Small Story 586.
Invitation and Realization
Ramu came to Padmanaba’s house to invite him to his grandson’s birthday. Seeing Ramu, Padmanaba was delighted.
“Hey buddy! It’s been a long time since I last saw you.”
“Yes,” said Ramu. “I came to invite you to my grandson’s birthday. He’s here for the holidays—he has come from Germany.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” nodded Padmanaba. “What is he doing now?”
“He has gone to the 10th grade.”
Just then, Padmanaba’s granddaughter, Swetha, came in with her progress card.
“Grandpa, I scored first in my class this time!”
Padmanaba smiled proudly and congratulated her, appreciating her enthusiasm in sharing the news. Ramu also congratulated her for securing first place in the 9th standard.
After offering tea to Ramu, Padmanaba quietly said, “Ramu, students have their report cards for 17 or 18 years, and they feel happy with their marks. But after retirement, we have our own yearly tests—our medical reports. We keep worrying about our health. We don’t know how many more years we have; it’s all in God’s hands.”
Ramu nodded in agreement. “True, buddy. Our test reports feel like nightmares every year. We eat sweets, and our sugar levels go up. It becomes a constant concern.”
That day, while coming to invite his friend for his grandson’s birthday, Ramu also carried back an important realization about life after retirement.
K.Ragavan
20-4-26
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