A Great Day
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Feb 19, 2022
- 2 min read
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT (Yesterday)
PETER and his WIFE are having dinner. KAJI, the family pet, keeps them company.
WIFE: Where shall we eat out tomorrow? It'll be cold and rainy.
PETER: Due to the pandemic, I think we should go to a restaurant with out-door seating.
WIFE: Okay, let's go to Sai Kung to have a late lunch then.
PETER: Have you fixed a Skype meeting with our children yet?
WIFE: Hmm....
PETER: Tomorrow is a great day - your birthday.
Pausing.
PETER(Cont'd): They should all join, although they're in different time zones.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. STUDY - DAY (Earlier)
Peter is in thoughts.
PETER (V.O.): What gift should I give my wife on her great day?
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Something romantic or outrageous? Something she'd wear or use?
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): At least flowers and a cake...
END FLASHBACK
SEQUENCE OF PETER'S ACTIONS ON A GREAT DAY
A. Facebook. Morning. Peter sends a Happy Birthday song.
B. Florist. Morning. Peter buys a bunch of flowers.
C. Bakery. Later. Peter buys an aesthetic pastry chef cake.
D. Bedroom. Later. Peter keeps his sleeping wife company.
E. Restaurant. Afternoon. Peter and his wife are having lunch, being accompanied by Kaji.
F. Promenade. Later. Kaji runs along the promenade, being followed by Peter and his wife.
G. Mall. Later. Peter's wife is shopping as Peter and Kaji wait patiently.
H. Home. Evening. The FAMILY is celebrating the a great day in person and on screen.
I. Restaurant. Later. Peter is waiting for takeaway.
END SEQUENCE
INT. SITTING ROOM - NIGHT
Peter is working on a laptop while his wife is watching TV. Kaji is sleeping.
WIFE: We haven't seen our elder daughter for a long time.
PETER (V.O.): Our younger daughter returned to UK last Sept and our son to Australia last Dec...
WIFE (Cont'd): After graduation from CUHK, she worked for a year in Ocean Park.
PETER (V.O.): Before graduation, she worked part-time at the Bakery where I bought the cake.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): She chose to do it, wanting to have some working experience. I observed that she worked diligently.
WIFE (Cont'd): She went to Japan to learn Japanese in Sept 2019.
PETER (V.O.): I visited her home in Nov 2019. And we had a family motoring tour in Japan in Dec that year.
WIFE (Cont'd): She couldn't come back having mastered the Japanese language.
PETER (V.O.): I meant to visit her again in March 2020, but the trip was cancelled because of travel restrictions.
WIFE (Cont'd): Now, she plans to go to Korea to join her boyfriend. When will I see her again?
PETER: Well, her happiness trumps all!
WIFE: You don't miss her!
PETER is tongue-tied.
Act 3
INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Peter is sitting before the table.
PETER (V.O.): In a great day, everything should be sweet.
WIFE: I think I'm not going to have dessert.
PETER: Okay.
PETER (V.O.): I've room for it.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): For a good mom, even a great day can be trying.
WIFE: If you've room for it, I can prepare that for you.
PETER: No, I'd only share it with you.
PETER (V.O.): That's what I can give her.
FADE OUT
THE END
Commentaires