My only and unique brother, Gom Dorji.

Gom Droji and Jigme Zangpo

We Are Brothers by Fate

We are brothers by fate, and I am happy to be his brother. Growing up in the same family, I have many memories that have comforted my lonely mind whenever I think of them. Unlike other brothers who are not always together, we have always stayed close—until I left for Spain for the exchange program scholarship.

We studied in the same pre-primary school in our village. In 2003, I separated from my brother and went to Lauri Primary School to complete my Class Six. In 2004, while he was still in Class Six in the village, I was in Minjiwoong Lower Secondary School, studying in Class Seven. We were together again in 2005 at Minjiwoong School, where we even shared the same bed. Unfortunately, I fell ill in 2005 and could not attend the final exams. But instead of feeling unhappy in 2006 for missing a year, I was happy to study together with my brother. From that point onward, we were always in the same grade.

At Nanglam Middle Secondary School, we were in the same class (IX A) and shared the same bed. We completed Class X peacefully in 2008, in the same class and same bed.

The results of the Bhutan Certificate of Secondary Education (BCSE, Class X) were declared in February 2009. We both qualified for Class 11 and were placed in Nangkor Higher Secondary School. He was in 11 Science B, and I was in 11 Science A, but we shared the same room. We completed our +2 studies at Nangkor in 2010.

The Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate was declared at the end of January 2011. We both joined College of Science and Technology to become Engineer. 

Looking back at where we are today and where we came from, we are proud of our hard work and determination. Three years of college have gone by, and the days and nights we spent together in the same room for six semesters were truly wonderful. You obeyed me as I was your brother, but brother, I am sorry that I could not obey you as much as you did. That is my only lingering regret when we are no longer together. I now realize the value of respect and obedience. Once again, I am sorry, my dear brother Gom Dorji. Please forgive me for being impolite sometimes. I am happy because you always understood my nature.

Brother, I shall always strive to keep our bond of brotherhood strong, now and forever. I have great expectations from you that you will unite our family as a family should be.

Now that you are in your final year, my hope and deepest prayer are that you always remain true to yourself, stay away from negative friends, and continue to care for our precious parents.

Your brother will be in Spain for 10 months, missing you all.

With affection,
Jigme Zangpo

Responsibility coming on the way

Being an elder brother from family is something to shoulder that younger’s brother and sister cannot do. The duty and feeling of eldest brother is good if I can serve my family. The burden of being elder brother, when I think of serving my family at this juncture when it’s impossible for me, is really a disheartening and feeling sad. The incapability of serving family at this juncture when it’s time to serve made me to think a lot. Sometime the unending thoughts especially at night, when I go to bed disturb my mind mentally and let my sleep go somewhere. I don’t know how my brother and sister have thoughts on serving of family. For me it’s something a tension when think of serving needy family at this point. I control my mind, not to think about it because thinking just adds tension in my mind. If the thinking of serving family is the solution in reality, the countless thoughts of mine in serving would have done, what I am supposed to do. So, thinking gives me a problem and I try to do away. I am eager to serve my family as fast as I can.

The gratitude for parent in bringing in this wonderful world and given every possible thing to me is always within me and now it’s my turn and times to repay my parents. Father and mother, for me, is everything. I have nothing to compare them in this world in terms of great. In fact they are greatest in this world. I am sad to know that I can’t repay them even in my next life. So I wish I am child of them till the mother earth exits. Seeing what I wish is impossible, remind me of only solution in repaying parents by having entered as a monk with pure mind. The hardships they have taken in bringing the sibling to condition that society believe is really a difficult task. Thinking the difficulties they have undergone, I have nothing to repay at this point of time when I am also in needy condition but I only I could do is to pray to kenchosum and Tsa-Wa-Lam to let my father and mother be the happiest man and woman on the earth. I wish always that my father and mother is in good condition. I love my dad and mum. And I love my sister Yedam Dema who always with my father and mother. On top of thanking father and mother for caring me, I have again somebody to thanks them. They are none other than my responsible sibling who always helps in serving our dad and mum. All my brother and sisters have soft mind and have mind to look after dad and mum and among us. I love my brother and sisters. I am sure that I could give my sister Yedam a good time when I am serving family after few years.
 I love dad,
 I love mum,
I love elder sister Lhamo,
 I love brother Dorji,
 I love sister Yedam and Salung, And finally my love to Sonam lhaden and kenchosum and Tsa-Wa-Lam.

Who is Next now?

The blooming of flowers in most trees is yet started and the chirping of birds for the first time for that year (2004) has yet another marking of season. It’s exactly the time for school going children has come. Gom Dorji, a straight forward boy was in six. Gom was talented boy in every field be it games , studies and all round and of course bet naughty too. As he returns home from school at late night, he meets Namgay, a talkative, thin tall and charming lady. He gives his first sight to her at that time. Gaining of once heart was difficult in some cases. However due to previous karmic connection between them, as he requested to her as true lover, she accepted. The day of happiness for him began and ultimately for her. As time pass by, they went to date in weekends and share feelings and even kept so many promises for the future. They even spent night together.

As great Tibetan yogi Milarepa said “meeting in separation”, the time has come for them to depart. They are now in different valley as he has to study in Minjiwonng which is one day walk from village and she is still in village. He has the faith on her as he love her but he never know how she was tricky. As he was out of her sight, she started making new relation. However, when he comes for holiday she gives him a sign of love. Their relation last till the girl was pregnant of other boy. In between the girl was pregnant; he heard many things which usually were bad news. However he never believes what middle person says until and unless he sees with his eyes. I personally felt sympathy on the way he love and have great appreciation on his unwavering love. What you would do if your trusted girl done same as in the story?

 The days of together with Namgay was memorable and ultimately his unforgettable memories in his life. As she was now in that condition, circumstances force him to think a lot. Should I be her boy still? What his other boy would do on me, if I still be her boy? What other would think when I go in between then? Those thought all together asked him to forget her but she is still in his mind as she was his first love.

After a year pass by as he was now in Nganglam School, he love one girl. He controls his mind not to love her. When he thinks of what Namgay did, he decided to love to fade away his unforgettable hurt that was in his bottom of heart. After repeated request and waiting almost for a year Pema accept him. Days were short as days of winter when he has a time to stay with her even thought it was days of summer which is longer than other seasons. With full of hope and trust on pema, he decide that she to be his life partner. But the decision of Gom get alter when her previous boy meet with her in Nangkor school. Don’t even trust friends when we can’t trust ourselves. He was astonished to hear someone going negotiate between pema and his boy. He knows life is meaningless until and unless we make it meaningful. So, he understands the cruel mind of friends and takes it as a phenomenon of the life.