In Loving Memory
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Feb 27, 2021
- 2 min read
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - DAY
Waking up, PETER feels for his eyes.
PETER (V.O.): Oh, I slept without putting on my eye mask last night.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): And life has given me another day.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Today is the first day after the New Year that we can do the funeral ceremony of my mother-in-law.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She passed away before the Chinese New Year but funeral homes were fully-booked.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Acknowledging her death in loving memory, the funeral service provides a psychological mooring to my family and relatives.
Act 2
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Peter takes a look of his sleeping WIFE.
PETER (V.O.): My wife and I married in 1993, although we held our wedding banquet two years later.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was a widower and had the urge to rebuild my family. My son then was only 2 1/2.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): I was very grateful to my mother-in-law for accepting me.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She was very kind to me. She was most anxious that my wife and I were well-fed.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She had an adopted son and an adopted daughter. In the 1960s, she adopted my wife as her second daughter.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My wife's maternal mother is my mother-in-law's younger sister who has eight issues.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But later, she separated with her husband. And her first two adopted children got married.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): So, my wife was closest and dearest to her.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Throughout the years, I witnessed that they were very attached to each other, and bonding has never been an issue.
Peter's wife wakes up.
WIFE: I'm going with my elder sister to take my Mom out...
Peter nods.
PETER (V.O.): On this occasion, it'd be very hard.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We used to go to the elderly home to see her. Occasionally, we'd also take her out to restaurants to have dim-sums.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's obvious that she enjoyed our company more than anything.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The most joyful occasion was our meeting on the first day of the Chinese New Year.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But our very good practice came to an end this year...
Signing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My mother-in-law was 94.
Act 3
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A Quoran has asked me which stage of life is the hardest?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While our wants might not be met during childhood or adolescence, we've all the time in the world.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To understand one's identity during young adulthood isn't easy, but it can be discoverable and learnable.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): During mid-life, we dedicate to our career to add value. Having the experience, it isn't that hard to resolve challenges.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The hardest stage of life is old age, as we're wise enough to know that the things to come are beyond our control.
Signing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But those we love should never go away. They're in our hearts. And love lives on.
Peter begins to type on his laptop.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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