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Writer's picturePeter K F Cheung SBS

It's Done

  1. FADE IN


  2. Act 1


  3. INT. DINING ROOM - 08:45


  4. Finishing breakfast, PETER leaves grabbing a car key and a smart card with him.


  5. EXT. PARKING BAY - 09:00


  6. Having parked a cyber-green New Beetle, Peter gets out of the car.


  7. PETER (V.O.): Fetching the car for my wife would save her a few minutes of precious time before going to work.


  8. Peter waits near the car.


  9. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I was with Government, my driver used to wait here. It's done.


  10. Soon, Peter's WIFE appears to take the driver seat.


  11. PETER (V.O.): When we're courting, I coached her to drive. Now, she drives better

  12. than me.


  13. Peter sees his wife driving off.


  14. Act 2


  15. INT. STUDY - 09:30


  16. Peter checks Yahoo!Finance on his smart phone screen.


  17. PETER (V.O.): The stock market is up today. Do I need to invest further?


  18. Checking some graphics, Peter sees an incoming WhatsApp message: Driving test passed. Will return to Tokyo later today.


  19. PETER (V.O.): Passing the driving test behind the wheel the first time?


  20. Smiling, Peter types and posts his reaction right away. He also sees other messages in the chat group.


  21. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My family members are quick to congratulate too.


  22. Smiling.


  23. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No longer a learner driver, we're all very proud of her.


  24. Peter then sees an incoming image of a certificate in Japanese.


  25. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Her 15-day residential driving course is unique. She also learned how to do first aid, jump-start a car and fix a snow tire.


  26. Later, Peter sees another incoming remark: Less than 10 of us passed.


  27. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Wow! Let me celebrate by investing in a branding stock today! I'll buy at the last asking price.


  28. Having done his order via the Heng Seng Bank App, Peter sees another incoming image with the caption: Last meal here.


  29. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I understand the mixed emotions. It always seems impossible until it's done. When it's done, it's done.


  30. Peter sees another message: Will take the 13:25 coach, arriving in Shinjuku by 17:00. May have noodles in Tam Jai.


  31. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Do celebrate!


  32. Having posted his reaction, Peter sees another message: Will resume working tomorrow.


  33. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): If she failed, she'd have to rearrange many things.


  34. FLASHBACK


  35. EXT. KWAI CHUNG - EVENING (1975)


  36. Roads. Inside a 1973 yellow Ford Cortina, the driving BOSS (29) chats with Peter (21).

  37. DRIVER: Peter, if you pass your driving test, I'll sell this car to you at a good price.


  38. Peter smiles.


  39. EXT. LAU FAU SHAN - NIGHT (1975)


  40. Village roads. Under instruction, Peter drives a white Datsun 1200 bearing registration no. AZ611 and a "Learner" plate.


  41. PETER (V.O.): The instructor is my Dad's former colleague.


  42. PETER: Master, I believe you like the registration no. "611" a lot - its sum is "8" and sounds like "richness" in Cantonese.


  43. MASTER: No, I just hope that I can "earn a pair of chopsticks" - to put food on the table.


  44. PETER: Incidentally, I'd like to practise more hours as I want pass the driving test the first time.


  45. EXT. TAI PO ROAD - DAY (1975)


  46. A reverse-parking testing area. Driving nervously with an EXAMIINER sitting by his side, Peter reverse a white Datsun and parks it not totally within a parking lot's boundaries.


  47. END FLASHBACK


  48. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I failed. But the most upsetting thing was that I had to wait a year to re-take the road test.


  49. Pausing.


  50. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That my fondest hope didn't work out as expected was a great disappointment to me, my family, and my boss.


  51. Act 3


  52. INT. DINING ROOM - 21:00


  53. Having dinner, Peter and his WIFE chat.


  54. PETER: I'm so happy that our elder daughter has passed her road test.


  55. WIFE: While she still has to sit an official written test before getting a driving licence, it shouldn't be difficult for her.


  56. Peter nods.


  57. PETER (V.O.): We didn't pass our driving tests the first time. Our elder daughter is brilliant.


  58. Pausing.


  59. PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yesterday, we hoped that our daughter could pass her road test today. Now, it's done, it's no more impossible.


  60. THE END


  61. FADE OUT



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