Arrivals
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Aug 28
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVIING ROOM - 10:00
Grabbing his car keys, PETER heads for the door.
PETER (V.O.): Picking up my elder daughter from the Airport this afternoon is my top priority today.
He stops, hand on the doorknob. A look of internal conflict crosses his face.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No, discipline is discipline.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I can set Duolingo aside for now, and I can spend less time in my home in NT.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I shouldn't postpone my daily swim, as unexpected things may come up.
He backtracks, happily grabbing his goggles and a bottle of sunscreen before heading out.
Act 2
EXT. GOLDEN BAY - 11:15
Peter moves through the water with efficient, practised strokes. He is not fast but his form is good.
PETER (V.O.): A sense of joy washes over me.
He swims past a LIFEGUARD stationing on a raft and arrives at a floating barrier.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This is living! But I need to pick up my elder daughter on time.
EXT. PETER'S NT HOME - 12:30
Front garden. Peter is savouring his ice cream cone.
PETER (V.O.): I intended to grab a takeaway lunch-box, but time has slipped away.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Since the house renovations, I want to return as frequently as possible as I've misplaced many things.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But all I can do today is to bring back to my urban home some tax-free carrot juice bought in Japan weeks ago.
Peter checks a flight's status on his mobile.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Time to head to the Airport.
EXT. TUEN MUN - CHAP LAP KOK TUNNEL ROAD - 13:00
Peter follows the GPS directions as he drives,
PETER (V.O.): The magic of an arrival lies in the moment just before: the deep breath, the fixed gaze, the hope that everything is about to change.
EXT/INT. CAR PARK 4 - 13:30
Peter arrives in his car.
PETER (V.O.): To be there for someone's arrival is to say, "Your journey matters to me." It's a quiet, profound act of love.
Peter's elder DAUGHTER appears, pushing her luggage.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The most beautiful sight isn't a place, but a person I love, seen through a crowd, arriving back into my world.
Peter smiles widely as he helps his elder daughter open the car door.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I measure my life not by the miles travelled, but by the welcome waiting at the other end.
EXT. ROADS TO URBAN AREA - CONTINUOUS
.
Peter chats with his elder daughter endlessly.
PETER: Do you enjoy providing expert network services?
DAUGHTER: I love it! It's fascinating - finding the one person in the world with the exact right piece of knowledge.
Peter beams, his paternal pride evident.
PETER (V.O.): Every arrival contains a silent question: what version of oneself will step out into this new air?
INT. HOME - 17:00
Just as Peter finishes his Duolingo streaks, his wife appears, showing him a certificate.
WIFE: I've collected this for you. Incidentally, have you read my WhatsApp messages?
Peter hesitates.
WIFE (Cont'd): Our doctor son's placement in Hong Kong has been confirmed.
PETER: How nice!
WIFE: I've arranged for him to arrive in Hong Kong from Sydney on Sept 11, ten mintues before we land from Osaka.
PETER (V.O.): I spend so much of my life departing, but the true art lies in learning how to arrive fully.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:30
Peter uploads an image of a open-gated entrance and parked cars to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): An arrival isn't an end to a journey, but the punctuation mark that gives the entire sentence meaning.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've learned to cherish the chaos of arrivals. A perfect schedule leaves no room for the beautiful conflicts that create a life.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Sometimes, the most significant arrival isn't to a place, but to an understanding I've been seeking my whole life.
FADE OUT
END
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