 "What are you doing?"
"Why do you only feel happy because you feel happy because you can go surfing here?
You can hold my breasts re, too. And it should be more special doing Lat here than at
home." Diego laughed.
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"What's better: your surfboard or these?" Diego was dumbfounded.
"To be honest, right at the moment the waves look pretty good." Madonna nodded."Thanks for your honesty. But why do you prefer
the waves?"
"Because when we go home, the waves won't be there anymore. And it costs thousands of
dollars to come back to them here. But those (he pointed to his girlfriend's breasts but
didn't dare touch them) here, there, they will always be mine. I'm not trying to insult
you, just to be realistic. Madonna was smiling now.
"And thankyou again for your honesty
Diego. I'm sure if we weren't in this place it wouldn't be the case. You know, I'm not in
the least insulted that you find that 'paradise' (she pointed to the waves) more beautiful
than me. What you're saying is that this place is indeed a kind of heaven. Not a lost
heaven, but one which has become invisible, because you need special glasses to see
it."
Diego didn't respond. Then Madonna picked up the April-May edition of Bali Echo. She
opened page 22 and pointed to the picture of the bare-breasted woman. Naked, naOve, honest
and beautiful, all that remains in Bali. But don't get me wrong, those things are the
essence of Bali, and not in its physical presence only.Paradise is a concept. And that
concept will be invisible if you don't understand it. Those who believe it has been lost
haven't understood it properly. The concept will never be lost!"
Diego didn't respond. He just looked at Madonna.And he is till looking at her.
Text by Putu Wijaya.
Translated by Emma Baulch.
Illustration by Agils Mulyadi.
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