The Escape Road
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
EXT. BYD SEALION 7 - 14:00
The car is pristine, smelling of new leather. PETER is at the passenger seat, staring at the dashboard screen. His WIFE drives with one hand, the other swiping at the center touchscreen.
PETER: It says go straight. No, wait. Now, it says turn left.
WIFE: I'm listening. But I don't know where I'm going to...
Google Map chimes: In 400 meters, keep straight to enter the Cross Harbour Tunnel...
PETER: Oh, we don't need to cross the harbour...
They are funneled into a strange service road. SECURITY GUARDS#1-2 approach. They roll down the windows.
WIFE: I follow the GPS and am led here, although we don't need to cross the harbour.
SECURITY GUARD#1: There' an escape road. Just drive straight for 100 meters and then turn left.
Peter's wife follows the instruction. Then, SECURITY GUARD#3 opens a gate to let them exit.
Act 2
EXT. EXIT OF THE ESCAPE ROAD/BYD SERVICE CENTRE - CONTINUOUS
They emerge and squint. There, 30 meters ahead, is a lone industrial building with a sign: BYD Service.
WIFE: There it is! A shortcut.
His wife drives right in front of the customer drop-off zone. Peter stares at the service centre, then the escape road behind them.
PETER: That...that shouldn't have worked.
Getting off the car, they are led to a minimalist and plush waiting area. Peter grabs a soft drink. His wife makes her coffee.
PETER (V.O.): Now we can relax.
INT. MTR STATION MALL - 14:45
Peter and his wife stumble into a modern tea house. They're seated into a booth.
PETER: The mall here is so accessible. Just a seven-minute walk fron the service centre.
WIFE: It has a good view of the harbour too.
Soon, bamboo steamers pile up: Har Gow, Siu Mai...
PETER: The food is exquisite and tastes like hope...and the bill? Great value for money!
INT. SUPERMARKET - 16:30
Peter follows his wife who is pushing a cart with a shopping basket on it.
PETER: Don't buy too much...we don't have a car.
WIFE: But there're many varieties here...
PETER (V.O.): My wife loves shopping. I seldom keep her company. I think time is better spent on creativity.
Peter glances at his phone time.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I want to go swimming at Silverstrand Bay when there's still lifeguard service.
Peter leads his wife to the pay area.
WIFE: You want to go swimming, right?
PETER: Yes, I prefer swimming in the sea and the beach lifeguard service ends at 6pm.
EXT. SILVERSTRAND BAY - 17:35
Car park. Peter pays for his metered lot. Minutes later, he swims rhythmically in bay waters.
PETER (V.O.): I swim here nearly every day. My wife has never kept me company. She goes to her gym.
INT. HOME - 18:45
Quiet. A wet-haired Peter returns. The MAID greets him.
PETER (V.O.): Oh my wife has already gone to the riverside park with the dog.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm tired. But I feel bad not to join them.
Peter calls his wife.
WIFE (from phone): We're coming home now...no need to join us.
PETER (V.O.): I've got nowhere to be.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): For a few hours today, I've somewhat stopped being a man who managed time. And I just let time happen to me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And that's what others call...being alive.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM -22:00
Peter uploads an image to a draft on his laptop. It shows the escape road from the toll road system.
PETER (V.O.): Some roads are only visible when we're completely lost.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was so worried about getting to the destination. I forgot that the detour was the whole point.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We spend our lives looking for the shortcut. But the escape road is the one that saves us-not from the traffic, but from ourselves.
The END
FADE OUT
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