No News
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Mar 3
- 3 min read
Act 1
DEEP WATER BAY - 14:35
No sun. The beach is nearly empty. PETER in swim trunks, walks out of the clear water. He's breathless.
PETER (V.O.): The water is colder than I thought.
His skin is slightly pink from the cold.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I was at the floating platform, I was about to shiver.
He grabs a towel from his swim bag, drying off quickly. After taking a bath, he strolls to his SMART car, which is parked alongside the road.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I don't swim in this Bay very often.
Peter takes his phone from his bag and, holding it at arm's length, snaps a photo of himself. His hair is wet, his face is flushed from the cold.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While swimming, I thought about hypothermia. Stupid, really, for a man of my age.
He stares at this own face in the photo.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I hope Alfred knows I'm still swimming... I plan to contact his daughter tonight.
Act 2
EXT. MALL - 19:20
Waiting at the entrance, Peter is looking at his phone, which he holds in his hand.
PETER (V.O.): What should be the right words. My wife and I saw him last March at his home.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He was happy to see us after his discharge from the hospital earlier.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When he was hospitalized, I went to see him daily for many weeks.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We haven't communicated since. I keep telling myself, no news is good news.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He's just getting on with it, living his life.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What if they've decided it was kinder not to tell me?
His phone seems to weigh a ton. He finds a contact: Shireen. He takes a breath, types on screen and hits "SEND".
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My message has been delivered and she has read it...but no reply.
INT. BEDROOM - 21:30
Peter checks Shireen's reply:...He's a bit of a rollercoaster. He's not stable...may be it's best to wait. Just until he's a bit better. We'll let you know. You could come by then.
PETER (V.O.): The reality, while hard, is a relief. I know now. And it's not a no, it's a not yet.
Peter types on screen: That makes sense. Tell him I'm thinking of him. And I'm look forward to it.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): May be that'll give him something to aim for.
A small, hopeful smile touches his lips.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was at Deep Water Bay this afternoon. A swim. I took a photo afterwards, feeling the top of the world.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'll send it to him via his daughter. So he can see I'm still kicking.
Peter sends it through.
INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Peter shows his WIFE the communications. His worry is replaced by a calmer, clearer purpose.
PETER: It's not good news. Alfred is fighting.
WIFE: At least we know.
PETER: And now, he knows we're right there, waiting to see him. That's a powerful thing.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): No news isn't good news. It's merely silence dressed up as hope.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's a lullaby I sing to myself when I'm too afraid to ask.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I tell myself "no news is good news" because bad news requires courage I'm not sure I've.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But the message I dread to send is the message that sets me free.
Act 3
INT. DINING ROOM - 22:30
Peter uploads a photo of Deep Water Bay with gentle waves lapping at the shore, framed by lush pine trees and a misty hilly backdrop to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): News, even hard news, is a gift. It means someone trusts me enough to let me in.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Hope isn't about waiting for good news. It's about believing that even hard news is worth facing together.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Sometimes, the best reason to seek news is to give someone else a reason to make it good.
The END
FADE OUT
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