Swing Theory
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- May 2
- 3 min read
Updated: May 2
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 15:30
Soft afternoon light filters through the curtains. PETER types thoughtfully on his smartphone.
PETER (V.O.): I'm filling out a post-trip survey for the package tour I joined days ago.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The seaview hotel room was spacious and inviting, with a unique feature: a double bathtub on the balcony. From there, I enjoyed watching fireworks light up the night sky.
Grading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I swam in both the beachside and sky pools, soaking in the stunning views.
Grading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Each evening and morning, I savoured a delightful buffet for dinner and breakfast. For lunches, the travel agent arranged fresh seafood dishes.
Grading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The package tour met my expectations, but what truly exceeded them was the experience of swinging on the beachside swing.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. DUSIT THANI, HUIZHOU - 15:30 (April 25, 2025)
Beachside. A red "No Swimming" flag catches Peter's eye.
PETER (V.O.): What a shame! I enjoy swimming in the bay.
Peter then observes PHOTOGRAPHERS capturing images of GIRLS posing on the swings.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): There's no way I can get close to the swings because the girls are trying out so many different poses.
Peter scans the beach and spots a vacant swing at the far end of the Hotel shoreline.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me seize the opportunity.
Peter quickly strides over, claims a seat, and begins to swing.
PETER (V.O.): I haven't swung for decades.
FLASHBACK UPON FLASHBACK
EXT. PETER'S FAMILY HOME, TIN SUM - DAY (1962)
Garden. Peter (8) laughs wildly as his DAD (30) pushes him on a handicrafted chain swing.
PETER (V.O.): My Dad is now a welder at an iron foundry. He designed and built this sturdy chain swing.
Peter stands on the swing, using his lower legs to propel it up and down.
PETER: Yes, higher and faster!
END FLASHBACK UPON FLASHBACK
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I miss my late Dad a lot.
Peter swings again.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I know my loving Dad would want me to be happy.
Swinging.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It feels wonderful to swing here, with the sight and sound of crashing waves beneath my feet.
Peter lifts his legs up and back to swing higher and faster.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What looks like rocking back and forth to others feels like flying when I'm the one on the swing.
Peter then gradually slows down.
MONTAGE OF PETER AND HIS WIFE-TO-BE ON A SWING (1993)
Estate playground. Peter (39) and his WIFE-to-be sit side by side on a swing, gently swaying as they talk to each other with affection.
END MONTAGE
PETER (V.O.): But those were the days - now, there's no more affection.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Solo travel provides freedom but highlights absence - my wife won't join me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A perfect swing only needs two chains and empty air - proof that I'm built to find joy in absence.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For every action toward joy, there's an equal and opposite pull of memory.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I swing between memory and present, betwen speech and silence, and between connection and solitude.
RETURN TO PRESENT
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 22:15
Peter inserts an AI drawing titled: "Swing Theory..." to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O): The older I get, the more I understand: childhood isn't behnd me. It's the pendulum weight that keeps me swinging forward.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): I used to think that love is the push, but it's really the pause at the peak - the moment when I'm suspended between leaving and returning.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): A swing never asks if I'll come back. It just keeps hanging there, holding the shape of my absence in the wind.
FADE OUT
END
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