The Disguise of Luck
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Jun 15
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 02:45
Darkness, broken only by faint city glow through the curtains. PETER stumbles into the room, dropping a handbag on a bedside table. A large, square bandage is prominent on his forehead.
PETER (V.O): My wife and I are exhausted.
Peter rubs his eyes.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Our returning flight was delayed, and we received complimentary meal coupons.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Since we had access to the lounge, we decided to use the coupons to buy fish cakes and doughnuts at the Icheon Airport to take home.
Peter gazes at the bed.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): It looks like heaven.
Lyng down, Peter touches this bandaged forehead gently.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): But I must go to the Community Centre when it opens hours later.
Act 2
INT. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE - 09:15
Crowded. Chits in hand, Peter finds a seat near the treatment room.
PETER (V.O): I'm not alone; many others bear their own wounds.
Peter checks his Faebook feed and sees a photo of an Indian woman.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): She was 10 minutes late and missed the flight that crashed just a minute after takeoff, claiming all but one passenger, who sat in 11A.
Peter scrolls further and discovers another post about a 1998 plane crash, where the sole survivor also occupied 11A.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): It's a seat next to the emergency door.
At 10:15, we hear a STAFF call chit #90.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): It's my turn.
Peter steps inside the treatment room and sits on an examination chair. NURSE#1 reviews Peter's referral chit carefully.
NURSE#1: Five days overdue for stitch removal...
PETER: Yes, I wasn't in Hong Kong...
NURSE#1 raises an eyebrow. She gently peels back the bandage, revealing a 2-inch line of black sutures crossing Peter's temple.
NURSE#1: You flew after getting these? With a head wound?
PETER: I just returned to Hong Kong a few hours ago, and here I'm already.
FLASHBACK
INT. ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPT -DAY (2 June 2025)
Treatment room. Pointing to his bandaged forehead, Peter speaks to NURSE#2.
PETER: I know the doctor said the stitches should be removed after seven days. Can I come on different dates?
NURSE#2: You can come in later but not earlier.
Peter looks pleased.
NURSE#2(Cont'd): If you wait too long, the stitches will become embedded in your skill, and removing them could be quite painful.
END FLASHBACK
PETER (Cont'd): I know it'd be quite painful...I can bear that.
NURSE#1: Where did you go?
PETER: My wife and I went to Seoul. Our elder daughter married a Korean chap. They had their first proper home; and we wanted to see it.
Nurse#1 is prepping scissors and forceps.
NURSE#1: Hold still.
As Peter closes his eyes, Nurse#1 deftly snips the sutures near the knots. She pulls the threads through with a smooth, swift motion.
NURSE#1: Done!
PETER: That's it? No tugging? No pain?
NURSE#1: Mm, these were put in loose. Very loose.
PETER (V.O): Like they expected swelling that never came.
NURSE#1: Being late helped. If we'd done this five days ago with stitches this slack? Might've gaped.
Nurse#1 hands Peter a handheld mirror so that he can see the unstitched wound.
PETER (V.O): The scar is conspicuous.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 21:45
Peter adds an image of the stylised word "Welcome" in Korean to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O): My wife and I had a great time in Seoul. Luck often appears in the most unexpected disguises.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition. We also witnessed our elder daughter begin her career at an international firm in Seoul.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Cloaked in the disguise of luck, it serves as a reminder that beneath every encounter lies the courage to embrace the unknown.
FADE OUT
END
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