No Worries
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Sep 24, 2020
- 3 min read
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT - SLEEPING ROOM - DAY
Lying against the bed back with a phone in hand, PETER is thinking.
PETER (V.O.): A Quoran asks me to share a picture of a time when I've no worries.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That's a challenge. I worry a lot all the time.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm dealing with a complicated arbitration online; and I've the what-if thinking.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): I'm worrying that there might be technical problems that might prevent my handing down of my arbitration decision in time.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm worrying if my work would delay or eat into my time in doing exercises, in creating works and in following webinars.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm worrying I may not have the time to take a car for a roadworthy testing in time.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I couldn't recall a time when I had no worries, not to mention a photo of that.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I know from experience that most of what I worry never happens.
Act 2
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): So why do I worry at all?
Peter surfs the web.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Worrying is tiring as people's nervous system is on high alert.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I worry because I can't foresee everything that may happen to me. I don't want to get upset by surprise.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): If I don't worry, I might become complacent. Worrying motivates me to take better control of the situation.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): And I've learned to become concerned, striving to find solutions.
FLASHBACK
INT. RESTING ROOM, HKU - DAY (1981)
Relaxing on different bean bags, Peter (27) chats with a female CLASSMATE (19).
PETER: I worry a lot about the coming exams. There's so much stuff to read and I don't have enough time.
Pausing.
CLASSMATE: Nobody has enough time to study all the stuff. I just read as much as I could and won't worry.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): She's right. No one is complacent in Law School. Everybody is doing their best. If I've done my level best, I should have no regret.
END FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): She's always cheerful. Her remark has helped me accept my fear and redirect my attention to my studies. I became just concerned.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I passed exams after exams. In my PCLL year at HKU, I was actually looking forward to sitting the exam as I was very well prepared.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): But that was an exception. My habit of worrying has never left me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Do we have any choice at all to let go some worrying?
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I woke up early this morning and couldn't go back to sleep again. I got up to get something done, and hence seeing the Quoran answer request.
Peter taps his phone screen casually.
PETER (V.O.) : Here's another challenge: If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.
Staring at his phone screen.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My memory is bad too. Another misery.
Act 3
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): But I can check it up in my diary.
After checking his e-diary on the phone, Peter smiles.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was worrying about completing an online arbitration case - the same old worries.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Let me check my photo app to see if there was a time when I had no worries.
Peter scrolls his phone screen.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Ha, here's one!
Smiling
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): I looked like a guitar warrior - not a worrier!
Peter inserts the photo in his answer draft.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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