FADE IN.
Act 1
EXT. ROADS - MORNING
PETER is driving a deep blue saloon car.
PETER (V.O.): My only appointment today is in the afternoon. Shall I go to refill the tank?
Checking the dashboard fuel gauge, we see it is half-full.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It isn't necessary. I just go home direct. I didn't sleep well last night.
Peter takes the cross-harbour route.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was so excited that yesterday at my NT home, I fixed a HiFi set and had plumbing in working order.
Emerging from the tunnel, Peter pays at the toll plaza.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm going to make my NT home habitable again.
Later, out of the blue, we hear a loud sound: Pop!
Act 2
EXT. ROADS - CONTINOUS
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, was it from my car?
FLASHBACK
EXT. ROADS - NIGHT
Peter is driving his WIFE and their younger DAUGHTER towards the Airport. Suddenly, they hear: Pop!
DAUGHTER: What's wrong?
PETER: Have the baggage at the rear hit the rear door?
Thinking.
PETER( Cont'd): But I haven't applied the brakes...
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): Travelling at 100km/hr, I don't feel if there's anything wrong with our car.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): Could the Pop sound come from other sources? Anyway...
Arriving at the Airport, Peter unloads the baggage. As his wife and daughter carry them to the Terminal, Peter drives away.
EXT. AIRPORT CARPARK - MIDNIGHT
Peter drives his wife only. After exiting the gate, Peter feels something.
PETER: There's something wrong with the car.
Finding a non-busy spot, Peter stops the car and checks the tyres. He sees a flat one.
PETER(Cont'd): Oh, dear. It's very fortunate that it didn't delay our daughter's departure to UK. Time was tight.
WIFE: What should we do now?
PETER: The easiest and expensive way is to arrange to tow the car to a car-repairing centre.
Finding the telephone numbers, Peter calls and engages in some conversations.
PETER(Cont'd): It'd take an hour and a half before anyone can come to our rescue. They also ask for a high fee.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): A friendly one suggests that we should attempt to change the tyre ourselves, if the spare tyre isn't flat either.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): I used to change tyres myself decades ago. See if I can still do it. Fortunately, there's few traffic here.
Thinking.
PETER (Cont'd): Money aside, there's no point for us to wait for over an hour for the rescue.
Peter and his wife begin to work together, changing the flat tyre with a less-flat one. It is quite a job.
PETER (Cont'd): Done! Let's first go to the nearest service station to inflate the spare tyre.
Peter drives the car slowly towards the Airport service station.
RETURN TO PRESENT
Act 3
EXT. ROADS - EVENING
Stopping the car at an estate passing place, Peter examines the tyres.
PETER (V.O.): I believe the rear one on the right-hand side has burst.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me go to a car tyre shop now as the tyre may go flat soon.
Traffic is heavy. The red signal lights at every junction that Peter has to cross.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The road to the shop isn't long, but now it seems so very far away.
Arriving at the shop, Peter talks to the STAFF before depositing the car.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The new tyres have to be ordered. They'd be available in the afternoon though.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've learnt a good lesson on the last occasion. Now, it pays off.
Peter takes a photo of his car with a flat tyre.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I don't know I'd spend the morning by arranging to replace the tyres of my 19-year old car like that.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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