Tato and Potato

“Go outside to eat your delicacies of potato.” said the class teacher. Tato replied, “Ok sir, shall be back soon.”

All children laughed loudly. Tato went outside. He started eating Aalu ka parantha innocently while others were learning in the class. It was a very common scene of Tato’s class.

He was rarely interested in the studies and classes. His earth was not like the shape of an orange as social teacher told but Tato’s Earth was like a potato: tasty, energetic, healthy and rounded.

When Tato was a baby, he used to play with potatoes. His parents had a big farm. After his birth, they flourished with the crop of potatoes. His first spoken word was ‘Potataa‘ rather than maa or paa.

In jest, Tato’s father gave him potatoes to play. Tato also became so friendly with potatoes that he threw toys and balls out of the window but used to play with potatoes for hours.

Tato created house, trail and characters of potatoes. He used it as a ball. He created masks of potatoes, wall hangings, blocks to print, pen stand for friends’ birthday, moreover earrings for his mother. All the work was differently designed but with potatoes only. Sometimes he ate it too in its raw form.

Tato did many experiments using potatoes. His counting and big sums were solved using potatoes only.

Besides other dishes, potato recipes were must in their daily cooking. His mother was tired of learning new dishes of potatoes and thought herself the best cook in the world experimenting with one vegetable every day.

In his school, Tato concentrated more to those subjects where teachers used potatoes as example. Math teacher used potatoes to count whereas science teacher shared useful manures for all the crops.

Hilie, the classmate of Tato was his big competitor. She was brilliant in studies. She liked green vegetables a lot. She used to have debate with Tato that green and leafy vegetables were healthier than potatoes.

Though, Hilie was an intelligent student but she could never score more marks in Math and Science than Tato because he learnt these subjects using ‘dear’ potatoes. He did many experiments using those.

One day, Tato was annoyed with his parents who wanted to cook ‘Daal Bati’ and Tato asked for ‘Dum Aloo’ with ‘Aloo ka Parantha’. He got angry and hid himself in a truck of potatoes which was going to the city for selling.

Tato slept in the truck and was carried to the godown of Mr Mangaaru in the city.

When labour was keeping bags of potatoes, Mr Mangaaru came and picked some fallen potatoes. He threw them at the side of the road. Tato shouted at once and said, “Learn to respect potatoes. How will you survive otherwise?”

Mr Mangaaru was amazed to see an unknown child in his truck. He asked his parents’ number and called them immediately to pick him back.

Mr Mangaaru and Tato talked for hours. Tato asked him the purpose of buying potatoes. He was surprised to know that most of them were sold to the restaurants for French fries. Tato gave an open challenge to Mr Mangaaru that within some years he would start a unique business using potatoes. He would stop sending them out of his town.

Mr Mangaaru smiled sarcastically. He said, “I would love to inaugurate your new venture, you newborn.”

Tato completed his studies in Agriculture. He organized many awareness sessions in his town and in some universities. He promoted healthy crop of potatoes, other vegetables and fruits.

Soon he started a company. He offered a contest in newspaper to share different and tasty recipes of potatoes. He awarded to the regional cooks and farmers who came up with new and wonderful ideas in cooking as well as farming. Tato made those selected chefs and farmers his stakeholders in the company. It was created as a rare group of people where women, old people and poor farmers were given chance.

Farmers were taking care of crop to grow potatoes in bulk. Old people and women were sharing tasty recipes and the benefits.

Soon, Tato’s dream came true. He invited his parents, teachers, classmates, people of his town and Mr Mangaaru in the inauguration of a chain of restaurants which they dreamt to open in all the big cities. They named it as ‘Potato Planet’. All were surprised to see that they were offering more than hundred recipes of potatoes in very healthy form.

Everybody was very happy. Tato welcomed Mr Mangaaru and Hilie especially who were his all time critics.

Suddenly a boy came running and shouting. He was panting badly. He shared that there was a huge fire in the godown of potatoes.

Mr Mangaaru commented that it was their destiny and may be God did not want them to start it.

But, Tato was firm in his aim. He requested all the guests to keep calm. He added, “When a Potato faces challenges in the ground to survive, why can’t we?”

Tato investigated the godown along with police. He found his own visiting card there which he sent to Mr Mangaaru with the invitation and the address was drawn at its back. He recognized it at once.

Tato didn’t tell anything to police. He returned to the restaurant. He smiled towards the gathering. He showed that visiting card in the air and said, “A friend is testing our passion, but Tato and potato are born to grow.”

Mr Mangaaru felt very bad at his wrong step. In heart he accepted his fault but could not utter a single word.

Hilie, who studied management was very much impressed with the new idea of business as well as positive attitude of Tato. She joined them and soon they became famous worldwide.