Kaji: A Seat at the Table
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. HOME - EVENING
Standing by the main door, KAJI's eyes track the PACK LEADER and PETER like a tenis match.
KAJI (V.O): They're busy, moving food from home to the other apartment.
PACKLEADER (to Peter): I think that's the last box of the veggies. Just the meat platters left.
PETER: On it. Leave the door open.
PACK LEADER: Don't let our good girl come out.
Peter balances an impressive platter of thinly sliced beef and pork.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): Food is moving, but I'm not moving with it.
Peter sees Kaji. Her entire body is tense with yearning.
PETER (to the Pack Leader): Our good girl wants to join.
Act 2
INT. HOME - CONTINUOUS
Peter turns to Kaji, crouching down. He opens his arms wide.
PETER: Come on, darling. It's okay.
Kaji's ears perk up, though a look of uncertainty crossed her face.
KAJI (V.O): Hmm, they never let me walk to the other apartment myself...
As Kaji takes a few cautious steps, Peter extends his hands even further.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): I really want to follow the food.
Kaji moves forward tentatively, allowing Peter to scoop her up.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): I'm no longer being left behind.
Peter carries Kaji over to the adjacent apartment.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): I'm part of the mission.
INT. THE OTHER APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
In a state of delicious chaos. Peter sets Kaji down gently on the floor.
KAJI (V.O): I'm inside this special place.
Kaji scans the environment.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): Although I've visited this place before, my heart belongs to my home.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): I'm relieved that my anxiety has subsided.
Kaji springs up onto the sofa to sit alongside Peter.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): From here, I've a better vantage point of the dinning area.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): I'm not here to relax; my purpose is to seek out the food.
Kaji then leaps off the sofa, strides over to the dining table, and hops onto a chair.
PETER: Wow, you're the first one to take a seat at the dining table.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): It's better to be a quiet observer at the table than a loud voice from the sofa.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): Take my seat first. Not out of haste, but to ensure I'm present for the conversation when it begins.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): A seat at a table isn't about a chair; it's about a voice that's heard before a decision is made.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): I don't need to sit at the head of the table. I just need to know that my seat is saved for me, not just offered casually.
An electric hotpot sits in the center of a dining table, boxes of veggies and meat platters on the side.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): My nose has to work overtime.
The Pack Leader slices the melon into bite-sized pieces and places them on a small plate in front of Kaji.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): That's entirely disproportionate to what is presented on the table.
PACK LEADER: You aren't slim.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): And neither are you...
Act 3
INT. HOME - NIGHT
Peter pushes the door open and sets Kaji down.
KAJI (V.O): A seat at the table is worthless if I've to shrink myself to fit the chair.
Thinking.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): Sometimes, a seat at the table isn't in the center, but in the corner - from there I can see the whole room and understand the game.
Reflecting.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): The most important seat at any table is the one I build for myself when no one else will offer me one.
FADE OUT
THE END
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