The Red Coupe
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Aug 14, 2025
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 13:30
Sunlight streams through the window. PETER gazes thoughtfully at the various car keys deposited in a tray by the door.
PETER (V.O.): Which car should I take to Silverstrand?
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yesterday, I took the red coupe to the Golden Bay. Should I drive the blue Mercedes today?
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I drove the Mercedes after returning from Niiagata days ago. It's comfortable but...
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): ...my red coupe really turns heads.
Peter nods to himself, a decisive look on his face.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The red coupe it is!
Act 2
EXT. ROADS TO SILVERSTRAND - 13:45
As Peter drives the red coupe along the winding roads, the scenary unfolds around him.
PETER (V.O.): The coupe is meant for the road and use is the highest form of appreciation.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've seen many admiring glances. That's the incidental reward.
EXT. SILVERSTRAND PUBLIC CAR PARK - 14:00
While parking his coupe, Peter notices MAN#1 staring intently at his car. He then walks over, appreciation wiitten on his face.
MAN#1: Wow, haven't seen one looking this good for decades.
A proud smile spreads across Peter's face.
PETER: Thank you. She tends to turn a head or two still.
MAN#1: It's the original version...
PETER: Quite timeless and iconic.
MAN#1: Is it expensive to keep?
PETER: Yes...the insurance premium is specially high.
Peter walks towards the beach.
PETER (V.O.): Thirty-six years isn't just owning a car. It's a conversation I never stop having.
Later, as a wet-haired Peter returns to his coupe, MAN#2 who walks past remarks.
MAN# 2: Your coupe is stunning! I know it' s a Japanese model.
PETER: Thank you...yes.
PETER (V.O.): Seeing it isn't spotting an old car. It's witnessing a dream still running.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's not nostalgia. It's the present tense of a dream I bought in 1989.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've been keeping it and deriving joy from it, daily.
Peter fires up the coupe.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My red coupe is a piece of moving art. But I can't drive it in Japan...
MONTAGE OF PETER'S TOURING EXPERIENCE (July 23 - Aug 7, 2025)
A. Tokyo - Niigata - Nagaoka - Tokyo. Peter and his WIFE take the Shinkansen.
B. Niigata - Sado Island - Niigata. Peter and his wife sit in an outbound hydrofoil; and on the deck of an inbound car ferry, they feed the seagulls.
C. Sado Island. Peter and his wife take turns driving a Mazda, as they explore thge northern and southern tips of the island.
D. Niigata - Nagaoka - Niigata. Peter and his wife take turns to drive their younger daughter ini a Honda to shop in Nitori and to eat in Bikkuri Donkey.
END MONTAGE
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Different journeys require different tools.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My deep love of the cars I bought doesn't make me impractical.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): However, maneuvering luggage at train transfer stations can be quite challenging as I'm twice the age of my red coupe.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:45
Peter uploads an image of the red coupe to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): My red coupe isn't just metal; its memory in motion.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Its looks like it just arrived from the future...of 1989.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Sustained dedication and effort preserve value and beauty, leading to enduring satisfaction and recognition.
FADE OUT
END
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