ahead. They decide to establish a philanthropic organization that can respond to needs throughout Odyssey by cleaning parks, volunteering at hospitals, helping nursing homes, organizing events, and undertaking whatever other service the community requires.

Whit, Wooton, and Grady immediately volunteer. Eugene remains uncertain what every future project will be, but he is excited by a calling that turns unwelcome change into an opportunity to serve. Katrina still insists that he return their talkative appliances to normal, especially after the coffee maker begins arguing with her.