The Tuesday Man
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 11:45
PETER sits on a sofa, completing his daily Duolingo streaks in seven languages. He checks his MyObservatory app.
PETER (V.O.): Oh, the thunderstorm warning remains in effect until 3pm.
Peter sits at the piano and begins to play his interpretion of the song: All Over the World.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm pleased I get the hooky intro riff right.
EXT. ESTATE STREET - 14:25
Peter walks towards a mall.
PETER (V.O.): Contrary to my practice, I'll eat before I swim today.
He takes a look of his right hand.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I did yard work so hard yesterday that I've developed a friction blister that has ruptured from the repetitive rubbing of the sickle handle.
Act 2
INT. MANNINGS - CONTINUOUS
Peter walks the aisles, his eyes scanning the shelves. He picks up a box of waterproof plasters, Price: HK$18.
PETER (V.O.): I seldom shop items like this in Hong Kong. I visit Japan often and would buy in its 100 yen (HK$5) stores.
His eyes drift to a display of dental flossers.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I ate in a nice Fo Shan restaurant a few days ago. I asked for toothpicks and I got dental flosseurs as well.
He checks the price on small boxes and sees HK$10 each and a sign: Buy Two, Get 20% Discount.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Buy two then. It's strategy!
Peter places the plasters and the two boxes of flossers on the counter. The CASHIER scans the items.
CASHIER: That will be $38, sir.
Peter pulls out his Octopus card, the "JoyYou" edition for senior citizens.
CASHIER (Cont'd): Wait...You're using the "JoyYou" card, right?
PETER: Yes...
CASHIER: It's Tuesday, you get a 15% senior discount.
Peter's eyes blink.
PETER: Is that right?
CASHIER: Yes, every Tuesday for senior citizens.
The cashier taps a few keys. The reader displays a new total.
CASHIER:$28.9 please.
Peter taps his card happily.
PETER: Thank you!
CASHIER: Come again.
The transaction is complete.
PETER (V.O).: $28.9 for all this. Not bad by Hong Kong standard.
He leaves the store, holding his purchase with his hands.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's a small, unexpected victory.
INT. BEDROOM/LIVING ROOM - 20:45
The TV is on. Peter opens a small box of dental flossers.
PETER (V.O.): Dinner is done...The Mark Six...Draw after 9:15pm...
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): If I don't buy, I can't win.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've won the third prize twice, in 2005 and in 2021...and I'm still losing. That tells me everything about hope and mathematics.
He reaches for his phone. Ding! A WhatsApp message pops up.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, it's from a relative...I've been waiting for his reply for weeks...they're joining my grandchild's 100 days party!
Peter exits to join his WIFE in the living room.
PETER: The last party of five attending...we can finalize our guest list now...
WIFE: Let me double-check with you the guest list...
Later, Peter returns to the bedroom. It's already 9:45pm.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 22:30
Peter uploads an image to a draft on his laptop. It shows the plasters and the dental flossers that he bought on Tuesday.
PETER (V.O.): Mondays are for beginnings. Fridays are for endings. But Tuesdays? Tuesdays are for the in-between. I've spent 72 years in the in-between. I don't always seek adventure.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Tuesday man often seek the familiar- the same store, the same bay, the same lottery. Familiarity is a quiet conversation with time. Even the most ordinary Tuesday will tell me something I've never heard before.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I know that victories aren't measured by their size. They're measured by how much of my heart I invest in the attempt.
The END
FADE OUT
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