Mr. X and the Tale of Borobudur

I remember the first still, long lotus night in the passagragan’s portico – I was awake as Mr. X slept—so peacefully. As dawn arrived with her rose colored legions not a sound broke the stillness save the slow occasional rustle of palm branches and the song of birds. From the portico we had a splendid view of the terraced temple called Borobudur.

At breakfast the hostess told us a tale of the temple that arose before us – a multi layered epic of unrequited love.

The temple rose over night at the bidding of the King of Boro Boedor. It was not built by human hands, but by the King’s son, a god in his own right, in expectation of his princess bride. The prince built the temple to perfection.

The princess shaded by a golden umbrella spreading from a jeweled staff came to inspect the great work of art, with her royal retinue. She was a dream dressed Nelly Blues. She floated on the scent of clean citrus fruits and florals --- warm wood musk that enveloped the spirit of the Prince embracing him in the sensuality of the blues, sea greens, and golds of her oceanic spirit. Her gown was layered in brilliant tropic colors of the sea and sand… aqua melting to sea green and gold accented by exquisite tonal embroidery of silver and opalescent pearls of the rarest quality. How could he resist the Princess dressed in Nelly Blues…

The Princess gazed at this three- tiered temple in awe and reverence and spent hours admiring its walls and balustrades decorated with exquisitely carved bas- relief’s. Climbing the terraces she saw hundreds of statues serenely looking to Mount Meru. Reaching the summit of the temple, hand in hand with the prince she saw 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. She proclaimed the images and statues the most beautiful she had ever seen.

Sadly, she told the prince she could no more love him than the statues could love him as the beauty he created for her was for the pleasure of the Gods of Mount Meru and would take a lifetime to understand and appreciate. The Prince told her they had time enough. Flashing an irresistible smile, she turned and left the prince to brood upon the puzzle of the Eternal Feminine. He watched her depart in a swirl of the ocean aqua, blue, green and gold dressed in the color of a rainbow ---- Nelly Blues.

Sita Writer