Stay Active
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Oct 17, 2022
- 2 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 08:15
DREAM SEQUENCE
INT. OFFICE - DAY (2000s)
Meeting. PETER (50s) is talking to COLLEAGUES.
PETER: The purpose of the meeting is to monitor our performance in legal advisory service...
Peter begins to lose his words.
PETER (V.O.): Why can't I think of words when I'm talking?
RETURN TO PRESENT
Waking up, Peter looks lost.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): OMG! I'm still dreaming about long gone office work... Oh, now is Monday morning.
Act 2
EXT. PARKING BAY - 09:00
Peter sees his WIFE driving off a cyber-green New Beetle.
PETER (V.O.): We had two quarantines in three weeks. My wife longs to return to the office.
INT. STUDIO - 10:00
On screen, Peter sees a Quora request: Growing up any decisions or efforts I gave were for the sake of impressing/making people I care for happy. But I have since stopped caring for anyone and have no drive to do anything...
PETER (V.O.): Well, that's a symptom of depression.
Peter researches with his smart phone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The focus is to stay active.
Inserting an image of beachgoers taking selfies, Peter types on screen: Stay active. Plan and do something.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I plan to go swimming before returning to NT to manage my stored cars and declutter my home.
Peter checks his phone diary.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The last time I went was Oct 5 - 12 days ago.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Before the pandemic, I travelled monthly; and I was lazy to return to my NT home.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As a result, there're problems in my stored cars and in my home.
We hear from the radio: Typhoon signal#3 has just been hoisted.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, that means I shouldn't go to the beach. Part of my plan is frustrated.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When my wife and I were on quarantine, the weather was perfect.
EXT. ROADS - 13:00
In a silver Eunos 30X, Peter is driving past the Gold Coast.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Movements can create change in my physical and emotional states.
Peter cuts a lane.
PETER (V.O.): Yesterday, I seized the opportunity to swim in the Silverstrand Bay. The beach's red flag and warning broadcast didn't deter me.
EXT. PETER'S NT HOME - 14:15
Driveway. Having driven out a red Nissan 200SX and a numeric blue Smart, Peter begins to park his Eunos 30X and sees his NEIGHBOUR next door.
PETER: Hi!
NEIGHBOUR: You've so many cars! They need maintenance...
PETER: Yes.
PETER (V.O.): That's how I indirectly create jobs!
EXT. ROADS - 19:30
In his Nissan 200SSX, Peter drives past a car repair shop.
PETER (V.O.): Closed already? In the old days, the staff would still work after 20:00.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 20:30
Sitting in a corner, Peter works on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): Earlier, I've decluttered and practised piano playing - some of my ways to stay active.
We hear a dog barking mad outside.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Our pet misses her evening routine to welcome my wife home. Tomorrow will be a rainy day, I'll better prepare my legal advisory work.
From the radio, we hear the piano music of "A Summer Place".
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, my next piano music to learn! Activity fuels activity.
Then, we hear the intro riff of the song "San Francisco".
DAYDREAM SEQUENCE
A. NT, 1969. Dancing party. As Peter (15) is holding hands with a GIRL, we hear Scott McKenzie singing: Are you going to San Francisco...
THE END
.
FADE OUT
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