Paradise of Tolerance and Change
Melissa Burton | Hong Rui Choo
The child arrived at the peninsula, where barbaric fish worshipped a four-horned caterpillar, so they could sample all the liquors and beverages of the world. Even in this tiny island, the child thought, the natives could develop tolerance for other civilizations on this planet. The child spotted an overturned tree trunk dominated by Mandevilla vines that enflamed the air in fragrance of maple and tea tree oil. The child had a vision of what lay beyond this part of the jungle.
A mile from here a diseased man decided to share his hammock with an injured turtle to better prepare for his death. Eight kilometers to the West a young Pribumi girl was introduced to Christianity by an elderly Taekwondo master. Watching them was a young Malay couple bewitched by their dialogue.
A tremor from deep within the Earth woke the island, ejecting a plume of sapphire vapor and displacing a Komodo Dragon egg, destined to hatch near a beachside condo sometime that morning.
The child had no choice but to venture towards the safety of the mountain where his guardians danced rhythmically behind him. He knew the peninsula was morphing and would become something better. Away from the death shores, the young traveler turned towards a glorious forest graced with pink lotus.
The peninsula had one last belch and the jungle trees began to crack and overturn. I do not belong here, he thought. The boy was unaware of the tree crashing down on him.
