He tightened the final mounting bolt, groaning as a sharp spasm hit his back.
He connected the wiring harness, the plastic clips snapping into place with a satisfying definitive click.
Clayton wiped his hands on a greasy rag, leaving the black stains right where they had been yesterday. He climbed up into the cab of the massive green machine.
He settled into the worn operator seat, turning the ignition key.
The diesel engine roared to life on the first crank.
The voltage meter on the dashboard immediately pegged to a healthy 14 volts. The new alternator hummed underneath the floorboards, a steady, even mechanical vibration.
Clayton sat there for a long moment, listening to the rhythmic chug of the engine.
He looked out through the dusty windshield at the 30 acres of golden wheat swaying in the rising wind. He reached down, put the combine into gear, and drove out into the field.
The work was waiting. It always was.
END
