FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY
Having checked a phone message, Peter's WIFE speaks to PETER.
WIFE: Our elder daughter says she dreamt about us ordering lots of dim-sums in a restaurant. But before she could have any of them, she woke up. And she's very unhappy about that!
PETER: She dreams what her heart wants.
PETER (V.O.): Although dim-sums were the hooks of her dream, I was in her dream too. If she didn't tell, I wouldn't know.
Peter's wife shows Peter some cherry blossom images.
WIFE: These sights are justs several minutes walk away from her Fukuoka home.
PETER: Yes, she can enjoy them for a fortnight. I don't know if I would dream about them.
The TV reports a story that a 64-year old Hong Kong tourist died in Peru because of the coronavirus infection.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm senior to him. I've to stay reasonably healthy so that I can have more true stories to tell.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. SITTING ROOM - NIGHT
Checking a phone message, Peter's wife reacts euphorically.
WIFE: I'm so very happy! Our younger daughter coronavirus testing result is negative!
PETER (Very happy): My wishful thinking has come true!
WIFE (Pondering): That means there's no need for me to distance myself from her...
PETER : No, there's a margin of error of about 20%. She must continue her quarantine.
WIFE: Then, I won't drive her home. I'll arrange a taxi for her.
She calls and taps on his phone a few times.
WIFE: On board now.
PETER (Extending a hand invitation): I want to dance Waltz with you now...
His wife looks perplexed.
PETER: I've promised to myself that if our younger daughter is okay, I'll do that.
They are in Waltz holding positions.
PETER: Let's start with a Natural Turn...
Peter leads awkwardly.
WIFE: You can't lead just by saying the term of the figure...
After a few footwork, they can't dance any further.
WIFE: Don't promise yourself anything involving me the next time!
PETER (V.O.): Apart from doing what my heart wants, I've discovered that I need to focus on leading too.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The other thing I've promised myself to do, without involving my wife, is to write as many songs as I can about COVID -19.
Peter checks the time.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's nearly midnight. Let me start doing the project tomorrow.
INT. MINI STUDY - NIGHT
Time: 05:45. Peter jots notes on his phone screen.
PETER (V.O.): The coronavirus scare began in 2019 when I turned 65, and now is 2020. A music professor jokingly suggests that I should write 19 songs.
Pondering.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My goal is to write 19-20 songs...Oh, I've got a song At 65 and I like the song very much. It represents one of the hooks of my life. Let it be one of the hooks of my COVID-19 song series.
Peter continues to type on his phone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've got the messages of my other 19 songs. Let me wait for the inspirations to strike.
INT. MINI STUDIO - DAY
Guitar in arms and dictaphone app recording, Peter does some broken chords by finger picking.
PETER (V.O.): I've got two rhymed lines in a mediocre melody. I don't think the listeners will get hooked to them.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As I plan to write 19 songs, I might as well seize the challenge to expand my style and be progressive...
Peter does some searches on YouTube and looks surprised.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I began composing 10 years ago, there wasn't any online classes. Now, even master classes are available.
Watching a video clip, Peter nods,
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): True, without a hook in a song, there's no point to waste the time and effort to write the whole work.
END FLASHBACK
EXT. PARK - DAY
PETER (V.O.): See if I can get some inspirations here.
Peter is humming as he walks. Arriving at open space, Peter practises some Waltz footwork.
PETER (V.O.): I got all the footwork now. But I've forgotten the melody I cooked up earlier!
Act 3
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - DAY
Waking up, Peter looks perplexed.
PETER (V.O.): I dreamt of a classmate of 1966. We used to go to school together before 7.00 am to play table-tennis. He would bring eggs to my home in the dark and I made egg sandwiches before we set off. In my dream, we were classmates again in some vocational courses.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We haven't engaged since then. His appearance in my dream might mean that he was one of the hooks in my life.
Pondering.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While the contents of dreams need not be investigated, why we dream at all is really interesting!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Do our brains ensure us to live our emotional lives despite the illusive time-space limitations?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In my dream, the look of my classmate remains the same - at 13. I was only conscious of myself.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was one of the characters in our elder daughter's dream. Parents must be hooks in their children's lives.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While her dream-lag was months long, my dream-lag of a 1966 classmate was decades-long. It's fascinating that our brains process hooks in lives like that.
FADE OUT.
THE END

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