Honouring the Past
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 10:00
In a tray of car keys, PETER picks up the ones for the Toyota Previa.
PETER (V.O.): I'm going to pick up my brothers and their spouses in Hung Shui Kiu.
Peter takes a look of his WIFE sleeping in a massage chair.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She mentioned that she'd drive to my ancestor's graveyards on her own.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My son will drive directly from his home to the venue.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Today is the Ching Ming Festival, a day of great significance that surpasses a typical public holiday.
Peter leaves wearing a red shirt and a matching red golf cap.
Act 2
EXT. HUNG SHUI KIU - 11:15
Roadside. Peter grips the steering wheel. He glances in the rear mirror at his BROTHERS and their SPOUSES.
PETER (V.O.): I'm so happy that we're all in the same car.
Pausing.
PETER: Ready for Ching Ming?
Everyone nods, a mix of excitement and solemnity on their faces.
PETER (V.O.): This is the second time we go without our Mum.
EXT. GRAVEYARD, BASE OF NIPPLE MOUNTAIN - 11:30
Carrying bags of offerings and incense, the family arrives. Peter's SON and NEPHEW are already busy sweeping the graves.
PETER (V.O.): Good!
Soon, the families of Peter's COUSINS arrive.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm the eldest in the group, paying respect to our ancestors at the site.
Peter joins the group to clean the graves of Cheung Nam, Lee Sei and Wong Yau.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm the only one old enough to know their stories.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My grandfather died in 1962, his beloved concubine Wong in 1969, and my maternal grandmother Lee in 1973.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've a deep love of my maternal grandmother Lee, as she selflessly devoted herself to our family. Her sacrifices have instilled values that I cherish.
As the group lights the incense and presents the offerings, Peter chats with all.
PETER: It's important we keep this tradition alive.
Then, Peter's WIFE arrives to join them to pay tribute to the Cheung ancestors.
PETER (V.O.): Since we're husband and wife, she joins me, though she has never met my ancestors.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I believe she can feel their blessings; we've been married for over 30 years.
INT. RESTAURANT, HUNG SHUI KIU - 14:00
The family gathers around a large table filled with food.
PETER (V.O.): When our Mum could still join us, we never had a meal together like this because I was eager to pay tribute to my late Dad in Tsuen Wan.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Now we need to discuss how to manage the properties of our late Dad and Mum, especially since a portion of our family land in Tin Sum San Tsuen has been resumed for the construction of the planned MTR Hung Shui Kiu station.
PETER: A significant part of our family home will remain intact.
Peter's SON: It'll be just 200 meters from the planned MTR Hung Shui Kiu station.
PETER: It has now been proven that our parents' decision to move from Central to Tin Sum in 1960 was visionary.
PETER (V.O.): After the meal, I'll return to my NT home to remember my late wife Sharon.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And then, I'll visit our Mum in her elderly home in Kwu Tung. There's a chance she might not recognize me again.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My late Dad, like Sharon, will always hold a special place in my heart. I believe he'd understand any delay in the rituals.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 21:00
Peter inserts an AI drawing titled: "Honouring the Past..." to a draft on his laptop.
PETER (V.O): To honour the past is to weave the fabric of our identity.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): The stories of our ancestors are the compass guiding us through life.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In remembering our roots, we grow stronger as a family.
FADE OUT
END
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