Coinspiracy
“Definitely man. The new coin system was designed to bring about a revolution. I call it the coinspiracy.”
There were laughs all around, and she merely smiled, while keeping her eyes on her phone.
“So they make like these one-centavo coins, right? But nobody ever uses those. Why bring those back? It’s a hassle for those who truly uses the coin system: the truly poor ones.”
He shook his head at the speaker and turned to her, inquiringly. She took a deep breath and gave him a small smile. She then waved him away, pretending nothing was wrong. His brow furrowed in worry.
“Yeah. Like who really brings a coin purse anyway, right? The poor people who need every last peso. Rich people don’t even have cash, probably. They just pay with a card or check.”
She looked at her phone again, and gasped at the new notification she received. He watched as a single tear fell from her eye, which she quickly wiped away.
“So obviously, changing the coin system only instigates rebellion among the masses, which inevitably pushes them to revolt. This thus gives the government the perfect excuse to declare Martial Law.”
She coughed and stood up, excusing herself from the group. He watched as she took out a few bills and coins from her wallet.
“Just like splitting a bill can be cause for revolt, huh? But where are you going, girl?”
She turned and said with a smile, “To get to the bottom of this coinspiracy theory. We can’t allow the masses to revolt!”
He laughed with the others of their group as she bowed away, but he saw her sad eyes and the hand tightly clasped around her phone. He watched as she left the restaurant, knowing he probably wouldn’t be getting to the bottom of this one, no matter how he wanted to for her, how hard he tried for her.
He picked up one of the coins she dropped on the table and, with a sigh, flicked it between his fingers. It spun across the table, towards the now empty space she once occupied, and fell with an unheard yet gentle clang on the floor.
–
Image source: zurcaledworld.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-most-expensive-philippine-coin-ever.html
First written April 18, 2018.
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