The Story
[CHAPTER 1] — BLESSED
The year was 1960 and it was an unusually warm March day in northwest Ohio. Charles Elwood was working
at a factory that made aluminum cans. Lately, Charles has been preoccupied as he executes the robotic
motions of his monotonous task. Out the corner of his eye he saw the door to the main office explode
open and his supervisor was moving towards him shouting his name. "Chuck!" That was about all he could
understand with the noise of the massive machinery ringing in his ears. He could tell by the look on his
supervisor’s face that he had urgent news. Charles knew exactly what the news was. His wife, Elnora,
was expecting their first child. His boss finally made it within earshot and proclaimed his wife’s
water broke and her Mother, Barbara, was taking her to the hospital. While the neurons in his brain
were still processing the news, his feet were moving, fast, heading towards the employee parking lot.
He jumped in his lime- green, 1956 Nash Rambler and floored it. The little car backfired and roared to life.
Arriving at the Hospital he frantically asked for directions to labor and delivery. It was a lighting
quick labor and by the time Charles reached his destination, he discovered the addition to his family
had already arrived. As he entered his wife’s room, he saw Elnora lying on a bed with a baby boy wrapped
up in a bundle. His name was Matthew, a fine biblical name. The first thing he did was kiss his wife
and then very carefully he picked up his baby. As he cuddled this brand-new blessing, he marveled at
the miracle he held in his hands. He did not know it at the time, but this baby boy would grow up and
father a girl thirty years later. She would become humanity's last hope for survival.
[CHAPTER 2] — NUMBERS
Matthew Elwood loved to count. He learned how to count to 100 by the time he was two. He counted everything.
Elnora was a proud mother and she often commented on Matthew’s love and understanding of numbers to all of
her friends. Boys would come over after school so Matthew could “help” them with their homework assignments.
For some unknown reason it was easy for him, more than easy, and it wasn’t long before the other kids
would get annoyed and become jealous. One night, while Elnora was finishing up the dishes, she overhead
the boys at the dining room table speaking louder than usual. “You think you’re some kind of Brainiac!
You think you’re smarter than everyone? OK, Matt,if you think you’re so smart then tell me what is six-hundred
forty-eight thousand, three hundred seventy-two multiplied by nine hundred and forty-eight?”
“Six hundred fourteen million, six hundred and fifty-six thousand, six hundred fifty-six”.
The answer flew out of Matthew’s mouth, faster than a lightning strike. He didn’t even think about for a second. Elnora knew Matthew was good with numbers but she thought he was just saying anything to get the boy to back off. Boys being boys.
Later that evening those numbers stuck in Elnora head. Was it just random numbers Matthew was saying? It just seemed odd that he would repeat the last two sets of numbers? A strange feeling kept gnawing somewhere in her sub-conscience mind. There was only one way to put an end to it. She was a fairly good student herself and did quite well in all her subjects when she was in school. Reflecting back, it was perhaps a bit longer than she would like to admit. She pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper and she started working on the answer. She began multiplying the numbers, as she worked, she started remembering what to do.
Carry numbers and add the columns, make a mistake, use the eraser and flick the small black eraser crumbs off the page with the left hand. The process brought back a flood of memories as she started thinking of her days at school. As she worked her way through the equation, the numbers started to reveal the answer. Matthew was correct. A 10 year old boy effortlessly computed the number in his head! Elnora felt a little queasy and a slight nervous sweat broke out over her brow. It must have been how lottery winners feel when they hit the big one. She had a million thoughts going through her head. Whatever this was, it was big. Unnatural. As she stared at the paper in front of her, she eventually gathered her thoughts, she asked herself some obvious questions. How? Was it a gift from God? Some kind of trick?
She was going to tell this news to Charles but she found him asleep in his easy chair as Vanna White was flipping letters on the Wheel of Fortune. The poor man worked hard at his job, bless him and let him have his rest. She decided she wouldn’t start sounding the alarm just yet. Elnora wanted answers to those obvious questions so she picked two random big numbers and went through the process again, pencil to paper, so she would know the answer in advance, she waited for Matthew to finish his bath. A few minutes later, she fulfilled her usual routine and went to tuck Matthew into bed. She bent over and kissed him on the top of the head as she did every night. “Nighty-Night Termite” she said and casually turned and headed for the door. She stopped at the light switch and just before turning it off she asked Matthew the question she already knew the answer to. Without missing a beat, and with a very nonplused expression on his face, the answer poured out of his precious little mouth like it was a perfectly natural thing to say, of course to him it was. Her knees went weak and she thought she was going to collapse on the spot. Matthew asked “Why do you want to know Mother?” Mustering all the resolve she could, she steadied herself against the door jam, smiled and replied “Oh, I was just curious honey, good night son, I love you”. “Love you too Mom”. With that she turned off the light switch and gently closed the door. She ran down the hall like she was trying out for the Track and Field team straight to Charles who had came back to life and was puzzling out the phrase on the “Wheel”. She forcefully grabbed him by the arm and marched him, while he was complaining about his show, out to the garage. Pat Sajak be damned!
[CHAPTER 3] — DISCOVERY
“Elnora Samantha Worthington!” Charles would always call her by her maiden name when he wanted to get her attention. “What in the world is this all about? I’m going to miss the Wheel!” She knew that she was going to have difficulties trying to explain it to him so she started slow, methodically, step by step. She showed him the paper with the two calculations like they were exhibits in a court of law. She could see that Charles had an incredulous look on his face and she could tell he really wasn’t buying the explanation.
She slightly calmed down and, in a whisper, she said, “OK, OK I know it sounds crazy and you won’t believe me until you see it for yourself”. She led him to the kitchen table and put a fresh piece of paper and the pencil in front of him. “Go ahead, multiply the two largest numbers you want, and work out the answer tonight, in the morning you can casually ask him while he’s eating his cheerios”. It appeared Charles was trying to look at his eye brows, he paused, rubbed his chin, and let out low quite whistle. Unfortunately, Charles new more about pitching a baseball than numbers so eventually he capitulated and enlisted the full cooperation of his wife. The two of them worked on the answer and double checked their work.
When the morning came the plan was executed just as Matthew was finishing his breakfast. Needless to say, both Charles and Elnora were in complete dismay when Matthew answered the question, effortlessly and without any thought. Matthew wiped his face, grabbed his lunch box, kissed his Mom and hugged his Dad, said good-bye and left for the bus stop. Not knowing what to do next, Elnora said “I’m calling the Doctor, something is horribly wrong.
[CHAPTER 4] — WAITING ROOM
Matthew was entertaining himself in the waiting room with some Legos while Mom and Dad had a grown-up discussion with Dr. Bush. Elnora was leaning against the wall and Charles pacing back and forth in the tiny cramped office. Dr. Bush was deep in thought as he was reviewing Matthews medical records. He reached up and pulled off his reading glasses and started the conversation with a long, drug out “So”. He cleared this throat. “Well, from the tests, it would appear you have a perfectly normal 10-year-old boy. All the results are exactly where I would expect them to be. Medically, I’m at a loss to tell you what is going on. I’m going to have to recommend you to a specialist, a physiologist, perhaps Dr. Hailey will be able to help you further, it’s the best advice I can give you. Other than the unbelievable ability he has with numbers, I can’t find anything else wrong with him.”
[CHAPTER 5] — MIGRATION
Life in Northwest Ohio had been idyllic, well, mostly in the summer. The cold winters did have some fun times as well. Snowball fights with the neighbor kids, sledding down the hills at Rawson Park, and making snowmen. Yes, those were fun times, but it was undeniable the summertime was magical. The sound of neighbor’s cutting the lawn, laying in the shade of a tall maple tree, feeling a cool summer breeze or just riding a bike all over town. No matter how magical it was to Matthew, Charles just wasn’t feeling the magic. An economic down turn had caused the company who Charles worked for, to terminate his employment. Elnora knew the news wasn’t good because Charles had returned home from work about an hour after he left. The look on his face said it all but she had to ask, “Honey what happened?”
“It’s not good news, I got canned, literally”, he said. Elnora crossed the kitchen and flung her arms around him and hugged him like she never would again. Being a practical man, Charles let her hang on for another minute and he gently escaped her embrace. Charles held her by her shoulders and said, “Now, Now, I’m sure something else will come along. We have a little money saved to get us by for a while but I’m going to have to find something soon.” They both new those words were semi-hollow because it was not a big city and opportunity was hard to find, even in good times.
Nothing travels faster than bad news, and eventually the whole town new about the layoffs at the plant. A couple days later, the phone rang and Elnora answered. It was Agnes,a friend that they new from church who had heard the news and was concerned. She said her brother Robert, who was living in San Jose California, told her that employees were in high demand at a new company that had a lot of promise. They were in need of production line workers and it seemed right in line with what Charles was doing.
Tears started running down Elnora’s face and she said she would discuss it with Charles when he and Matthew returned home. They were down at the park and were expected home at any time. When Charles and Matthew returned, Elnora told Matthew to go play in his room, which was code for -Charles I need to talk to you privately. Charles and Elnora sat at the kitchen table and she told him the possibly bitter-sweet news. “You realize that this would mean we would have to move. Saying good-bye to our parents and friends, pulling Matthew out of school?” “Yes, I do, but I don’t think we have a choice, if they can find you a job that makes decent money, I think we need to take it!” pleaded Elnora. She could be practical and sensible too. They decided to sleep on the decision and talk it over in the morning and try and broach the subject with Matthew. They knew he was going to be the difficult one. Morning came and all they had to do was look in each other’s eyes and they both knew. They were going to California, if a job was offered.
Matthew sat in his chair and he was eating Count Chocula cereal, with banana’s sliced on top. Charles and Elnora were doing some kind of dance that Matthew had never seen, it involved a lot of ringing of hands and nervous looks shooting back and forth between them. “Please tell me what’s going on!” he demanded. “Well you see honey, your father needs to get a job really bad, and right now the only thing that looks like a possibility is in some other state.” His mother explained. “SOME OTHER STATE!” Matthew burst out. “What about my school, my friends? THIS IS THE WORST THING EVER!” he exclaimed as he pushed back from the table and ran down the hall to his room, slamming the door. “Well, that went better that expected.” Elnora deadpanned. She picked up the phone and dialed her friend from church and said “Please tell your brother that we would be glad to accept that job if they still have an opening.”
A few days later, the phone rang once again and the news was good. Not the church friend this time but the hiring manager for StarChild electronics. He wanted to know if Charles was available to talk. Elnora, doing her best to suppress her excitement and asked the caller to hold. “Charlie, Charlie”, she called trying to turn his attention away from a rerun of Gunsmoke. He looked and she pointed at the phone with the biggest smile on her face he had ever seen. Charles dislodged himself from the Lazyboy and hobbled over to the phone. Elnora heard a bunch of yes sirs and uh-huh’s as Charles was nodding in agreement to what he was hearing on the other end of the phone. “When do you need someone? I would have to sell my house and make the arrangements, OK, OK, well that sounds terrific! Let me get a pencil to write down your number, I’ll call you back in a couple days and let you know”. It was a one ended conversation that Elnora was listening to but she understood. They were moving to California and she would have to start packing.
She was sure that with a little time, Matthew would come around, believe it or not he could be practical and sensible as well. After several days of long-distance calling the arrangements were made. They found a realtor in San Jose who would start looking for a property. They received official word that Charles was now employee number 1318 at StarChild electronics and the very best news was he would be doubling his salary! A local realtor listed their house and it wasn’t long after an offer came in, a lot less than what they wanted, but they eagerly agreed. They packed what they had to, sold what they could, and gave away what was left to other family members.
The new job was a life saver, timed perfectly. The whole family gathered to see them off. It was a subdued family gathering, most everyone was shedding tears and long hugs were abundant. They promised to write letters as often as they could and try their best to keep in touch. The station wagon hung low in the back and it appeared that the Vista Cruiser was loaded with dead bodies. With a U-Haul in tow, they waved good-bye and set off on the long journey from Ohio to California. To get Matthew to buy into this adventure they bribed him with a new 10-speed Schwinn Le Tour bicycle and a swimming pool.