Soul Time
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jul 17, 2021
- 2 min read
FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
Taking off his eye mask, PETER checks the time.
PETER (V.O.): It's 3:30am. It's been 12 hours since I've taken my 2nd jab.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I feel alright. I 've drunk a lot of water, as advised.
Peter puts on his eye mask again.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Not sure if I could sleep again. I read that insomnia is one of the possible side effects after getting the vaccine..
Peter tosses and turns in bed.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I thought about insomnia, and now I've got it.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I won't do anything substantive during the day then. Be kind to myself.
Act 2
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
Peter takes off his eye mask.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Before I went to bed yesterday, my wife told me that our elder daughter had just taken her Modena jab.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It was provided by her Tokyo employer. Otherwise...
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It was our only reservation for her to go Jokyo. We're so delighted!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Before that, I watched the film Faust alone. I bought the DVD months ago.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The drama/fantasy is inspired by Goethe's story. The Russian director's reinterpretation and presentation of the myth are unconventional. The film won a Gold Lion at the Venice International Film Festival in 2012.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It tells the story that a man made of flesh and blood driven by inner impulses may sell his soul for his lust.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Hours earlier, a Quoran asks me why many rich people find it difficult to realize their dreams.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I doubt it. If that's the case, I said that either they weren't rich enough or their dreams weren't money can buy, even indirectly.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Faust's myth suggests that one might sell one's soul in return for some highly desired benefit. The ethical issue depicted is deep.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Of all the judgments we pass in life, none is more important then the one we pass on ourselves.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Strength comes from our will. But again, we're made of flesh and blood.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Perhaps, it's that thought that has kept me awake.
INT. DINING ROOM - LATE MORNING
The FAMILY is having breakfast.
WIFE: Dad has taken his 2nd jab yesterday.
SON: Do you feel alright?
PETER: Except for the pain at the injection site, I feel OK. Would I feel not alright later?
SON: Any adverse effect should be apparent soon after taking the jab. If you don't have any problem now, you're OK.
PETER: I see. I thought some adverse effects might be delayed.
PETER (V.O.): He's a doctor-to-be. So, I'm alright except for my lack of sleep?
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - LATE AFTERNOON
Lying against the bed back, Peter is listening to CDs.
PETER (V.O.): These are the songs I loved to hear in my teens.
Listening.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Then, there was soul music, incorporating rhythm and blues, and gospel music. And soul dance...
.Listening.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Time flies. My memories last as long as I live.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm having my soul time. I should be compassionate to myself or I don't even have myself.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): At the end of the day, all I got is myself.
Having taken a look of his bedside clock, Peter puts on his eye mask.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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