FADE IN
Act 1
EXT. GRAND COLOANE RESORT, MACAO - 01:00
At the room veranda, PETER & his WIFE stand together under the starlit sky.
PETER: What a serene and beautiful sight!
Taking out an iPad Mini, Peter's wife opens a constellation app. When the device is facing the starlit sky, we see on screen a lit-up pattern of three bright stars in a row.
WIFE: This is Orion - the most recognizable one.
PETER: Remember the first time we watched the constellations together?
Peter's wife remembers.
WIFE: During a sunrise tour to Mt Bromo in Indonesia, soon after we got married.
PETER: The second time was at a Da Nang beach in 2017, before I began working in retirement.
His wife continues to appreciate constellations shown on screen.
PETER (V.O.): Now's the third time - in 30 years.
Act 2
INT. GRAND COLOANE RESORT, MACAO - 02:00
Connecting rooms. Via a shared door, Peter's younger DAUGHTER comes in to check a few things with the mother.
PETER (V.O.): We enjoy the room benefits as well as the convenience of close proximity.
The daughter returns to her room and closes the shared door.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Her room has twin beds. One for her and one for her friend.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): We've just watched their idol's concert in the Londoner Arena, Macao.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): It's their idol, not the parents, that keeps pushing them forward.
EXT. GRAND COLOANE RESORT, MACAO - 10:30
Verandas. As Peter and his wife are watching the sea view in one, their daughter and her FRIEND greet them from the adjoining one.
WIFE: The view is captivating, right?
DAUGHTER: Not as captivating as this old photo...
Their daughter shows them a phone image, depicting a baby girl posing at a look-a-like veranda.
DAUGHTER (Cont'd): I was here when I was about one and a half years old!
WIFE: Oh, we brought you...that must be 2001.
PETER: All I can recall is that I stayed in this resort before.
WIFE: Your elder sister and elder brother had to attend kindergarten; and that's why we only brought you here.
PETER: Why were we here?
WIFE: After giving her birth, I attended and completed HKU's PCLL and we needed a break.
PETER: We travelled a lot with her before she attended nursery.
INT. RESTAURANT, RUA DO CUNHA - 12:30
Local cuisine fill the table. The daughter shows Peter and his wife a then-and-now image of her at the veranda.
WIFE: Just can't image how you've changed from childhood to adulthood.
PETER (V.O.): We've physical changes too, but our emotional connection develops as well.
INT. FRITES, BELGIUM ON TAP - 19:30
A table adorned with a stylish candle-like lamp. In the presence of their younger SON and younger daughter, Peter places a gentle arm on his wife's shoulder.
PETER: Today's our 30th wedding anniversary. Thank you for celebrating it with us!
Pausing.
PETER (Cont'd): Do you know why we chose to get married on Boxing day? It isn't the end of a holiday yet!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.): My elder son is still in New York.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Our elder daughter is in Seoul, and Boxing day there is just an ordinary day.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): Once in Kota Kinabalu, my family had fun in three connecting hotel rooms, but we missed the starlit sky.
Act 3
EXT. ROADS - 22:30
Sitting in a passenger seat of a Mercedes, Peter watches the nightscape of Hong Kong island.
PETER (V.O): I prefer to watch the starlit sky, as I feel the vastness of universe and my connection with it.
Checking a draft's insert, depicting a white-haired couple on phone screen.
PETER (V.O.)(Cont'd): When I talk about the past such as my wife and I under the starlit sky, I reflect on my life journey and how far we've come.
Peter stares at the insert.
PETER (V.O) (Cont'd): In celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary with our children present in Hong Kong, we cherish our commitment to the family as well as our enduring love.
FADE OUT
THE END
Peter K F Cheung SBS
Comments