Streaks and Shadows
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM -02:55
PETER lies awake in bed.
PETER (V.O.): Too much tea? Or just excited about those Nitori curtains...
The sounds of TV drifts softly from the sitting room.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I don't think I should join my wife in pursuing those dramas.
Peter turns on a bedside lamp and grabs his mobile.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Learning Korean or Portuguese tends to make me feel drowsy.
Peter opens Duolingo.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): By maintaining my streaks earlier in the day, I can enhance my focus for renovating my NT home.
A cheerful "ding!" as Peter answers correctly.
Act 2
EXT. GOLDEN BAY - 09:55
The sun paints the sea gold. Peter applies sunblock to his face, shoulders and chest.
PETER (V.O.): Now, I can face the sunshine and let the shadows fall behind me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Shadow is a colour as light is, but less brilliant; light and shadow are only the relation of two tones.
Peter puts on his goggles carefully.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Due to a forehead injury and the four stitches I received, I haven't swum in the sea for over a month.
Peter stands at water's edge, assessing the water quality.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The further I swim, the clearer the water becomes.
Peter spots a lifeguard on a life raft in the center of the swimming area.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me swim within his line of sight; if I'm out of view, I'm out of mind.
EXT/INT.PETER'S NT HOME -11:30
Fresh paint adorns the external walls, while the interior features peeling wallpaper. Peter steps inside, his eyes linger on a large photo in the shelf: Sharon, his late wife.
PETER (V.O.): I'm back.
Sighing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Our love for each other is like two shadows meeting in a kiss, beautifully fleeing and forever out of reach.
Peter takes the new Nitori curtains upstairs
PETER (V.O.): I bought them at Nitori last night to replace the worn and torn curtains.
Peter inspects the peeling wallpaper around the windows in both the master bedroom and the penthouse..
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me do my best to fix the peeling wallpaper before installing the new curtains. It's going to be quite a task.
Later, Peter completes the repairs and installs the new curtains.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): These are essentials. I'm not making a palace. Just...something nice.
Peter takes a deep breath.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm doing it for whoever comes next. I want to leave something reasonably good.
Peter compares the condition of the new curtains to that of an old sofa.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The new Nitori curtains look out of place in the neglected home.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Just like me, caught between the past and present.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Grief, love and renewal are all on-going projects - much like a half-renovated house.
Going up to the penthouse, Peter captures an image of the Nitori curtains he has installed
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Some changes I make myself. Others, I pay someone else to handle.
Peter texts someone.
.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the end, it's just me who keeps coming back.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Streaks of joy and shadows of struggle define human experience.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Persistence (streaks) requires confronting darkness (shadows).
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 22:15
Peter uploads an image showcasing the Nitori curtains he installed to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): A streak of willpower outshines any shadows of doubt.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Shadows aren't my enemy - they're proof I'm standing in the light.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Life's masterpiece demands both golden streaks and gritty shadows.
FADE OUT
END
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