A Small Thing (That Almost Wasn't)
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Apr 4
- 3 min read
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 04:05
The digital clock glows. PETER, sharp-eyed and restless, lies perfectly still. Stares at the ceiling.
He checks the time: 04:15.
PETER (V.O.): Its just coolant. It's nothing.
He closes his eyes. A beat. They snap open.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Why is it below the minimum?
He sits up. Grabs his phone and researches.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Evaporation? People lose coolant all the time. All. The. Time.
He puts his hand on his chest. Feels his heartbeat.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm 71 years old. I've survived worse things than a thirsty MB.
He closes his eyes. Breathe in for four counts. Hold for four. Out for four. The tension in his shoulders loosens. Sleep arrives.
Act 2
INT. LIVING ROOM - 09:00
Peter grabs his keys.
PETER (V.O.): The MB key fob feels solid in my palm.
He heads out.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Plan. Buy distilled water. Fill the coolant reservoir. Drive to Auto Services.
INT. CAR PARK - 10:00
Peter props the bonnet open. Locates the coolant reservoir. Opens the cap.
PETER (V.O.): The "Min" line is well above the blue coolant.
He pulls out his phone. Dials.
PETER (To phone): ...Do you have the blue MB 325.0 in stock?
SOMEONE (From phone):...No, but I've a perfect substitute.
PETER (To phone): As an emergency measure, I'll fill in the reservoir with a small amount of distilled water.
He hangs up. Unscrews the reservoir cap. Pours distilled water slowly.
PETER (V.O.): Emergency only. You're not drinking, you're limping.
He gets inside the car and turns the key.
The engine cranks. Catches. Some whining noise.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That's new.
He revs gently. The whine tracks with RPMS.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Something's wrong. Not good at all.
EXT. ROADS - CONTINUOUS
Peter drives. Hands at ten and two. Every two seconds, his eyes drop to the temperature gauge.
PETER (V.O.): Still in the middle. Still normal.
The whining persist.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's like a dentist drill under the bonnet.
A red light. He stops. The whine drops to an idle groan.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): You can make it. The car repairer is only few more minutes away.
The light turns green. He accelerates.
INT. AUTO SERVICES - 10:30
Peter pulls into the garage bay.
PETER (V.O): The temperature gauge never moved. I made it.
He gets out. A MECHANIC walks over.
PETER: The car shows a message: Coolant - check level.
Peter pops the bonnet.
And then - WHOOOOSH. Steam erupts from the engine bay. Peter stumbles back.
The Mechanic shines a flashlight.
MECHANIC: The water pump is going dead. The bearing is shredding itself.
Peter stares at the engine.
MECHANIC (Cont'd): If you'd driven a few more minutes, you'd be calling a tow truck.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 22:30
Peter uploads an image to a draft on his laptop. It shows a person is inspecting the MB engine bay with a flashlight.
PETER (V.O.): Small things don't stay small. They either grow into solutions or grow into catastrophes. I choose which by what I do well before 9am.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The water pump didn't fail in an instant. It failed slowly, whining for attention. Most disasters send an invitation before they arrive.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Almost wasn't. Three words that describe every miracle, every accident avoided, every engine that made it to the garage in time.
The END
FADE OUT
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