FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY
Checking a What's App message, PETER reads.
PETER (V.O.): Saturday, 10 October - a very unique date 10102020 - never come again.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I was young, I liked to collect bus tickets with numbers in patterns like 1010 or 2020.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While such patterned-numbered stuff don't mean much to me these days, if I have notes like that, I'd still try to keep them.
Pausing
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As to Oct 10, 2020, the date on the calendar will never come again.
Act 2
INT. SITTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
FLASHBACK
EXT. TAI MO SHAN - DAY
Sitting in the passenger seat of a Mercedes, Peter is coaching his SON driving.
PETER: Since I bought this car in 2002, we've never driven it up to Tai Mo Shan.
Entering the country park car park, they park the car in a lot.
PETER (Cont'd): Let's have a walk. It's so nice here.
They see other hikers with their dogs and some motorcyclists with their machines.
PETER (Cont'd): Let's take a look of Tsuen Wan from the lookout over there.
After taking a few photos at the lookout, they return to their car.
PETER (Cont'd): Do you want to continue to drive up?
His son nods. And their car begins to climb further up a narrow road with a white dividing line.
PETER (Cont'd): There's no way the road is wide enough for two cars going in opposite directions. Drive very carefully.
Peter takes snapshots along the way.
PETER (V.O.): The first time I drove up was in 1976, with my Ford Capri. Now is 2020, the road remains the same as it was 44 years ago.
Downhill traffic give way in passing places from time to time to allow their car going uphill.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): People like to go out on a sunny afternoon.
Reaching the end of the road, they see a small parking area packed with cars.
PETER: I've to talk to the drivers so that we can have room to reverse and leave here.
Peter gets out of the car talking to OTHERS and gesturing at them. He then directs his son to turn around. When that's done, Peter gets back inside the car.
PETER: Let's leave here quick.
As they leave, a couple of cars follow their lead. Then, they see a SUV coming uphill.
PETER: Oh, we can't go forward, and we can't go backwards.
The SUV tries to climb up the road curb on one side by failed. Getting out of his SUV and looking back of the road behind him, the DRIVER (40s) remarks to Peter and his son.
DRIVER: I can only go up. How about this? You reverse the car a bit so that I can move up to the other side of the curb which is less steep.
Nodding, Peter gestures to the cars behind to reverse a little. The SUV then moves up the curb successfully. After Peter has gone inside their car, the cars move downhill.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We all want to reach the top. The road is long. Once we're up, the only way is down.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I feel that literally today, and figuratively during the prime of my life.
END FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What happened yesterday was gone and will never come back.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Each experience of yesterday is a memory for tomorrow.
Peter is in thoughts.
Act 3
NT. SITTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Peter sees a Facebook notification on his phone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, today's my uncle's 77 birthday. Let me send him my Happy Birthday song 2020.
Copying the link from Youtube, Peter pastes it at a Facebook friend's timeline.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In my 2020 music-video, I've included memorable clips of my travels in 2019. I didn't know there 'd be a pandemic and my monthly hobby has to be suspended.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): There're just too many things beyond our control.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But today well-lived reinforces yesterday's fond memories and tomorrow's high hopes.
Peter checks images in his Photos App.
PETER (V.O.): I like this snapshot taken while we drove uphill yesterday. For me, it was a return into my fond memories; for my son, a venture of his high hopes.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Today, I continue my intellectual engagement like any other day. Every day can be a unique date, not only in form, but in substance too.
FADE OUT.
THE END
Comments