Ooh! I am pretentious and making myself beautiful and pretentious! People from all walks of life chase me, including the young and the aged. There are even some people who work tirelessly through the night to get a hold of me. I am money a 1000.

Once, an o 70 year old man wrapped me in a plastic, fearing that he would lose me. It made it difficult for me to breathe as if I was being suffocated to death. I sweated and wondered curiously where the old man wanted to take me to.

Slowly and silently, I could unwrapped the plastic that covered me and could peek outside. when I could have the outside view, I observed that the old man had a white mustache like a goatee of an animal. He held his beads of rosary in one hand while his other hand tightly clutched on his walking stick. Everything appeared to be found with him, except for the foul smell from his body due to lack of bath and pungent smell from his mouth as if he hadn't brushed teeth for years.

Despite his poor sanitation, he recited the mantra of Avalokiteshvara and made me feel thoughtful thinking about his devotion to the precious teachings of the Lord Buddha.

Nearly three hours later, I woke up in the pocket of the old man and checked where I reached.To my utter surprise, I found my brothers and sisters moving from one hand to another in exchange of red hot flesh and bones in a meat shop. I, Panda wangmo, feared the same fate of being exchanged with the flesh of animals. it made me feel forlorn and discontent. Back in the pocket of the old man, I prayed to the rare and precious Ken Cho Sum to not let the man exchange me with the flesh and bones in innocent animals. The growing anxiety coupled with the accumulation of excessive heat inside the pocket of this senior owner put me into a state of trance, and I fell asleep.

when I woke up again, I heard the sound of a spinning Mani Dungkor. The holy sound provided me a peace of mind making me wonder whether I have ascended to the upper heaven of happiness by leaving the underworld of suffering.I envisioned that if what I am experiencing is true, may I live in such a peaceful place for all times. I felt like I would be more grateful to be offered in an altar than to have exchanged with flesh and bones.No sooner I am done with my prayers to be in the altar than the old man kept me in front of the statue of Guru Padmasambhava as if the gods heard my prayers.I had the joy of living in a serene place inside the altar. Varying scents of incense sticks and daily offerings made me feel elated in front of all the statues in the monastery.

Realizing the truth of life, I engaged myself in reciting prayers to the lords. Even though I felt happy to be in a place that I desired the most, I felt anxious at some points. Doubts about some people trying to take me away from the temple disturbed my peace of mind. This dubious thought made me feel insecure, and I have to live my life in an altar with a feeling of simultaneous contentment and anxiety.

As money, I continuously reinforced my worldview into associating what I am today with my claim on the past Karma. I was fortunate to be a 'Money' indeed. As a people saying goes to highlight that 'the continuous display of good fortune in this life is result of past deeds', I felt favored wit my claim on karma where I usually chant mantras, implore my master Guru Rinpoche and take refuge in the Buddha Dharma,. I had a great life, but as time passed by contemplating and chanting holy mantras, a day had arrived, and everything changed... Around 9:40 am that day, an excellent woman having a blend of white and yellow hair, a drak sunglasses befitingly perched over her forehead with a joyfully grinning broad smile over her face and lean body, gave a deep gasp, pulled her handbag aside where I saw good looking man Dollar Fifty inside. She pulled him out of her purse. No sooner did she make the offer than she left the monastery. I had a new friend, and surprior to me too.

Being a delicate and soft hearted one, I had a desire for the truly nicelooking man, the seemingly sacrosanct offer made by the woman with drak glasses. I felt romantic, and indeed, I didn't know whether I was energized or reinvigorated, or had I fallen for him? From the depths of my heart, I craved for the joyous accomplice of my new neighbor. My mind had already begun addressing the handsome Dollar Fifty-"Hello ther, HI, How are you?"

I recollected that I indeed inquired his name and the little. He responded, " I am John." As our acquaintance grew, I wished I were him.I would have been cheerful then. I wished to be Dollar Fifty. Dollar is the currency of many nations unlike me.i gradually began to realize my diminishing worth in front of him. With the changes in the mentality of people, thousands of individuals had left the land of the thunder dragon in search of his sibling Dollars. My value as money remains inferior even in the minds of our own people.My contemplation and prayers in the altars altered. every day, I wished to be a dollar and not money. The sad irony in that sober place where I lived.

The feeling of my diminishing worth and sagging morale did not leave me. My mind loitering through the slums looking for my true identity.I remembered my value before the arrival of my neighbor. I remembered how people chased me for possession, how men toiled thither night to acquire me. Now, I am not even worth the eyes of my own people. I felt low of myself being a money.What was once a period of exhilaration, it suddenly became a period of desolation. individuals at some point of time in the past tossed me over parties, and everyone rushed to grab me. I changed my hands in powerful and rich people. Some people protected me a lot and used to keep me secure in a wooden box locked from outside. Although I felt tensed up and suffocating at times, I overcame challenges to arrive at a holy altar where I resided peacefully until the arrival of my new neighbor, Dollar Fifty.

It was around nine past ten in the morning one day when Dollar John and I were old grandpa Nyakam making a visit to the monastery. He cleaned it thoroughly, made water offerings to the altar, and recited some prayers. As soon as he finished playing, he took us from the altar and packed us in a red plastic made from polythene and put it inside his Gho's pocket. He wanted to travel to phuentsholing to do necessary shopping for the monastery. After having found a taxi, he began his journey.The driver and the grandpa Nyakam conversed over various topics and then began to sing along with the loud music played in the taxi.They sang, thus along with the music.

Oh! On the gorgeous hill that attracts my mind,

Alas! Is the cloud

And my love, the cloud has disappeared from the hill.

They were on the top worth!. This tune had neen their favorite until they reached the town. The song that they sang so loud was so pleasing in our ears that Dollar John and I literally thought of dancing inside the grandpa's pocket. For a moment, we had forgotten our new fate awaiting us. I wandered about where is this old Nyakam taking us Dollar John and I, the money from the most peaceful and happy place in the monastery.We felt nausea and vomiting inside the taxi, and by the time Dollar John informed me that we reached the town, it was already 3'o clock.

Later in the evening, we were in the Indian town across the border. Dollar John had a glance of many of his countrymen in varying denomination in an old rusted metallic money box belonging to the Indian vendor with long graying beard and dark hands.They looked sick and poverty stricken resembling long period of famine in the confined environment where hungry ghosts dwell. They appeared pathetic for lack of food,water, sleep, rest, and in dire need of help shedding oceans of tears in pain.

At that moment, I, Money, was terribly disturbed by the thought of myself becoming a victim in that rusted box. Meanwhile, Grandpa Nyakam spoke with the vendor in a strange language incomprehensible to us. A little later, Grandpa Nyakam was handed over five pairs of metallic butter lamps wrapped in black plastic by inky hands. In return, Grandpa squeezed his hands into the pocket, grabbed the red plastic, and took out my friend Dollar John. My worst fear has come to reality, with only a difference. It was my friend in my place. Nyakam handed over John to the vendor, who instantly put it into his rusted box.

I was terrified. As a saying goes, 'a mind in fear begets devil', grandpa Nyakam became hungry and thirsty in the hot weather of India. He looked for a restaurant nearby and walked into the Dema hotel.He placed his orders, and it was instantly served. He savored the food and the drinks and rested for a while. A moment later, I was completely petrified when Nyakam took me out of the red plastic and handed me over to the hotelier in phuentsholing. I cried a lot and shed some seas of tears. I had no choice but to remain with the hotelier until the next moment I got t9 exchange again. That was our fate.

I was withdrawn from my proprietor as well as my nice-looking accomplice.