Enzio
Chapter 1
By the time he was a teenager, Enzio Molinari was 5’6”. That was as tall as he would get, and needless to say, in the town of Revere, north of Boston, his slight stature was a notable disadvantage. The community was rough-and-tumble, home to many frustrated people who were much less wealthy than their more affluent neighbors to the north.
Enzio’s father, Rico, always wanted to be a doctor, but, as fate would have it, he died young. He had to earn money to help his mother and support his two brothers and two sisters. Life was very tough for him, but he worked hard, became a bartender, and eventually owned a small bar on a main street in Revere. Rico’s Place was popular with locals and motorcycle enthusiasts who often rode through the area. He knew he didn’t have the most upscale clientele, but they paid for their beer, and he made enough money to support his family and care for his mother. He married a good woman who was dutiful and hardworking. They had two daughters, Bella and Tomasina, and a son, Enzio.
Enzio’s sisters did well in school, were outgoing, and hung out with the popular crowd. As they matured, they enjoyed spending time at the Roller Coaster and flirting with various boys from Revere, Winthrop, and Saugus. They were both relatively attractive and performed well academically. They seemed to have promising futures.
Enzio, on the other hand, was quiet, shy, and a bit odd. He didn’t make friends easily, although he was a warm-hearted boy who enjoyed being around others. It was tough for him to break out of his shell, and in a place like Revere, he was an easy target for older boys trying to show off.
However, Enzio had one trait that most people around him lacked. What was it? He was intelligent. From a young age, he excelled in school and was always the top student in every grade he entered. He also loved spending hours studying alone, working at his computer, and conducting scientific experiments. He was different in the blue-collar town of Revere, but few people knew about his talent because he tended to isolate himself and work alone.