Life After Death
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jun 17, 2022
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
EXT. ROADS, TSUEN WAN - KOWLOON - 11:00
A Toyota Previa. PETER is at the driver seat. His WIFE sits next to him. MOM (92) and SISTER#1 sit in the middle row, and SISTERS# 2 & 3 in the last row.
PETER: All set. Let's go!
Starting the engine, Peter pulls off.
PETER (to his wife): Instead of making a U-turn and taking a familiar route, I'll make a change and try the unfamiliar one ahead. Be my navigator.
Peter's wife begins to focus on her smart phone's GPS.
WIFE: In about 100 meters, make a right turn...
Later, we see the closed Yau Ma Tei mutli-storey car park building ahead.
PETER: Being demolished, only one floor is left now.
PETER (V.O.): I used to park my car here when Nathan Road was the high street.
Act 2
INT. COLUMBARIUM, CHAI WAN - 12:00
The party lay out food and drinks before a mausoleum plaque.
PETER (V.O.): She's my second mother-in-law. She died in 2021. Here's her permanent resting place.
Staring at the plaque, Sisters#2 & 3 chat about Mom.
SISTER#2: Mom dreamt of her elder sister twice.
SISTER#3: Don't know why Mom can remember her dreams.
PETER (V.O.): Personality traits make the difference. Those who're prone to creative thinking and introspection can recall dreams easily.
Peter looks at Sisters#2&3, whose profiles are similar to his wife.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They're my wife's siblings. Mom gave births to them.
Peter looks at Mom and the picture on the plaque.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Mom's elder sister was my second mother-in-law who was the adoptive mother of Sister#1 and my wife.
We can see that the profiles of Sister#1 and Peter's wife are dissimilar.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My first mother-in-law passed away in her sleep many years ago. Unlike my first wife, she suffered no pain.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My mother believes that my late wife has resurrected as a butterfly.
Then, all see a grasshopper hanging around.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My second mother-in-law comes back to life in the form of a grasshopper?
Moving here and there, the grasshopper gets the full attention of all. Mom even lowers her body, using her hands to protect it.
SISTERS: Mom, leave it alone!
Reluctantly, Mom obeys.
PETER (V.O.): Mom must believe in life after death.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A grasshopper has impressive leaping capacity. Why can't Mom leap for faith?
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But the average lifespan of a grasshopper is about 12 months...
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When my first wife died in Summer 1992, I thought about studying the Philosophy of Death.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Death is what motivates beings to appreciate loved ones and to achieve their life goals.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And some life goals of humans may include the preparation for possible afterlife.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Egyptian pyramids were meant to assure life after death.
INT. RESTAURANT, NAN LIAN GAREN - 14:45
When the party is about to finish a vegetarian meal, a STAFF presents the bill.
MOM: Could I pay?
Peter grabs the bill swiftly.
PETER (V.O.): She still has the assertive personality.
Act 3
EXT. ROADS, TSUEN WAN - KOWLOON - 16:15
Assisted by Sister#3 and Peter's wife, Mom alights the car.
PETER (V.O.): Yearning for life after death manifests the fear of death, not the pain, but the prospect.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) : When one believes in life after death, one has understood the meaning of this life before one dies.
Peter and his wife bid goodbye to Mom and Sister#3.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What a day for all to remember!
Starting the engine, Peter pulls off and drives along the same roads the second time.
THE END
FADE OUT
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