The Anchor
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 8:30
Sunlight filters through curtains. PETER holds his smartphone in one hand, strolling through his WhatsApp and Messenger notifications.
PETER (V.O.): No replies...
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yesterday, through the apps, I proposed dinner tonight at Sai Kung. It seems my messages haven't been read yet.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'd better leave a message to the hotel where they're staying.
Peter mines the hotel's telephone no.
PETER (to phone): I should like to leave a message to guests...
Later, Peter sees a WhatsApp notification.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Good. Confirmed. I can concentrate on my next task.
Act 2
EXT. HONG KONG AIRPORT - 11:30
Terminal 1. Peter drops off his SON-IN-LAW, his MOTHER, watching as they walk alongside his elder DAUGHTER and WIFE toward the departure hall.
PETER (V.O.): An anchor's life is measured in logistics performed, worries absorbed, and horizons secured for others.
INT. ATM CORNER - 12:45
Standing before an ATM with his daughter, Peter presses the buttons with deliberate precision.
PETER (V.O.): I want my daughter stop worrying about money and enjoy being a married woman.
Peter gives her daughter a small smile.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To be the family anchor is to choose the seabed over the sail. My stability is their freedom.
EXT. SILVERSTRAND BAY - 15:00
Red flag flying. Peter swims determinedly against the waves.
PETER (V.O.): Now that all of my elder daughter's wedding rituals are completed, I feel ready to take risks again.
EXT. HOTEL PORCH - 17:00
As Auntie MEI and her DOCTOR daughter appear, Peter and his wife warmly embrace them.
PETER: Let's have a seafood dinner at Sai Kung.
They get into Peter's Previa.
EXT. ROAD TO SAI KUNG - 18:00
The car winds along the coastal road. Suddenly, Peter has an idea.
PETER: A small detour. For perspective.
EXT. HKUST - CONTINUOUS
Modern architecture cascading down to the sea. As Peter's car approaches the entrance gate, it opens automatically.
PETER: I've been doing voluntary work here since 2016.
Peter drives along the campus roads.
PETER: See there. The University is planning the third Medical School for Hong Kong. Right here.
AUNTIE: Peter, you never stop thinking about doing good for Hong Kong!
EXT. SEAFOOD RESTAURANT, SAI KUNG - 19:00
A bustling waterfront restaurant. Their table is close to a glass fish tank. Plates are passed. Shells are piled high. Their conversations flows faster than the tea.
AUNTIE: The seafood is nice. But the talk is the true feast.
Peter listens more than he speaks, orchestrating the chats with a raised eyebrow.
PETER: I particularly enjoy hearing stories about late Uncle Jimmy that I've never heard before.
Auntie smiles.
PETER (Cont'd): It's a happy way to remember late Uncle Jimmy, who lived a legendary life.
Chatting.
PETER (V.O.): Love, in its most mature form, isn't a fireworks display. It's the reliable weight of an anchor, holding fast in the dark and the deep.
Chatting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The strongest anchor isn't made of iron, but of habit, care, and foresight.
Chatting.
PETER (V.O.): We're all moored to something. The wise choose what to hold on to, and what to let go. In contrast, those without judgment may cling to things that weigh them down, struggling to adapt.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 23:59
Peter uploads a photo depicting the anchor - the metaphor from the story - before a glass fish tank to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): The swimming, the airport, the money transfer, the dinner, the Medical School. It's all maintenance. Of the body. The family. The City.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A life of maintenance isn't a small life. It's the art of holding a world together, one careful task at a time.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For the anchor, there's no separation between loving a person and a family, and holding their world steady.
END
FADE OUT
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