And the man claiming the engine was destroyed would have a great deal of money to gain from being believed.
The grandfather's health began declining during the boy's eleventh year.
At first, the changes were subtle.
He tired sooner.
Stopped climbing ladders.
Needed to rest after carrying tools.
Sometimes he sat down halfway through a small repair and pretended he was simply thinking.
The boy noticed.
His grandfather dismissed it.
"Old bones."
Then the old man began having trouble breathing after short walks.
His daughter-in-law insisted he see a doctor.
Medical tests revealed serious heart disease complicated by other health problems.
The family adjusted.
The grandfather reduced his physical work.
A neighboring farmer helped with heavy tasks.
The mother took additional shifts at the cooperative whenever she could.
And the boy learned which jobs he could safely complete without asking his grandfather to exert himself.
He carried firewood.
Fed the remaining animals.
Kept the barn organized.
And sat beside the old man in the evenings while they looked through repair manuals.
Some nights, the grandfather seemed almost like his old self.
He told stories.
Laughed.
Explained how farmers used to repair equipment with limited parts and tools.
Other nights, he sat quietly.
His breathing was labored.
His hands shook.
And the boy pretended not to notice how much strength had left the man who once seemed capable of lifting anything.
The tractor remained in the barn.
It had developed intermittent ignition problems again.
The grandfather suspected aging wiring and an electrical fault somewhere in the modified system.
He planned to inspect it when he felt stronger.
But the weeks passed.
Then a month.
Finally, he arranged for a local machinery dealer to examine it.
That decision would become one of the family's greatest regrets.
The dealer was well known around the county.
He owned a large equipment yard outside town.
His advertisements promised reliable used machines, honest valuations, and dependable repairs.
Farmers brought tractors there when they needed more equipment or lacked time to perform repairs themselves.
The grandfather had dealt with the company occasionally.
Never with complete confidence.
He thought the dealer charged too much.
But he believed a straightforward electrical diagnosis could be handled without difficulty.
The agreement was simple.
Inspect the old John Deere's starting problem.
Provide an estimate.
Do not begin extensive repairs without approval.
The grandfather wrote that instruction in his notebook.