Cwmderi Diary 2017: April 2017

"You must take these things to a charity shop"

At breakfast time in the chip shop flat, Britt tells Colin that he will have to take Sam’s things to the Maenan shop, or if not there, to town. “I thought you might prefer not to see Sam’s stuff in the village.”

Chester receives an order by text

Meanwhile, Chester is receiving a text, asking for a biology essay, but he tells his mother it is just from Hannah, who is helping with his work.

"We work well together!"

“We work well together!” he says. He goes to fetch his bag,

He is charging £30 this time

and texts a reply that it will cost £30.

"He wouldn't want you to worry about the money"

Britt tells Colin that Sam would not want him to worry about the money – but rather to enjoy it. She suggests, “We could find somewhere bigger to live!” but he is not ready to think about that.

"All his life – in this box!"

He just looks at the box, and muses that all his father’s life is contained in it. Britt reminds him that he still has his memories,

"I'm going to miss him terribly!"

but he is going to miss his Father terribly.

She assures him that things will get better, and Colin leaves for Maenan, as his father would want the things to go to local people.

"If only I knew what happened that night"

“If only I knew what happened on that last night,” he frets, and Britt looks very uncomfortable.

Gaynor has a list of jobs for Jim . . .

Gaynor has called Jim to her house as she has a list of jobs for him to do; putting a picture up, looking at the pipes under the sink, which might involve lifting the manhole outside.

. . . and she will get some Rawlplugs for him

He protests that he cannot do it today, as he does not have any Rawlplugs, but Gaynor insists that she will go to APD and buy some. “Start with the big jobs, and we’ll talk about pictures later,” she tells him.

He is beginning to feel 'used'

He gets the impression that someone is taking advantage of him.

Dai is uncomplimentary about Jim's venture

At Bryntirion, Dai is looking at the Cwm Ni magazine, and finds a flyer for ‘Jim’s Jobs’ inside; “What does he think he’s doing? ‘Jobs your husband won’t do’! He’s doing that out of spite!”

Chester arrives to see Hannah

Chester arrives, saying that he needs to go over some work with Hannah before school.

Hannah is confident she can find the right essay

“We need to find a biology essay for Rhian – can you start looking?” Hannah is pleased to assist, and he reminds her that she still needs to find the drama for Lowri.

Dai hurries them off to school

Dai informs them the school bell will have the rung before they are halfway there. He adds, “When I went out with the girl at your age, the boy would carry the bags.” They go to school, but Dai is sure they are up to something.

"At least they're behaving themselves"

“Leave them alone, Dai, at least they’re behaving themselves,” Diane scolds him.

Britt enters the shop, and tells Eileen,

Eileen's locket is placed on the counter

“I found this,” placing the locket on the counter. Eileen is very glad to see it and asks where Britt found it.

"I think you know the answer to that!"

“I think you know the answer to that!” Britt replies, “Were you and Sam together?” Eileen denies this; “Oh – just sleeping together? I’m not here to judge – these things happen,”

"Nothing did happen!"

but Eileen insists that nothing did happen.

“How did this end up in his bed, then?” Britt demands, “You were with him the night he died, weren’t you?” Eileen does not want to discuss it here,

Eileen shuts up shop

but closes the shop and they go upstairs.

Jim is about to get a soaking

the sink at Llwyncelyn, Jim deploys his wrench, and a jet of water drenches him.

"Oh, you fancied his father all along!"

In the shop flat, Britt says that she thought Eileen fancied Colin, but no, it appears to have been his father all along!

Eileen denies the very idea

Eileen states that she did not have ‘a thing’ for Colin, and certainly not for his father. Britt comments, “You have to admit that it’s funny.”

"He died in the bed – right next to me"

Eileen admits, “He died in the bed, right next to me – it has been a nightmare – I can't believe I just left him there!” Britt asks why she did not phone anyone; “That’s what I was going to do, but my head was all over the place,” Eileen tells her.

Britt consoles her, “You may have made a mistake, but there is no need to make yourself ill over it.

"Well, he had a lovely last night!"

“Sam had a lovely last night in your company – are you sure it was just ‘your company’ he had?”

Jim mops up the flooded kitchen

Jim is busy, mopping the floor at Llwyncelyn;

He has completed the other tasks

“I had an accident with the pipes,” he admits, “but I sorted the manhole, and fixed the bathroom shelf.”

“Well, I'm just in time with these!” says Gaynor, brandishing the wall plugs.

"Call a plumber next time!"

Jim has had enough, and tells her to call a plumber next time.

“You can keep your Rawlplugs!” he shouts, “Jim’s Jobs is a free service!”

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Jim!"

Gaynor is terribly upset, and regrets piling all these jobs on Jim. He laughs, having been thinking that Gaynor was a harsh woman,

"I haven't been sleeping much"

but she explains that she has not been sleeping well since Sam died.

Jim knows the feeling

Jim agrees he knows what that is like, and minutes seem like hours at night

“I understand you now why you're doing these jobs – to keep busy,” she tells him, but he now realises that he has gone about it the wrong way – he should start by helping himself.

"'Jim's Jobs' is now finished!"

He will not accept any payment from Gaynor, but decides that now ‘Jim’s Jobs’ is finished.

"Right, where's this picture?"

“Right, now – this picture,” he says.

Hannah tries to organise Chester

In the chippy at lunchtime, Hannah asks, “Is this the list of people who want essays, or those who have had them? Chester, sort yourself out!

"What we need is a website"

“Know what we need? A website – it would be safer – everyone is coming up to you at school.

Hello – it looks like another customer is on his way

“How long before the teachers realise that something dodgy is going on?”

"Thomas Cromwell – and make it good!"

At that moment Ricky comes in; he is desperate for an essay, as he has so much work to do. “Explain why Thomas Cromwell fell from power by 1540.”

Ricky is pleased to get mate's rates

Chester points out that it will cost him, probably £35, but he agrees on £20, because Ricky is a mate.

"Colin's a millionaire!"

Chester is confident that he will not need to make money this way much longer; “Haven’t you heard?” he says, “Colin is a millionaire!” Ricky cannot believe his ears.

"Congratulations, Colin!"

Colin is standing outside the charity shop when Ricky calls to him, “Congratulations!” As Colin appears puzzled,

"Chester says you're a millionaire!"

Ricky continues, “Chester says you’re a millionaire!”

Colin is far from impressed

Colin’s face falls, and Ricky considers it a good idea to walk away.

"This place is full of adulterers"

Britt remarks to Eileen, “This place is full of adulterers, if you ask me. Dai and Diane, Ffion Llywelyn, Hywel Llywelyn!”

"Yes, Hywel is the worst of the lot!"

Eileen agrees no-one is worse than him, but it is always the women who are judged.

"Jim would explode!"

Eileen fears, “If Jim thought I was having an affair with Sam, he would explode! I’m not going to tell him – I’m going to forget it and put it all behind me.”

"I can't keep this from Colin!"

Britt warns that he might find out, as she has to tell Colin; she cannot keep something like this from him – it would ruin their relationship. “What about my relationship with Colin – we work together?” demands Eileen.
Britt is adamant that she and Colin do not keep secrets,

"Please don't tell him!"

but Eileen begs her not to tell him; “What would Colin think – not to mention Jim?” Britt insists that Colin needs to know, and his well-being comes first.

"Jim's Jobs has done its last job!"

Jim arrives home and Eileen asks how things went with Gaynor; He growls, “You’ll be glad to know I’ve done my last job. She gave me loads of jobs – she misunderstood –

"This Sam business has affected her"

“this Sam business has affected her!” Britt leaves.

Gaynor visits the doctor

Gaynor goes to the surgery to consult Dr Pritchard; she feels that she is losing control.

Dr Pritchard asks some questions

The doctor suggests that they could try some other tablets, but he wants to ask about her situation first.

"I just can't forget about it"

She points out that Sam was her ex-husband’s father and her daughter’s grandfather. He can see that she is grieving, but she explains the fact that it happened at home means she cannot forget about it. She tells him that she lives alone, after having been divorced twice,

"Loneliness may have caused it"

and he suggests loneliness can cause worry and a lack of sleep.

“I'm always busy and I have a successful career –

"I'm on my own – so I must be lonely?"

“because I'm a woman living on my own, I must be lonely?” she asks. The doctor says he is speaking from personal experience. Gaynor apologises, saying that he must have struck a nerve – the lack of sleep is terrible thing, but so is loneliness.

Hannah has worked wonders . . .

Out of a printer comes an essay about Thomas Cromwell;

. . . and is complimented by Chester

“You’re a bit of whizz kid,” comments Chester,

The 'Essays for Cash' website

and she shows him a website, ‘Essays for Cash’, which is the source of the essays.

Britt returns home, so they quickly hide the evidence, telling her that they are getting their homework out of the way, so they can enjoy themselves.

"They're working you hard at school"

Britt comments that they are worked very hard at school; she will make something to eat,

"We need to be more careful!"

and Chester realises they need to be more careful. Hannah again emphasises that a website is the way forward.

"There he is – Judas!"

Dai and Diane come into the Deri, where Dai describes Jim as, “Judas!” Diane is surprised that Jim would do something so sly.

"I'm doing favours for people"

He insists that he is only being nice, and doing favours for people, although Dai and Diane would not understand that.

"Taking customers from Iolo as well!"

Dai rages, “Gaynor said you were playing with taps and washers – you’re taking away customers from APD – and Iolo!” Jim explains that he has stopped now, and has done the last of ‘Jim’s Jobs’, so Dai should stop his moaning.

"Haven't you heard? Colin's a millionaire!"

Colin is sitting at the other end of the bar, looking miserable; Dai tells Diane that this is Colin’s round; “Haven’t you heard? He’s a millionaire!”

"Yes, I inherited some money from Dad"

Colin acknowledges that, yes, he has inherited some money from his father, but he would swap every penny of it just to see him again.

"I can take a joke – when it's funny!"

“I can take a joke,” says Colin, “When it’s funny!” and he walks out of the pub.

"You haven't been here two minutes . . ."

Jim accuses Dai, “You haven’t been here two minutes, and you’ve upset everybody already!”

Gaynor is now talking about Hywel and Sheryl

In the doctor’s surgery, Gaynor explains, “They lost the baby, but they’ve adopted now, and I’m very happy for them.”

Dr Pritchard has a different idea . . .

Dr Pritchard replies that she has been through a lot, and asks if she would consider doing something different. “Yoga, Pilates, meditation? You need to make time for yourself to relax – no wonder you can’t sleep.