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Writer's picturePeter K F Cheung SBS

Life's Blessings

  1. FADE IN


  2. Act 1


  3. INT. SWIMMING POOL - 20:15


  4. PETER is swimming.


  5. PETER (V.O.): Three days ago, Vincent Cheng, the former HSBC banker, died at age 74. I was too busy to remember him until this evening.


  6. Recalling.


  7. Recalling (V.O.) (Cont'd): Back in 1999, we spent a few moments together in Copenhagen. Together with a Danish tycoon, we tried to market Hong Kong to the Danes.


  8. Recalling.


  9. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Our common interest was swimming. He inspired me to swim even in icy cold water.


  10. Pausing.


  11. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I read the old news that his health had deteriorated in recent years.


  12. Swimming breast strokes.


  13. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): August is like Hello-Goodbye to me.


  14. Act 2


  15. FLASHBACK


  16. INT. DINING ROOM - 07:30


  17. Sharing breakfast with KAJI, Peter uses face recognition to login his HSBC bank accounts.


  18. PETER (V.O.): I've got my monthly pension. Let me transfer some money to my auto-pay account.


  19. Peter types on his smart phone.


  20. EXT. STREET - 08:00


  21. Peter sees uniformed STUDENTS#1-5 carrying bags gathering at junctions.


  22. PETER (V.O.): Wednesdays are flag days too. It makes good sense to raise funds on a work day.


  23. Recalling.


  24. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was a volunteer once in my primary school days. I knew the mood.


  25. Approaching STUDENT#1, Peter donates and gets a sticker from him.


  26. STUDENT#1: Wish you good health!


  27. PETER (V.O.): Oh, what a blessing!


  28. Peter puts the sticker on the left hand side of his black jacket.


  29. INT. COURT - 09:45


  30. We hear an announcement: The hearing is about to begin...


  31. PETER (V.O.): The first case is just to seek a bound-over order.

  32. After two distinct door-knocking sounds, we hear: Court!


  33. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I first saw the case synopsis as "Son beating mother". I thought it was unforgivable.


  34. ALL rise.


  35. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I studied the context, I realized that the son beat his mother because she threw away his late dad's chair.


  36. Peter makes his application and after some exchanges, the order is granted.


  37. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The outcome makes good sense.


  38. We hear another case and name are called. Peter submits before the bench and gets an order.


  39. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Days ago, I heard from the news that the Hong Kong Customs seized about 1 Kg of suspected cocaine at the Hong Kong International Airport and a woman was arrested.


  40. Pausing.


  41. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It didn't occur to me that I end up dealing with the in-absentia criminal procedure myself!


  42. Pausing.


  43. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The maximum penalty upon conviction of a charge of trafficking dangerous drugs is a fine of HK$5 million and life imprisonment.


  44. Pausing.


  45. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It doesn't make good sense to commit any crimes.


  46. Later, during an adjournment, Peter is particularly busy in amending papers.


  47. PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): There're two defendants in this matter. While one intends to plead guilty, the other doesn't. To get the facts right within limited time is demanding.


  48. INT. STUDY - 20:00


  49. We hear from the radio news: The former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev dies at the age of 91.


  50. PETER (V.O.): He had the good sense to ask: If not me, who? And if not now, when?


  51. Reading news on his smart phone screen, Peter sees: Putin says Gorbachev had huge impact on global history.


  52. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the end, we'll remember the silence of the dead.

  53. Act 3


  54. EXT. SWIMMING POOL - CONTINOUS


  55. Peter swims to the quiet deep area.


  56. PETER (V.O.): Our body loves routines and our mind can uplift us.


  57. Swimming backstrokes.


  58. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Good health and good sense are life's blessings.

  59. Swimming butterfly strokes.


  60. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They're just like valuable current and savings accounts.


  61. THE END


  62. FADE OUT









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