Waiting Inside An Afternoon

1. FADE IN

2. 
   

3. Act 1

4. 
   

5. EXT. YUEN LONG SWIMMING POOL - `15:00

6. 
   

7. Changing room. PETER stands beneath a wall-mounted dryer, letting its warm air gently dry his white hair. The soft hum of the machine fills the quiet room as he tilts his head, allowing the heat to work its magic.

8. 
   

9. PETER (V.O.): I swim to forget.

10. 
    

11. Peter moves with a deliberate calm. He buttons his shirt, packs his bag, and exits.

12. 
    

13. EXT. LONG NGAI PATH - 15:10

14. 
    

15. The sun is high. Peter walks along the path. He stops.

16. 
    

17. A group of people, predominantly elderly, standing in a long queue under a canopy.

18. 
    

19. At the head of the queue, two WOMEN in aprons from a nearby store hand out oranges.

20. 
    

21. PETER (V.O.): They're waiting for complimentary fruit.

22. 
    

23. Pausing.

24. 
    

25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I could join. I wouldn't stand out. I'm just another white head in the line.

26. 
    

27. Act 2

28. 
    

29. FLASHBACK

30. 
    

31. EXT. KUT SHING STREET, CHAI WAN - 14:30 (YESTERDAY)

32. 
    

33. Peter walks quickly, checking his phone time.

34. 
    

35. PETER (V.O.): I'm hungry, but I want to make sure I arrive at the Families Clinic on time.

36. 
    

37. He stops at a bakery counter. He points at the chicken pies in the display case.

38. 
    

39. PETER: One please.

40. 
    

41. A weary KEEPER retrieves one with tongs. But he doesn't hand over the pie. He stares at Peter, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

42. 
    

43. PETER (V.O.): Oh my gosh, he's worried that I might just grab the pie and dash away!

44. 
    

45. Peter reacts by tapping his JoyYou card on the reader. A BEEP. Only then does the keeper slide the pie across the counter, his gaze lingering on Peter as if he were a shoplifter.

46. 
    

47. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Being old and hungry equates to being dishonest?

48. 
    

49. Peter takes it. He unwraps it and eats it in two bites as he walks away.

50. 
    

51. RETURN TO PRESENT

52. 
    

53. INT. MAK'S NOODLE, YUEN LONG - 15:30

54. 
    

55. Elegant. Peter slides into a small, empty table. A WAITRESS comes over with a cup of tea.

56. 
    

57. PETER: Wanton noodle soup, large, please.

58. 
    

59. She nods and leaves.

60. 
    

61. Peter looks around. He's surrounded. At a table next to him, a well-dressed elderly MAN carefully lifts a spoonful of wanton noodle soup to his lips. At the opposite table, another well-dressed elderly WOMAN is meticulously adding chili oil to her bowl.

62. 
    

63. PETER (V.O.): I understand this scene perfectly.

64. 
    

65. Peter takes a sip of the tea, savouring its warmth and rich flavour.

66. 
    

67. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): These aren't people queuing for charity. These are people like me.

68. 
    

69. He finishes his cup of tea, relishing the last few sips as he sets the empty cup down with a satisfied smile.

70. 
    

71. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We've a little money. We've time, but we know it's running out.

72. 
    

73. The waitress returns, placing down a steaming bowl of wonton noodles.

74. 
    

75. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's a small, affordable luxury. A treat.

76. 
    

77. Peter picks up his spoon. He looks at the perfect wontons, the springy noodles, the fragrant soup. He takes a sip.

78. 
    

79.  PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It warms me from the inside.

80. 
    

81. The waitress comes again to refill his cup with steaming tea.

82. 
    

83. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm not in a queue. I'm at a table. I'm served without suspicion. I'm a customer.

84. 
    

85. Peter eats his noodles slowly, savouring every bite, surrounded by the quiet, dignified clinking of spoons.

86. 
    

87. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We're individuals with complex inner lives.

88. 
    

89. Peter takes another sip of his tea, enjoying the comforting warmth that envelops him.

90. 
    

91. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): An afternoon is just a sliver of a life, but when I'm old, it contains the whole of it.

92. 
    

93. Peter drizzles red vinegar onto his spoon, pairing it perfectly with a wonton.

94. 
    

95. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When time is perceived as limited, indulging in simple pleasures becomes a profound affirmation of life and a small act of rebellion against the narrative of decline.

96. 
    

97. Later, Peter settles his bill at the cashier, completing his meal with a satisfied nod.

98. 
    

99. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Maintaining the ability to pay for my own small luxuries is a crucial part of preserving identity and self-respect.

100. 
     

101. Act 3

102. 
     

103. EXT. ESTATE BUS STOP, YUEN LONG - 16:15

105. Peter stands at the end of the queue.

106. 
     

107. PETER (V.O.): Waiting is what the young do for the future.

108. 
     

109. There's no bus in sight.

110. 
     

111. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The old have stopped waiting for a specific future.

112. 
     

113. He doesn't check the phone time.

114. 
     

115. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Like me, they're experiencing the present without the pressure of what comes next.

116. 
     

117. He simply stands, waiting, inside the afternoon.

118. 
     

119. The END

120. 
     

121. FADE OUT