Still Unlocked
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jul 13, 2025
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LlVING ROOM -20:55
Bright lamplight. PETER and his WIFE are watching "Table for Six" on TV. Ringtones.
PETER: From the management office of my NT home?
PETER (to phone): Yes, hello?
SOMEONE (from phone): This is the management. Your front gate is open.
PETER (to phone): Oh I see, but I don't live in the house. Could you please close it for me?
SOMEONE (from phone): Okay.
Quietly relieved. Peter hangs up. Leans back. A faint smile.
PETER (V.O.): The contractor must have done some work at my NT home today but forgot to close the front gate.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've never locked the main gate so that my gardener and other service providers can enter even when I'm not there.
Act 2
MONTAGE OF PETER'S NT HOME
A.1983. Peter (29) and SHARON (28) haul furniture into an empty NT house.
B. 1992. Accompanied by Peter (37), and in the presence of visiting RELATIVES from LA, a frailed Sharon (36) leaves for the hospital, but she never returns.
C. 2000s. Peter and his new FAMILY OF SIX stay over at the house every Saturday night.
D. 2003. During the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong, the family and the MAIDS lived in the house for several weeks.
E. Since 2010. Only Peter returns briefly every few months, and he doesn't stay overnight.
F. 2025. Peter brings in a lot of items, filling every space across the three floors, including the corridors and staircases.
END MONTAGE
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): This year, my wife wanted to renovate one of our urban apartments. We decluttered a lot to deliver vacant possession to the contractor.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For items that are valuable to me, like the Clavinova, I brought them to my NT home.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As I decluttered the urban unit, I realized I should also declutter my NT home.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I thought the five analogue TV sets could go first, making use of Government's e-waste collection service.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In order to faciltate the collection, I had to declutter the staircases first.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Then, I discovered that the staircase lighting and an air-conditioner malfunctioned.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While waiting for the Government's e-waste collection service, I called a contractor to address the electric issues in my NT home.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The contractor also uncovered a malfunctioning exhaust fan and several external lights, and I was persuaded to have them fixed.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The contractor also facilitated me in repairing the leaking pipes so that the gas supply could be reconnected and the gas cooker and water heater become usable again.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): So, I have been visiting my NT home relatively often, allowing my gardener's assistant to give me a verbal alert.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She noticed that small pieces of concrete had fallen from the edge of the roof, and if left unfixed, it could lead to a disaster.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I wasted no time in addressing the issue and coincidentally, had the external walls, including the penthouse veranda, repainted.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To minimize any mutual inconvenience during the work, I decided to leave the doors of my house unlocked.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What is valuable to me may be considered garbage by others.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've noticed that even cockroaches can't survive in my NT home.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 22:15
Peter uploads an AI drawing titled "Still Unlocked ..." to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): The management's call gives me comfort, although I'm the one accountable for the unclosed front gate.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My former neglect of my NT home is a form of preservation - the clutter is a shield against change.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Time doesn't close doors - it just teaches me which ones are worth walking through again.
FADE OUT
END
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