Jamaican coin. I got to Jamaica by two US money makers. They made me and two of my friends.

When I first got there someone was always watching me. I thought one day I might be given away for change, but it turned out that I was kept as a souvenir since I came from America.

One day two young tourists from Jamaica came all the way from New York. They were on their honeymoon. They asked if they could change their one dollar bill into four quarters. The man only had three quarters so he gave me away to make four quarters.

The woman put me in this huge deep purse. I went on an airplane that took us to Las Vegas. I knew we were in Las Vegas because she put me in this long slide. Inside I saw four Las Vegas Casino Mall. When I reached the bottom I saw two other quarters and about 50 other cents. Then about 20 hours later two large hands picked me up, and some other quarters, and they put all of us in huge bags.

Then I looked up and found myself in a big, huge room filled with dollar notes and other money. I was in the money room. Then this human picked me up, and put me and my two friends in this huge pocket in his pants.

The next place I found myself was in this black slide and I was with all quarters. They had separate stations. I guess because dimes were with dimes, nickels were with nickels and so on. Every five minutes the place we were resting on would open and close.

All I saw was different foods coming down this slide.

One day the man in charge of our stations opened and closed our resting place and gave me away as change to a woman. I ended up in her purse and that's when I found myself on a ship. Soon it was in China. There I was given to another stationman. That's when I was thrown into a wishing well. There were lots of other coins down there with me.

Then a small, tiny hand picked me up. It belonged to a boy. He was Chinese. He gave me to a candy machine. That's when I met Shandinea. Shandinea was a Hong Kong coin. We became very close. After two minutes I had to leave because the Chinese did not want Jamaican money. I was wrapped in a coin wrapper and I was shipped on another boat to Bermuda. I ended up in a bank. I knew it was because I've been in many of banks before. Then at the bank I was given to a young woman named De-Andrea Easton. She loved Jamaica so she kept me in a cabinet with expensive dishes and silverware. Then I lived and stayed there.

That's where I met Minikcelo. He came from Mexico. We became good friends.

Sometimes, like every other month, De-Andrea dusted us off. Whenever Dee had company or a party she put me and Minikcelo in a pretty brass draw until her guest were gone.

I have stayed in her house for three months. Now I love it here. De-Andrea always talks to us when she dusts us off. She said we're never leaving this house and if we do we will stay with her children and her children's children and so on. I don't want to leave anyway. Now I don't have to get shifted from place to place. Now that I live with De-Andrea this is the life. But I love all my adventures.

Safiyah Talbot Elliott School