Cwmderi Diary 2017: 11 April 2017

Eileen has had a bad night

Just before 9:00am, Eileen is already up, and tells Jim that she has not been able to sleep;

"I'm going for a shower"

he confirms that she has been tossing and turning all night. When he goes for a shower, she takes out her phone,

Eileen almost rings Colin

but cannot bring herself to dial Colin’s number.

"You'll be late for school"

Outside the shop, Chester creeps up on Hannah, who tells him he will be late for school and shows him a message she has just received from Diane;

Chester left something behind at Bryntirion

a photo of Chester’s hat with the words, “You’ll have a job explaining this, madam.” She demands how Chester could be so stupid – it is supposed to be a secret.

"Do we have to stop dating?"

He is concerned that they will have to stop dating, but she replies, “We need a plan – we must show that we’re a good influence on each other – and stop leaving clues around the place – OK?”

"Not a burial at sea?"

Britt goes to see Colin at Llwyncelyn, asking, “He didn’t want to be buried at sea, did he?” Colin tells her he wanted to be buried with Mam,

"I don't know if I can afford it"

but he does not know if he can afford that.

When Gaynor had gone to the village to do some shopping,

"When are you coming home, Colin?"

Britt asks Colin when he is coming home, but he does not like the thought of leaving Gaynor on her own in the house. As she leaves, Anita arrives, having been summoned by a text from Colin;

"What's the matter?"

she wonders what is the matter.

"Dad has died"

“Dad has died, in his sleep – after sharing a bottle of wine with some random woman,” Colin says, “Or perhaps not so random!”

"Well, it wasn't me!"

Anita assures him that it was not her, and predicts that he will miss his father terribly.

"The Periodic Table?"

At home, Britt finds Chester studying the Periodic Table, and asks why he has a book on chemistry;

"I'm fed up with people saying I'm stupid!"

“I’m fed up with people saying I’m stupid!” Britt is quite amazed, but he goes on,

"Hannah persuaded me"

“Hannah persuaded me – don’t you want me to use my brain? Are you worried that I’m cleverer than you?” Britt sincerely hopes that he is, as he adds, “I’m trying to do something good here, Mam.”

"I've been away for some 'me' time"

Jim is in the Deri, and Dani says she has not seen him for days; “I’ve been away for some ‘me’ time, as they say,” he tells her, “I’m very well, to be honest – I love my wife, and my friends, and the community I live in!”

"Not turned into a hippy, have you?"

Dani suspects that he has turned into a hippy or something, but he insists, “I’ve been miserable for far too long – I need to be positive and do something for the community.”

"I've got a cupboard that needs fixing"

Dani says there is a cupboard upstairs that needs fixing, so he immediately offers to do it, right now.

The mystery woman is the hot topic

Having heard the news, Diane asks Anita, “Don’t they know who the woman was?”

"I'm waiting for a delivery"

Eileen tells them she has not been to see Colin yet, as she is awaiting a delivery.

Hannah walks in, wanting a word with Diane,

"Does he want his hat back?"

who enquires, “Does he want his hat back?” and is adamant that Chester is trouble. “You should be ashamed of yourself, seeing him behind my back!”

"I can help him turn over a new leaf!"

Hannah pleads that she can help him turn over a new leaf,

Anita listens to this argument . . .

but is still told, “If I have to, I will send you back to your Mam!” After Hannah has gone,

. . . and then gives her opinion

Anita is incredulous that Diane would do such a thing, but Diane is unmoved; “If it’s the only way to keep her away from that boy, yes!”

"Have you forgotten what it's like to be in love?"

“Anita demands, “Have you forgotten what it’s like to be young and in love?” Diane simply glowers at her.

Britt has an unexpected request

Britt visits Y Felin and asks Siôn, “Would you give Chester private lessons? He says he wants to learn.”

Siôn is rather doubtful that Chester wants to learn

Siôn exhibits some scepticism about this, and realises that Britt wants more of a carer than a tutor.

She insists that Siôn is the best person for the job, as he knows more than many teachers;

"If Chester's willing, so am I!"

“If Chester is willing, so am I,” he replies.

At Bryntirion, Diane asks what Hannah meant when she said Chester had turned over a new leaf;

"I'll be on the other side of the world"

“Does it matter?” Hannah answers, “I’ll be on the other side of the world. He thinks I’m a good influence on him, and he is on me too.

"He has persuaded me to study in Welsh"

“He has persuaded me to study through the medium of Welsh – but that won’t happen if I go back to Australia.”

"You know I'm not going to send you back"

Diane’s stance softens as she tell Hannah, “You know I’m not going to send you back, but I don’t know if I can trust Chester.”

"He really wants to try his best!"

Hannah assures her that he really wants to try his best, but he cannot without her help; she will do anything to prove that they are serious. “Go and make your grandmother a cup of tea, then,” smiles Diane.

Gaynor meets the doctor again

Outside the shop, Gaynor meets Dr Pritchard, and says she has hardly slept. He replies that if the problem continues, to come and see him at the surgery, where she could be prescribed some sleeping pills. She is surprised, thinking that doctors were reluctant to offer things like that, but he considers them justified in the circumstances.

"You wouldn't misuse sleeping pills"

“You don’t strike me as someone who would misuse them,” he adds, and heads towards the surgery.

Siôn is worried about the surgery closing

He is then met by Siôn, who tells him, “I’m running a campaign for patients concerned about the future of the surgery. I have a special connection with the place, as my wife was a doctor here.”

"Want to come in for a chat?"

He and the doctor go inside for a chat.

"You were rather hard on Dr Pritchard"

Gaynor arrives back at Llwyncelyn, where she scolds Colin for being so hard on Dr Pritchard last night.

"I should go back to Britt"

Colin says he has been thinking that he should go back to Britt, as he has hardly seen her,

Gaynor does not want to be left on her own

but Gaynor begs him to stay, as she cannot bring herself to go into that bedroom.

Then Eileen comes visiting, and looks upstairs anxiously as she comes in;

Eileen tries not to look guilty

Colin asks her, “Have you heard about the mystery? It seems that someone was here with Dad. We’d like to know who it was – she might know something about his final hours.” Eileen suddenly asks if she can use the toilet, and goes upstairs.

Dr Pritchard now knows Siôn's marital history

Siôn has apparently told Dr Pritchard all about his troubles, and reveals that no-one knows where Gwyneth is now.

"I came to talk about the surgery"

Then he apologises and says that he really came here to talk about the surgery. The doctor, who we learn studied Psychology at university,

"I'll try and extend my contract"

will look into the possibility of extending his contract to six months, which pleases Siôn.

Eileen searches the bed for that locket . . .

Eileen goes into the bedroom and begins searching the bed for her locket; then she kneels down, as she looks underneath the bed.

. . . then looks underneath

Colin appears in the doorway, asking what she is doing.

"Silly old custom I've been doing for years"

Eileen quickly thinks up an improbable excuse; “It’s a silly old custom – I’ve been doing it for years – praying for the departed, in the exact spot they died.”

"That's a lovely idea"

Colin considers this to be a lovely idea,

Eileen intones her impromptu prayer

and joins her, kneeling at the foot of the bed. Eileen improvises, in suitably reverential tones,

“O Father, hear our prayer for your son, Sam.

Take gentle care of him, give him mercy and forgive his sins.

Amen”

Colin found that quite moving

Colin is most appreciative; “Very nice, Eileen! Beautiful!”

"Private lessons? With Siôn?"

Chester cannot believe his ears; “Private lessons?” Britt says that as he was so keen to learn, she thought he would be glad. “Yes – but with Siôn?” he exclaims.

Then the buzzer sounds, and Hannah, together with Diane, comes upstairs.

Hannah is joining him at school . . .

Hannah imparts the news that she is going to register in the sixth form at Ysgol y Mynach; Chester is overjoyed.

. . . but Diane has conditions

Diane points out, “On condition that you both work hard and behave yourselves, you can carry on seeing each other. They’ll be in the same school – how are we going to keep them apart?” she asks Britt.

They seem quite happy about the development

Hannah and Chester look deliriously happy.

"I don't want to be paid!"

Jim has repaired Dani’s cupboard, and refuses a free pint in payment; I don’t want to be paid – that’s the whole point – I enjoyed doing it! Maybe I should start a business,” he tells her. She suggests it could be called ‘Jim’s Jobs’,

"Jim's Jobs – I like that!"

a name which he quite likes. “If I design a flyer, could you print a few copies for me?” he asks Dani.

"Don't let the bad news drag you down"

Anita comes into the Deri, and Jim advises her that she must not let the bad news about Sam drag her down; “After all, we all die, so there’s no point worrying about it!

"Grief is some kind of illness!"

“I think grief is some sort of illness – it’s obvious, isn’t it?

"I know better than anyone!"

“Look at me – I know better than anyone!”

Britt goes to see Colin at Llwyncelyn and asks if he has contacted Yvonne; he realises he has forgotten to do this, but fortunately Gaynor did it for him.

"Why don't you come home?"

“Why don’t you come home, where you belong?” asks Britt, “We’re all waiting for you.”

Colin is in rather a quandary

Colin does not know what to say.

Jim is enthusiastic about his idea . . .

Back at the shop flat, Jim tells Eileen that no-one else does odd jobs, so there would be plenty of work, and it would keep him busy, doing a service for the community.

. . . but Eileen is certainly not

Britt is somewhat scathing about the idea; “Do you realise what you’re saying? Without pay, you won’t bring a penny into the house! That’s not how the world goes round –