Final Notices

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. INT. LIVING ROOM - 11:30

6. 
   

7. PETER, whose hair is still damp, sits on a sofa.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): I've just done my daily swim.

10. 
    

11. He picks up a tablet, taps the screen, and the distinctive Duolingo owl appears.

12. 
    

13.  PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'd be able to maintain all my streaks in the early afternoon.

14. 
    

15. Sound of a successful streak notification.

16. 
    

17. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What should I do on a Friday afternoon?

18. 
    

19. More successful sound notifications.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): There never seems to be enough time to practise the piano.

22. 
    

23. Peter smiles, satisfied.

24. 
    

25. Act 2

26. 
    

27. INT. LIVING ROOM - 14:25

28. 
    

29. Peter relaxes in a massage chair as his smartphone rings. He picks up the call.

30. 
    

31. PETER (to phone): Hello, Peter's speaking.

33. SECRETARY (from phone): Mr Cheung, the Hong Kong Bar Association has sent you a final reminder about subscription and practising certificate.

34. 
    

35. PETER: Is that right? I'll come back to chambers then.

36. 
    

37. Just after putting down the phone, it rings again.

39. PETER (to phone): Hello, Peter's speaking.

40. 
    

41. OFFICER (from phone): I'm calling from the Duty Lawyer Service. Just a gentle reminder of your Monday appointment.

42. 
    

43. PETER (to phone): Many thanks...it seems a document is outstanding...

44. 
    

45. OFFICER (from phone): We've sent it to you already...

46. 
    

47. PETER (to phone): Okay, perhaps my secretary hasn't brought this to my attention. I'll look into it.

48. 
    

49. After hanging up, Peter taps his email junk folder.

50. 
    

51. PETER (V.O.): No, there aren't any relevant items.

52. 
    

53. Peter checks the inbox instead.

54. 
    

55. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I check every incoming mail within a reasonable time...

56. 
    

57. Pausing.

58. 
    

59. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No unread mail...OMG, I haven't got mails for days...

60. 
    

61. Peter scratches his head, then his eyes widen with realization.

62. 
    

63. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While adding my email accounts to my other new devices, I changed the password.

64. 
    

65. Pausing.

66. 
    

67. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): If I didn't sign in again on this old phone, I won't get mails.

68. 
    

69. Promptly, Peter signs in and discovers his unread mails.

70. 
    

71. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Bar issued a circular on the subject on the eve of my court hearing, I was so focused on my preparation that I didn't click the link to read it.

72. 
    

73. Reading.

74. 
    

75. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And yesterday, the Bar sent a final reminder via email and post. I didn't read the email until now; and the post has arrived in my chambers today.

76. 
    

77. After checking the time, Peter moves with sudden, decisive energy. He grabs his wallet and a cheque book.

78. 
    

79. INT. CHAMBERS, FAR EAST FINANCE CENTRE - 16:00

80. 
    

81. Sitting at a desk, Peter fills a form and writes a cheque.

82. 
    

83. PETER (V.O.): And I've to buy my professional indemnity insurance.

84. 
    

85. Peter taps a link on his smartphone, clicks through the options, updates his chambers' address and adds the payment reference. Soon, an e-copy of Evidence of Insurance appears.

86. 
    

87. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me also grab all the papers from the Duty Lawyer Service for Monday's work.

88. 
    

89. EXT. WAY TO THE HK BAR ASSOCIATION - 16: 21

90. 
    

91. Peter notices the Lippo Centre and the Far East Finance Centre in a distance.

92. 
    

93. PETER (V.O.): I tend to act quickly. I've got days of grace to resolve the matter, but I'm able to address it within hours of noticing the circumstances.

94. 
    

95. Peter pauses to take a photo of part of his cheque and the centres in the background.

96. 
    

97. INT. QUEENSWAY PLAZA - 16:55

98. 
    

99. A relaxed Peter is purhasing a headset in a store.

100. 
     

101. PETER (V.O.): The final notices, conveyed by human voices, serve as a redundant system that saves me from my own digital inefficiency.

102. 
     

103. Act 3

104. 
     

105. INT. BEDROOM - 21:30

106. 
     

107. Peter uploads a photo showing part of a cheque with the Lippo Centre and the Far East Finance Centre in the background to a draft on his laptop.

108. 
     

109. PETER (V.O.): A final notice cuts through the noise of busyness and forces a single, clarifying question: How much does this matter to me?

110. 
     

111. Thinking.

112. 
     

113. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I don't curse the final notices; I thank them. They show me what are about to slip through my fingers.

114. 
     

115. Reflecting.

116. 
     

117. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd):  A life well-lived isn't one that avoid final notices, but one that has the courage to open them and the wisdom to act timely.

118. 
     

119. FADE OUT

120. 
     

121. END