FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - DAY
Seeing his WIFE waking up and grabbing her phone to check something, we hear a panic scream.
WIFE: Oh My God!
PETER: What's the matter?
WIFE: Apart from the sore throat, our younger daughter is having coughs too! I'll ask her to ring the Centre for Health Protection Hotline.
Peter keeps his silence.
INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY
His wife gets a message.
WIFE: The Centre will arrange transport to take our younger daughter for testing. The process would take over 8 hours. The homeward-bound trip has to be self-arranged.
PETER: Of course. If the test is negative, it's OK for her to come home by herself.
WIFE: I'm going out to buy some food for her.
His wife exits.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Health is real wealth. In times of a pandemic, staying healthy is easier said than done.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. SITTING ROOM - NIGHT
Checking a phone message, Peter smiles.
PETER (V.O.): A music friend suggests that since the pandemic is known as COVID-19, I might compose 19 songs.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The coronavirus scare means very little to me. I didn't have the mood to compose songs due to the negative impact of a death threat I got in February about settling domain name disputes.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As Hong Kong is stepping up its social distancing, I'm quite free and should be more creative.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My music friends observes that great composers wrote a number of symphonies before they kicked the buckets.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): To write 19 songs seems to be a great challenge, but I believe it can be done. How about a song a day?
END FLASHBACK
His wife returns.
WIFE: I saw an ambulance downstairs.
PETER: Probably the one to pick up our younger daughter. I'm going out.
WIFE: What for?
PETER: I want to see her off!
WIFE: Don't get too close!
Nodding, Peter rushes out.
EXT. ESTATE STREET - DAY
Passing by an ambulance, Peter stations at the opposite side of the street and has a smart phone in hand ready to shoot.
PETER (V.O.): Apart from me, my other family members would like to see the scene too. It's a new life experience for all.
Seeing ambulance men and his daughter approaching the ambulance, Peter takes a few photos. He then taps on the phone screen.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That's how we can support each other via chat groups during these social distancing days.
EXT. PARK - DAY
Wet. As he walks towards an open space, Peter sees it is being enclosed by white-and-orange-striped ribbons.
PETER (V.O.): I was here yesterday night. And now, even this small open space is not open.
Act 3
EXT. PARK - CONTINOUS
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Since there aren't other users, I'll practise my Waltz footwork along the jogging track.
Peter practises Natural Turn, Rock-Rock-Rock, Reverse Turn, Whisk, and Chassis in Open Promenade Position. He then repeats the Waltz footwork.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, I got them.
INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY
Peter enters.
WIFE: We've done the best we can for our daughter.
Peter nods.
PETER: But for the coronavirus scare, having a sore throat and a few coughs aren't uncommon.
WIFE: I wish her well too.
Pausing.
WIFE (Cont'd): We won't eat out tonight.
PETER: Okay.
PETER (V.O.): We aren't in the right mood.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): At least our daughter is in Hong Kong. If she's still in the UK and we hear her discomfort, we'd be very depressed...
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - NIGHT
Peter is in bed.
PETER (V.O.): This pandemic makes me feel deeper what's primal in life. If our younger daughter is tested negative for the COVID-19, I'd first invite my wife to dance Waltz in our sitting room and then write as many songs as I can in my mini-study.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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