The Last Drop
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM/BEDROOM - 08:O0
Bathed in morning light. Cluttered but comfortable.
PETER stretches and yawns. He swings his legs out of bed. He goes to the bathroom and grabs the handle of a large vacuum flask.
PETER (V.O.): The blood gets thick at night. The heart has to pump harder to get it all moving again.
He drinks like a man who has just crossed the dessert.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My whole system is dehydrated. I'm basically a raisin by sunrise. So I've to fill the tank.
He takes one last long drink.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's not a choice anymore. It's a necessity. The first order of business.
He looks at the vacuum flask. A faint of grim satisfaction crosses his face.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
EXT. GAS STATION - DAY (Several months ago)
A pump ATTENDANT has finished filling up Peter's Nissan 200SX. Peter spots the items on the display unit.
PETER (V.O.): They appeal to my eyes.
ATTENDANT: Sir, you've reward points. Do you want to redeem them?
Peter points at the items.
PETER: Can I get one of those?
ATTENDANT: Yes, but you've to pay as well.
PETER: No problem...Are they umbrellas?
ATTENDANT: Stainless steel vacuum flasks.
INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
Peter looks around and sees mugs, tumblers, and bottles.
PETER (V.O.): The flask I got at the gas station is just an over-sized one. It's useless...
MONTAGE
A. Peter's DAUGHER-IN-LAW appears and helps herself to a cup of water.
B. She takes a long appreciative, drink, as natural as breathing.
C. After dinner, she goes to the bathroom before leaving.
END MONTAGE
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My daugher-in-law is a medical doctor. She prefers water over any other drink.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She knows water is the only thing that the body truly needs.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She practises what she preaches. She sets an authentic example.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She doesn't have to say "do this" or "do that".
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I just watch her and realize I've been doing it all wrong for 70 years.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Maybe its time to start. If it helps rid my body of harmful substances, then going to the bathroom more often can't be wrong.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I can keep the flask in my bathroom, and there's really no excuse not to drink because the kitchen is far away.
RETURN TO PRESENT
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Laziness made me running on empty for so long, but I can't afford to indulge in that anymore.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've a slow, quiet revolution in my mindset.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's definitely late. But is it too late?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I like to believe that even at the end of the line, there's still something left to give myself.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 22:30
Peter uploads an image to a draft on his laptop. It shows a tall vacuum flask with a sturky handle and a dynamic pattern of colourful streaks across its body.
PETER (V.O.): I can't undo a lifetime of neglect with a litre of water. But I can start the next hour differently.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Late isn't the same as too late. Late just means I've finally arrived.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The last drop is never the last. There's always another refill. That's the mercy of it.
The END
FADE OUT
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