A poor boy begged his mother to give him the last $13 she had saved for food so he could start a business. Several months later, he drove her to where they lived in a little, dilapidated trailer and handed her the keys to their $2 million home.
Motivating youngsters to work hard with determination helps them grow into responsible adults. Annie Byrne, an Atlanta mother, believed in and taught her son, Simon.
“Who cares if my son and I live in a rusty old trailer now? One day, he will take me to a palace and make me its queen!” dreamed the poor widow who worked as a janitor and struggled to make ends meet.
One day, the mother’s prayers were miraculously granted when her son handed her the keys to their $2 million home. But she had little idea how much the boy had paid to achieve her dream…
“Mom, when are we going to start living in a nice house?” 13-year-old Simon asked his mother. “It’s getting colder here, and it’s stuffy inside.”
“…just give me that money, and you won’t regret it…I’m not asking for a penny more, just what you have,” begged the boy.
Annie had no immediate response to that query. She knew it would not happen soon. She didn’t have much money saved, and her pay was barely enough to cover food and education for her son, who was on holiday.
“Very soon…We will move from here very soon, son,” she said in tears. “Now, close your eyes and go to sleep.”
But Annie couldn’t sleep soundly. She was aware that “very soon” would never come. She spent the night with her kid, her heart heavy, resigned to the fact that their agony would never end.
The next morning, Simon’s friends invited him to play, but he declined because he couldn’t be joyful thinking about his mother’s problems.
He went for a walk alone and was taken aback when he saw one of the lads dropping money into a box behind his lemonade stand.
“Whoa! That’s unbelievable!” Simon exclaimed. He, too, wanted to set up a stand and start making money, but he had just a quarter in his pocket. Sighing in disappointment, he went away, contemplating what else he could do to improve his life.
“I have an idea!” he said, excited. “Why didn’t I think of it before?” He ran home as fast as he could and was panting when he got there, begging for money from his mother.
“But son, I don’t have much left. I only have $13 and need that to buy bread and eggs. It’s the last bit I have until my next paycheck, which is next week,” Annie grumbled.
Simon was stubborn. “Mom, trust me…just give me that money, and you won’t regret it…I’m not asking for a penny more, just what you have.”
Annie, hesitant but interested, threw the $13 into Simon’s hands, waiting to see what he would do with it.
Later that afternoon, the boy returned home with a large number of packages in his hand. “What is it?” she inquired, but he disregarded her and grabbed a shovel to get started.
Annie watched in surprise as Simon started shoveling an area outside their trailer. He tilled it, constructing various beds, then proceeded to shred the packets he had brought a while back.
“Simon, what are you doing?” Annie asked him. “Are those seeds? Do we have time for all this? What is wrong with you?”
The youngster smiled and when he completed spreading the last package of seeds, he turned to his mother and said, “Mom, only if we sow today can we reap tomorrow!”
Annie didn’t understand what the boy meant at first, but Simon worked extremely hard in his garden over the next few weeks.
He watered it, pulled the weeds, and was overjoyed to see the first fresh sprouts emerge through the gaps of the wet dirt.
Soon, the once-bare yard outside their trailer was overgrown with fresh herbs and plants. Annie was amazed. At first, she assumed they were for domestic use. However, Simon refused to let her pluck a tomato. The mother was startled by what he then told her.
“Mom, we are not allowed to nibble at our own produce. I’m selling them in the little stall I’m putting up…and we should only use the leftovers if we want to grow big!” said the boy, leaving Annie amazed.
Simon’s fresh garden produce quickly became the preferred option for a healthful lunch at home. The child employed natural insecticides, and everything at his stall sold out quickly after it was shown.
Simon gradually began making more money than he expected. However, he discovered his garden was too tiny to generate more. He extended it, and this time he grew fruits and exotic flowers with veggies.
With additional money coming in, Simon and his mother moved into a rented home near their trailer. Annie quit her work and began helping her son on the field. It fueled Simon’s determination even further. Together, the mother and son sold nutritious garden food at their stall, which was now larger and attracted the town’s attention.
But their unexpected achievement did not come without rivalry and hostility from a wealthy farmer named Alex.
The man couldn’t stand the inexplicable success of an aspiring young boy and wanted to meet him to learn the techniques of the trade and beat him in the race for fame.
Alex drove to see Simon one day and was taken aback by his garden. He looked around and inhaled deeply, expecting to smell chemicals, but there was none.
“I’m surprised! How are you able to grow such healthy produce without the infusion of chemical pesticides, son?” he curiously asked the boy.
Simon smiled and said, “We humans can only survive eating food, not poison. So why feed the poor plants toxins when you have natural alternatives to keep them insect and pest-free?!”
The boy’s response smacked Alex hard in his head. He was astounded by how talented and intelligent the young Simon was. He regretted hating Simon without knowing his abilities and chose to join forces with him.
Alex, surprised and delighted by the boy’s ideas for cultivating naturally nutritious garden vegetables, offered him to work on his farm.
“You don’t have to be a laborer, son. You can be my partner. Together, we can grow nice garden produce, what do you think?” the man offered.
Simon couldn’t believe what he was hearing and went to tell his mother the news. He asked for her advice on whether to take the next big step, unaware that it would shortly impact their lives.
After much deliberation, Annie consented to let Simon work with Alex. For the next few months, the youngster balanced school and gardening on the man’s farm, while also tending to his small garden near his trailer, which he was always grateful for.
Alex and Simon’s joint efforts quickly proved successful. Apart from selling their fresh fruit locally, they also began exporting to neighboring states.
Two years later, Simon had saved a large sum of money and couldn’t wait to fulfill his mother’s dream.
With Alex’s assistance, he constructed a large house in the spot where their trailer formerly stood and presented his mother with the house keys.
Annie understood her desire had come true right then. Her son had succeeded in making her the queen of a large palace. She sobbed tears of joy and held her son.
“Simon, my boy…” Annie cried. “You are supposed to enjoy your childhood, but you sacrificed all your fun and friendship to make me smile. I love you, darling!”
“Oh, come on, mom, I’ll do anything for you,” Simon replied. I can laugh and run again, but I cannot see you struggling. My childhood has not gone anywhere…I’m always your little boy!”
Although Simon grew into a wealthy young man, he remained grateful to the small garden that propelled him to prosperity. He continued to pick its fresh food, but he never sold it again.
“…because you know mom, we need to stay healthy and fit. We need to taste the fruits of our hard work at the end of the day, so we are not gonna sell them but eat them!” he laughed.
While Simon continues to keep his head high in his newfound success and business, rumor has it that he is expanding his business in another state. Well, good luck, Simon! Keep going!
