No Checkout Today
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 08:02
A sliver of grey dawn light slips through the curtains. PETER stirs, blinks and looks at his sleeping WIFE.
PETER (V.O.): Our flight from Tokyo landed at around 11pm last night.
KAJI, the family pet, taps the floor. Peter rubs his neck.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I know it's our breakfast time.
As Peter gets out of bed, Kaji barks excitedly.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): You're so relentless.
Kaji escorts Peter out of the room.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Hotels ask us to leave by 11. Homes never do.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No checkout today means we can lie in bed at our pleasure. That's recovery.
Act 2
INT. BEDROOM - 10:10
Peter sits up in bed with his phone in hand. A WhatsApp notification. He checks it.
PETER (V.O.): It's from our elder daughter. She and our son-in-law are departing for Europe. Their delayed honeymoon.
Peter takes a look of his wife who is still asleep. Same position. Peter types his reaction on screen. Then, another WhatsApp notification.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's from our elder son, remarking on his new "boss" - our grandchild.
Peter stares at a baby's image, smiling widely.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The due date was two days ago.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We meant to cancel our April trip as the welcoming of our grandchild to the family took precedence.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd) Then, our grandchild chose to be born about a fortnight earlier than expected.
Later, Peter watches his wife's face soften, just a fraction.
PETER: Darling, our elder daughter and son-in-law are flying to Paris, and they bought the in-flight wifi services...
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): In our family's chat group, there's also a cute image of our grandchild...
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): Our younger son and our younger daughter have also reacted to the exchanges...Join the family chat, please.
Peter's wife grabs her phone and starts responding, happily.
PETER (V.O.): Technology can be a tender bridge, not just a distraction.
Peter reads through the chats.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): There's solidarity from near and far.
WIFE: My new Korean class starts this evening...but we'll visit our grandchild tomorrow.
PETER: Sure!
EXT. SILVERSTRAND BAY - 15:15
Sunny. Sound of waves, Red flag. Peter pushes off, undeterred.
PETER (V.O.): For the past couple of days, my wife and I went to hotel onsens late at night.
He pushes on. Strokes. Breathes.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Although my wife loves onsens, she seldom joins me to go bathing early in the morning.
Peter pauses at the corner of the swimming area.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Having visited our younger daughter in Tokyo, after a lapse of nearly six months, I feel relieved.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): However, I'm remembering Emily a lot...We collaborated to add value on legal translation.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I believe she was 10 years younger than me. And then, she turned "65" - three years have been added to honor her life.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Next week, I'll attend her funeral services.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 23:00
Peter uploads an image to a draft on his laptop. It shows a roof top entrance in a Haneda hotel, with a large blue neon paper airplane sign mounted on the wall.
PETER (V.O.): It symbolizes freedom, travel, aspiration. - evoking the simple childhood act of folding and launching a paper plane as a metaphor for launching ideas, dreams and messags to the world with optimism and lightness.
Peter checks a new WhatsApp notification: Landed.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The family chat never closes. No checkout. A lobby that's always open, anytime of the day.
Peter types his response on screen: Enjoy Paris!
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For us, no checkout today. So we'll stay. Because the best room doesn't ask us to leave. It asks us to come back to bed.
The END
FADE OUT
Comments