To the Buoy and Back
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Aug 26
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. BEDROOM - 08:30
PETER puts his goggles and a bottle of sunblock into a red bag,
PETER (V.O.): On my way back to my house in NT to continue tidying up, I'll take a detour to Golden Bay for a swim.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The nice estate swimming is just a short elevator ride away, but it has become unappealing to me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the pool, I feel confined, surrounded by concrete and tile. The water in summer is similar to an onsen.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Although swimming in the pool is safe, I prefer the sense of freedom that comes with being in the bay.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And I love the ritual that refreshes my soul.
Act 2
EXT. GOLDEN BAY - 12:30
Sunny, Wearing simple shorts, a T-shirt and carrying a bag, Peter walks towards the sand.
PETER (V.O.): The beach is moderately busy.
Peter finds his spot, a familiar patch of sand near a lifeguard tower. He strips down to his black and pink swimming trunks. He scans the swimming area.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd):A lifeguard is rowing a raft near the floating barrier, but no swimmers are nearby,
Peter steps into the water.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me swim towards him.
Peter begins to swim.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The water is clear and cool. Great!
A strong practised front crawl, He cuts through the water with quiet efficiency, heading straight for the boundary of the swimming area, marked by a line of orange buoys.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I don't swim to the buoy to prove I am not old; I swim to prove I am still alive.
Upon reaching the floating barrier, Peter gribs an orange buoy tightly.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The greatest risk is not the water that carries me, but the shore that makes me forget how to swim.
As he treads water, a tanned LIFEGUARD paddles by on a raft, and their eyes meet.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): An eye contact can hold a deeper gratitude than a thousand words should over the waves.
A small smile touches Peter's lips.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I wouldn't know the lifeguard's name, but I trust him with my life. Some bonds need no introduction.
Peter turns onto his back and floats, looking up at the vast sky.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm utterly at peace.
Later, Peter flips over and begins to swim back to shore.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): From the buoy, the sunbathers on the shore looked like beach boats, forgetting the very thing they are made for.
Peter swims freeastyle.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I wonder if they know the water isn't just for looking at, but for getting lost in.
Peter does a few butterfly strokes. Later, he spots a group of KIDS building sandcastle near the water's edge.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I was like that. Once.
Peter walks up the beach.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Youth is building castles in the sand. Age is understanding why I must still swim out to sea.
His eyes then sweep across the beach.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The sunbathers had settled in long before I arrived to swim.
Peter's gaze liingers on them.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They just lie there. Do they get the feeling of being suspended, weightless, far from the solid, predictable world?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's wonderful out there.
Peter walks back to his small pile of belongings,
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A little risk...makes one feel alive.
Picking up his stiuff, Peter goes to the bathroom.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Time to tidy my house in NT again - the task is never-ending.
Act 3
INT. BEDROOM - 22:00
Peter uploads an image of Golden Bay, where calm waters marked by buoys and the beach is dotted with sunbathers, to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O.): I'm a creature of habit not because I fear change, but because I've found the few things worth repeating.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The most important journey is the one I take every day, to the edge of myself and back.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To the buoy and back: a simple act that contained the entire circle of life - departure, journey, boundary, and return.
FADE OUT
END
Comments