When Silence Speaks
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Apr 4, 2025
- 3 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 10:00
Cluttered with memories. PETER sits on a sofa, reading WhatsApp messages.
PETER (V.O.): Oh, a chambermate who was four years older than me has passed away.
Reading.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Why do people always respond with "Rest in Peace"?
Researching.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The phrase does imply that life is often filled with struggles and turmoil.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I don't respond with "Rest in Peace" because I believe in hoping for serenity in life.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I responded with an "Oh" when I learned that my good friend Sam passed away.
Act 2
EXT. ESTATE PARK - 16:00
A warm sun. Peter sets Dai Gou, the family turtle, on the grass. He watches him crawl, lost in thought.
PETER (V.O.): You're the only one who listens, aren't you?
Peter kneels beside Dai Gou, touching his head affectionately.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But I don't know where my wife has gone. Our maid told me that she won't come home for dinner.
FLASHBACK
EXT. STREET - RIVERSIDE PARK - 13:45 (Today)
On his way home, Peter bumps into his WIFE, who is pushing a pet carrier on a trolley.
PETER (V.O.): So early in the day?
They exchange a glance but say nothing. Peter silently follows them as they walk toward the riverside park.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She has dressed up too. She must have an engagement scheduled shortly after.
Later, as KAJI, the family pet, relieves itself, Peter watches from a distance.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I know my wife wants to maintain her distance from me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's all because she knew I couldn't tolerate the narcisistic individual she has been associating with anymore.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Based on her demeanour, it's clear she prefers that individual over me.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Weeks ago, when we're here and she needed my help while I was preoccupied with my phone, she simply called me "Hay," while I always call her "Darling".
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Now, I realize it's dismissal, and only I have played my part.
RETURN TO PRESENT
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She has shut me out for days. And silence leads to emotional distance.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): After swimming and feeling tired, I intended to take a nap before coming here, but the silence was deafening.
Following other PASSERS-BY, we then observe Dai Gou energetically climbing up a flower bed, but without success.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He's showcasing the strength of a small turtle.
As soon as Dai Gou successfully climbs the flower bed, we hear a round of applause.
INT. LIVING ROOM - 18:00
Peter sits before the piano, fingers hovering above the keys.
PETER (V.O.): Suddenly, I want to play something different.
Peter begins to play a soft melancholic tune, filling the void of silence.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm learning to accept changes in relationships.
Then, he stops.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I may be old, but I'm not done living yet.
Peter's frustration is boiling over.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:00
Peter inserts an AI drawing titled: "When Silence Speaks..." to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O): Silence can be a canvas, it paints the emotions we daren't voice.
In the background, the Beatles' iconic song "Help!" fills the air.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): Amidst the quiet, silence becomes the loudest cry for understanding.
We hear Earl Grant singing: At the end of a rainbow, you'll find a pot of gold... .
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In the stillness of silence, truths often whispers louder than words.
FADE OUT
END
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