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Original Airdate: 05/03/99
A man, Rudy, comes to visit Eric at the church where Rudy talks about how Simon is the only one at the junior high that says hi to him. He asks Eric how he knows there is a God and Eric says he knows because he feels his presence every day of his life. Rudy asks if God ever talks to him - out loud. Eric asks why he is asking this, and Rudy says God talks to him, and in fact told him to talk to Eric.Annie works fast and furious to make the twin's bottles in the morning. The phone rings and Patricia is on the other line Annie says she is losing it, and she needs to do something. Patricia tells her she will think of something to get her out of the house.
Mary and Lucy try to come up with how to ask their parents if they can work at the country club. Mary says to trust her, and to look responsible for the next day or so. She tells Lucy for once to just do what she tells her to. Eric goes to talk to Simon about Rudy, and Simon says Rudy usually eats alone, so he sometimes sits with him. He asks Simon if Simon recommended Rudy to come see him. Simon tells his dad that Rudy said God told him to.
Ruthie goes outside to play with a ball and bounces it way up in the air where it is caught... by a monkey? Ruthie asks for her ball back but the monkey just waves back. When she brings Simon out to see, however the monkey is gone. Meanwhile, Matt is studying at the library and sees Shauna hugging another guy. Matt is obviously upset.
Patricia calls back and says to tell Annie there is a meeting with the WICC, Women's Interdenominational Church Council. Annie doesn't think she can get away with that one again... but it does! The phone rings again, and this time is for Eric - the vice-principal from the junior high wants to talk to him about Rudy tomorrow.
The next morning, Mary asks if she and Lucy can baby-sit the twins. Lucy explodes on her because she knows she will be the one who does all the work. Matt is getting ready for school, and tells Simon is Shauna calls to say he has left for class. Outside, Ruthie once again sees Mr. Monkey in the tree, and while she is talking to him, Eric walks by and humors her by saying hi to the monkey.
The vice-principal tells Eric that Rudy was supposed to take early retirement. He says yesterday Rudy took all the money from petty cash to buy over 20 gallons of shellac. He tells Eric everything was planned for Rudy's retirement before Eric talked him out of it. He tells Eric Rudy is too old to do his job and the school board will back him up. If he doesn't retire, he will be fired and lose his pension. In the stadium, Rudy tells Simon what the area used to be like. He is getting ready for a big event and then Monday he'll be cleaning it up again.
That night, Annie is getting ready to go out, and Eric tries to figure out where she is going. In Mary's room, Simon is trying to teach Mary how to take care of the twins in 5 minutes or less. Annie gives Mary some last minute instructions before she heads out. The women meet up at the pool hall where they proceed to the dumping of the guilt and the anger. The waiter comes to their table and reminds them Karaoke starts at 10.
Eric and Simon go to the school board meeting and offers an option to the board to give Rudy one more year. As Eric is talking, Rudy enters the meeting. He apologizes for the trouble he has caused but he just can't retire yet. He says that every now and then he hears a voice. The voice has told him he isn't ready yet. Eric says he talks to God every day of his life - and even though they might not get an answer as strong and clear as Rudy, but he DOES answer. The vice-principal agrees to give it a few more days before they make a decision.
Eric's new neighbor comes over and says his chimp is missing. Eric takes a minute to get over the fact that the man has a chimp. He says he may know where the chimp is though. They find the chimp asleep in the upper bunk and the man takes him home.
The phone rings and it is the school - there has been an accident and they want Eric to come quick. Simon begs to go and Eric says ok. When they arrive, they find Rudy walking around in disbelief - the bleachers collapsed. The vice-principal realizes that if it had happened in the morning, there could have been a lot more people hurt. Rudy realizes his work is now done, and agrees to retire.