Proof That We Went
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jun 2
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 16:45
PETER stops playing the piano. He scrolls through his phone.
PETER (V.O.): A WhatsApp message from my wife.
Peter sees an image: a supermarket shelf packed with Bireleys soft drinks, different flavors.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Available in Hong Kong now?
A smile spreads across his face.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That should save our trouble to buy and bring them back from Japan.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yesterday, when my wife passed me a cup of drink, she specifically remarked that it's Bireley's orange.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We treasure every drop of it.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT - YUKINIKU RESTAURANT, OSAKA - NIGHT (Two years ago)
The place is smoky, loud with sizzling meat and happy chatter. Peter and his WIFE sit queuing for a table. Peter stares at a fridge with a glass door.
PETER: I see the Birley's orange inside that fridge!
His wife follows Peter to stare at the beverages.
WIFE: Birley's orange?
PETER: No bubbles. It's one of my favourite beverages in the mid-1960s.
WIFE: I didn't know about the brand.
PETER: I haven't had any Bireley's orange since then. I must order one later on.
Later, they sit at a small grill. Plates of raw meats and vegetables. A large cup of tomato beer is before his wife, while Peter turns a bottle of Bireleys's orange in his hands.
PETER: Would you like to try some?
Peter pours into two small glasses. His wife lifts one to her nose.
PETER (Cont'd): No sharp fizz...just orange.
They clink glasses. They drink. Peter's eyes close.
PETER (Cont'd): Wow, lots of memories.
WIFE: It isn't too sweet.
PETER: You taste the fruit.
WIFE: It's actually very good.
INT. SUPERMARKET, FUCHU - 15:00 (May 19, 2026)
Peter and his wife stand before a shelf packed with Bireley's beverages, different flavours.
PETER: They're from Okinawa...That explains why they're hard to find...
They look at the yen pricing.
WIFE: They're relatively expensive too.
PETER: Shipping costs...How many bottles should we buy?
WIFE: Not too many, as I need luggage capacity for two bags of dog's kibbles.
PETER: Oh dear...
WIFE: Yes, it's half the price here.
They grab just four bottles of Bireley's.
WIFE (Cont'd): Remember last summer, we bought two bags of dog kibbles at Niigata, because the price was just one-third of the same sold in Hong Kong.
PETER: Yes, in early 2020, you instructed me to buy, not just face masks, but also kilos of rice from Sapporo...
END FLASHBACK
Later. Peter's wife returns.
PETER: How many bottles of Barley's have you bought?
WIFE: Just two. They cost more here. It's only right that we should buy them in Japan.
PETER (V.O.): For the first half of 2026, we went to Japan three times. We've already scheduled another two.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To save the extra six dollars and fifty cents per bottle? That's not a markup. That's the fee for skipping the story.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 23:15
Peter uploads an image to a draft on his laptop. It shows a colourful supermarket shelf in Tokyo, packed with Bireley's beverages.
PETER (V.O.): Every object carried home is a small victory over forgetfulness. The luggage will be unpacked in a day. But the bottles will sit in the fridge for weeks.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My wife and I travel to collect moments. We pack to keep them. Spare luggage capacity isn't about saving money. It's about making room for meaning.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We don't bring back souvenirs. We bring back evidence. Proof that we went. Proof that we mattered to ourselves.
The END
FADE OUT
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