Small Story 308.

Small Story 308 Peanut Cake and the Confidence to Learn Muthu arrived at Pallavaram station and boarded the electric train to reach his office near Beach station. He was lucky to get a window seat and soon noticed his friend Sivan sitting opposite him. Sivan greeted him warmly, and the two began chatting about their usual office routines — both worked for the same private company. Suddenly, they heard a boy walking through the coach, calling out, “Peanut cake! Peanut cake!” Muthu turned to look — and to his shock, the boy was none other than Lokesh, the son of their colleague, Pitchai. Lokesh greeted them politely, “Good morning, Muthu sir, Sivan sir. Please don’t tell my dad.” Muthu asked gently, “Why are you not going to school and selling peanut cakes in the train?” Lokesh leaned in and whispered, “I’m in 9th standard, sir. My father hasn’t been able to pay my school fees because of Grandpa's huge medical expense. So, I’m trying to manage by selling in the mornings before going to school. The school has given me 15 days' grace time to pay the fees.” Later that day, during the lunch break, Muthu and Sivan met Pitchai at the office. As they were chatting casually, Muthu carefully brought up the topic. “Pitchai, I saw your son Lokesh in the train this morning… He was selling peanut cakes. If you had asked, I would have helped with the school fees.” Pitchai was stunned. “What? I didn’t know this! I’ve been struggling the past two months. My father was admitted to the hospital, and I had to spend ₹16,000 for his treatment. I didn’t want to burden anyone.” He was heartbroken to learn that his son had been selling in the train for four days — before going to school — without telling anyone. That evening, back home, Pitchai gently asked Lokesh about the morning incident. Lokesh looked down and said, “Dad, if I sell in the mornings, I can earn ₹50 per day. In 15 days, I’ll have enough to pay the fees. I know how hard you're working and how tight money is. I just wanted to help.” Pitchai was moved to tears by his son’s maturity, confidence, and thoughtfulness. He hugged Lokesh tightly. “You will become a great man one day,” he said, his voice full of emotion. Lokesh smiled and replied, “Your blessings will surely make me one, Dad.” K. Ragavan 16-7-25