Soon, Simon’s fresh garden produce was what people wanted to take home for a nutritious meal. The boy had used natural pesticides, and everything in his stall sold out pretty quickly as soon as it was displayed.

Gradually, Simon started making more money than he thought. But then he realized his garden was too small to produce more. He expanded it, and this time, he cultivated fruits and exotic flowers along with vegetables.

With more money streaming in, Simon and his mom moved into a rented house near their trailer. Annie quit her job and started to help her son in the field. It boosted Simon’s determination further. Together, the mom and son sold healthy garden produce in their stall, which was now bigger and attracted the town’s attention.

But their unsuspecting success did not do without amassing rivalry and contempt from a wealthy farmer, Alex. The man could not endure the mysterious success of an aspiring young boy and wanted to meet him to learn the tricks of the trade and to beat him in the race to fame.

One day, Alex drove to meet Simon and was astonished to see his garden. He looked around and inhaled deeply, expecting the scent of 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 reply hit Alex hard in the head. He was amazed at the true talent the young Simon was and how smart he was. He regretted hating Simon without knowing his skills and decided to team up with him.

Feeling overwhelmed and impressed by the boy’s ideas of growing naturally healthy garden produce, Alex invited 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 could not believe his ears and ran to his mother to share the news. He asked her opinion on whether to take that next big step, unaware that it would soon change their lives.

After deep thought, Annie agreed and allowed Simon to work with Alex. For the next several months, the boy balanced school and gardening on the man’s farm while looking after his little garden near their trailer because he was always grateful for that.

In no time, Alex and Simon’s combined efforts succeeded. Apart from selling their fresh produce locally, they even started exporting to neighboring states.

Two years later, Simon saved a huge chunk of money and could not wait to fulfill his mom’s wish. With Alex’s help, he built a big house in the area where their trailer once stood and honored his mother with the house keys.

At that moment, Annie realized her wish had come true. Her son had succeeded and made her the queen of a big palace. She shed tears of joy and hugged her boy.

“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 lad, he still paid gratitude to the little garden that catapulted him to success. He continued to harvest its fresh produce but he never sold them anymore.

“…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!

What can we learn from this story?

• Teach your children the values of determination and hard work at a very young age. Although poor and struggling, Annie always taught her son the concept of determination and hard work. The boy was only 13, but he absorbed the truth and implemented it into changing their lives for good.
• Don’t just sit and watch when your parents struggle. Do something to ease their burden. Simon was hurt living in poverty with his mother. Instead of complaining about it, he worked hard and started from scratch. Ultimately, he reaped the sweet fruits of his hard work when he helped his mom move from their tiny trailer to a deluxe house.