The Days
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Oct 28, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 29, 2021
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. PETER'S NT HOME - 19:30
From the balcony, PETER takes a look of skyscrapers in a distance.
PETER (V.O.): It has never occurred to me that I can see the world's 4th tallest building from here.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Otherwise, the environment is no different from the days in the past.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Since the death of my Dad 10 years ago, my family and I ceased spending our Saturday nights here.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Years ago, I spent one night here just because I had a breakfast meeting in Shenzhen the next day.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the 1980s, I couldn't see any structures on the Shenzhen side.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. OFFICE, YUEN LONG - DAY (1978)
Peter (24) is checking a demarcation plan.
PETER (V.O.): I've become the Area Officer of Demarcation District 104, responsible for controlling squatters in the Mai Po area.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I see an extraordinary large lot. I believe it's the site of a private residential estate under development.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): If there's any squatters there, the developer should have dealt with them.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Would people illegally erect temporary structures near the freshwater ponds to watch the fish and the migratory waterbirds?
EXT. MAI PO AREA - DAY
Having parked his car at Castle Peak Road, Peter walks towards the fish ponds. Dump trucks carrying soil pass him by from time to time.
PETER (V.O.): It's quite a job to fill the wetland for development.
Peter takes different fishpond paths.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I feel like picnicking on duty - my best job ever!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My dream is to buy one of the houses in that private residential estate in future.
INT. OFFICE - DAY (1982)
COLLEAGUE#1 chats with a few COLLEAGUES including Peter (28).
COLLEAGUE#1: I've got the key of a friend's holiday home at Fairview Park. Shall we spend a Saturday night there?
PETER: Please count me in.
SEQUENCE OF PETER'S EXPERIENCE OF THE HOLIDAY HOME
A. Peter and other colleagues park their cars outside a house.
B. They inspect the front and back gardens, the sitting room, kitchen and storeroom on G/F, and the bedrooms and toilets on 1/F.
C. Then, they go out to visit a big artificial lake and the estate mall.
D. At night, they've a barbecue party in the house gardens.
E. Later, Peter sleeps on the floor.
F. The next morning, they've tea in the mall's restaurant.
END SEQUENCE
EXT. FAIRVIEW PARK - DAY (1983)
Estate map in hand, Peter (29) and his wife SHARON (28) inspect different houses.
PETER: Nobody is buying houses here. We've plenty of choices. We'd buy from the developer direct. We don't have to pay commission.
Sharon nods.
PETER (Cont'd): As the price has gone down by 40%, I think we should buy a 3-storey one. We'll sleep on 1/F.
Sharon smiles.
PETER (Cont'd): As we've cars, I prefer one situated at a quiet area with a two-way traffic access road.
Sharon nods.
PETER (Cont'd): And it should be away from the estate boundary so that illegal immigrants from Shenzhen wouldn't bother us...
RETURN TO PRESENT
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Those were the days.
Act 3
INT. PETER'S NT HOME - CONTINUOUS
PETER (V.O.): Decent housing is what any young couple yearn for.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We didn't know the burden of paying over 15% interest on the mortgage then.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It could make everything falling apart. But we managed in the end.
From the balcony, Peter takes a photo of his front garden and the driveway.
FADE OUT
THE END
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