Being Strong

1. FADE IN.

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. STUDY - MORNING

7. PETER checks phone notifications. We see on screen: When did you hit your rock bottom, and how did you climb out?

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): No one has ever asked me a question like that.

10. 
    

11. Thinking.

12. 
    

13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I hit rock bottom twice. One happened in 1992 and another in 2015. Let me talk about the recent one, which is general.

14. 
    

15. Peter begins to type on the phone.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In 2011, I hit the peak. I knew then my only way was down. In 2014, I retired.

18. 
    

19. Recalling.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A year later, I hit rock bottom. Wanting to predict the future, I had depressing thoughts about worst scenarios that might happen.

22. 
    

23. Recalling.

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Nothing seemed certain, except that I maintained my monthly travel hobby.

26. 
    

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. EXT. SWIMMING POOL - LATER

30. 
    

31. Peter is swimming.

32. 
    

33. PETER (V.O.): I do endless self-talk. My self-talk in 2015 was depressing. I could stop that for awhile during swimming.

34. 
    

35. INT. CLINIC - LATER

36. 
    

37. As a NURSE is drawing his blood, Peter looks away.

38. 
    

39. PETER (V.O.): Upon retirement, I immediately lost the full medical support that I used to have. It's hard not to feel down.

40. 
    

41. INT. CLUB RESTAURANT - NOON

42. 
    

43. Modern. High-class. Peter is having lunch with a FRIEND.

44. 
    

45. FRIEND: Have you got a message that a learned friend has died?

46. 
    

47. PETER: Yes, but I don't know her. You know her? How old was she?

48. 
    

49. FRIEND: 41.

50. 
    

51. PETER (V.O.): There're always unlucky ones.

52. 
    

53. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - AFTERNOON

54. 
    

55. Peter enters, as LADIES and GENTLEMEN are chatting.

56. 
    

57. PETER: Someone is retiring?

58. 
    

59. GENTLEMAN#1: Yes, I'm retiring in weeks...

60. 
    

61. PETER: I've retired for 7 years,

62. 
    

63. Ladies and gentlemen burst into laughter.

64. 
    

65. GENTLEMAN#1: I'll retreat to the Mediterranean Sea. I've a 58-feet boat...

66. 
    

67. PETER (V.O.): That's what a retiree should do! What am I doing here?

68. 
    

69. At 6.00pm, the CHAIR adjourns the meeting.

70. 
    

71. INT. CHAMBERS - EVENING

72. 
    

73. Peter chats with a SECRETARY at the front desk.

74. 
    

75. SECRETARY: You're tanned.

76. 
    

77. PETER: I spend time at the beach if I don't have to appear in court.

78. 
    

79. PETER (V.O.): I seem to have made the right choice.

80. 
    

81. INT. TRAIN CABIN - LATER

82. 
    

83. Crowded. Peter isn't slow to take a priority seat.

84. 
    

85. PETER (V.O.): People can see that I need it.

86. 
    

87. EXT. MTR STATION - LATER

88. 
    

89. At the exit, Peter is pondering what fruit to buy from a HAWKER.

90. 
    

91. HAWKER: Ah Gor, what do you want to have?

92. 
    

93. PETER (V.O.): Well, the hawker didn't call me uncle, making my day!

94. 
    

95. Peter points at the mangos.

96. 
    

97. Act 3

98. 
    

99. INT. STUDY - NIGHT

100. 
     

101. Phone in hand, Peter is reading his Quora content.

102. 
     

103. PETER (V.O.): In my answer, what did I say after hitting rock bottom?

104. 
     

105. We see on his phone screen: Self-lifted. My depressing thoughts about the worst scenarios didn't actually happen.

106. 
     

107. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Furthermore, once hitting rock bottom, the only way to go is up.

108. 
     

109. Thinking.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In 1993, I rebuilt myself and my family.

112. 
     

113. Pausing.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And since 2015, everything has been a lot better.

116. 
     

117. Reflecting.

118. 
     

119. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Being strong is the only choice I've.

120. 
     

121. FADE OUT.

122. 
     

123. THE END