How Lucky
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Feb 28, 2021
- 3 min read
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. FUNERAL PARLOUR - DAY
PETER, his WIFE and OTHERS are in mourning dresses.
PETER (V.O.): We and the guests are here to bid our final farewell to my wife's Mom.
Peter is attracted by copies of a funeral memorial.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I like the elegant design which is in harmony with "Mei Lan" - the name of my late Mom-in-law.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've just overheard that she changed her name by herself. She defined herself. Smart!
Picking a copy, Peter begins to read.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): The memorial documents how my late Mom-in-law has impacted on them - her daughters and grandchildren.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm my Mom-in-law's only surviving Son-in-law. I want to tell the world how lucky people can be.
Act 2
INT. FUNERAL PARLOUR - CONTINUOUS
Peter talks to his wife.
PETER: I love the design of Mom's memorial.
WIFE: Have you finished reading it? Do you know who's the "clever person" she referred to all the time?
PETER: Not yet...
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.): My Mom-In-Law loved to talk about the "clever person". I thought she was talking about people generally.
Peter focuses on one story in the memorial.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, in the complementary close of my wife's story, she discloses she's the "clever person".
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Having a humble background, my wife is always humble.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When we met in the early 1990s, we were colleagues. I felt her qualities and potential.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I thought it was a waste of her talent to dwell on executive matters.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Working full-time, she was also reading a part-time undergraduate degree then.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): After graduation, I encouraged her to read London U's LLB external program, and also Peking U's LLB part-time program in Hong Kong.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Years later, she got two LLBs, proving her knowledge on both the common law system and the continental law system.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Then, I encouraged her to read London U's LLM external program. And in one year, she got the postgraduate degree.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And during the period, not only that she was working full time, she also gave births to our three children.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She then took one year full-time university study at HKU, doing the PCLL. She had to resign her senior executive position in Government to do that.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It was quite a risk. But I thought we had only one life. If she can be a professional, why should she settle for less?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The transition wasn't seamless, but she pulled through. She has been doing very well as a senior professional.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm humble too. But she likes to keep a very low profile.
Act 3
INT. FUNERAL PARLOUR - CONTINUOUS
Finishing reading the memorial, Peter talks to his wife.
PETER: As an illiterate, Mom's really smart. She saw the potential and qualities in you.
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): Learning from Mom's role model, I believe you love me dearly too!
WIFE: Go away!
Pondering.
PETER (V.O.): Was it fate that my Mom-in-law chose to adopt my wife so that she could learn from her?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Or was it sheer luck that I could marry her adopted daughter to rebuild my family?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In loving memory, I must remember how fortunate I really am.
Being directed, GUESTS bow to the alter and then to THOSE in mourning dresses. They bow back.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): How lucky we all are to have a bondage that makes parting so very hard!
FADE OUT.
THE END
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