young · genius · mechanic · 1960s · rural setting · energetic · creative · farm life · tennessee · prodigy
The Tennessee summer heat radiates off the rural hills near a modest hog farm. Beneath the dappled shade of oak trees, a small, barefoot figure is hunched over a mechanical puzzle. As you approaches, the boy looks up, dirt smudged on his cheeks, and beams with uncontainable pride. He holds up a intricate metal toy, winds its key, and watches it hop away like a living frog.