Cwmderi Diary 2017: 14 July 2017

Dai and DJ have finished their bed-assembly

Dai and DJ have installed the bed downstairs at Bryntirion, but Linda looks at it with disgust.

"You'll be able to watch television in bed now"

“You’ll be able to watch television in bed now,” Dai tells her,

The prospect fills Linda with horror

and goes to make a cup of tea.

In the kitchen, DJ informs his father that he is trying too hard, and that he should give her a chance.

"I know how to keep my mouth shut when Diane's around"

“Where’s Diane?” asks Dai, “I know how to keep my mouth closed when she’s around.” DJ had anticipated that it would be rather a shock to his mother. “I’m a bit out of my depth here!” admits Dai,

"How do you think Mam is feeling?"

so DJ demands how he thinks Mam is feeling.

"I'll go and fetch your night things"

Linda asks DJ to bring her case downstairs.

Interesting information about the bus service to Cwmderi

Macs is looking at buses from Cwmderi to Carmarthen, and train times from there to Cardiff. Siôn comes in smiling, but is concerned to see what is on the screen.

"Were you going to leave, just like that?"

“Were you going to leave, just like that, without telling me? Why not discuss it with me?”

Macs replies there is no point in him being there;

"There's no future here for me"

“I’m only fooling myself that I have any kind of future here.”

"Are you turning your back on your daughter again?"

Siôn asks him if he is going to turn his back on his little daughter again, and insists she deserves better than that.

"That's why I'm going"

“Exactly – that’s why I’m going,” Macs answers.

Siôn is adamant; “She deserves the love you can give her as a father. Let’s not discuss it tonight – we can watch a film, have a glass of wine

"Your favourite – sausage and chips!"

“and I’ll cook dinner – sausage and chips, your favourite.” Macs points out it was his favourite when he was about six, but he agrees to this proposal, and Siôn goes to the village.

"You've started drinking early"

In the Deri, Gaynor remarks that Diane has started drinking early, and asks what is the problem. Diane welcomes the company;

"I'm ignoring my duty"

“I’m here because I’m ignoring my duty in the hope that it will disappear. It’s so difficult to face it.”

"Talking about it might help"

Gaynor suggests that talking about it might help, but only if she wants to; she promises that she can keep a secret.

"I'm too much of a coward to go home"

“They’re putting a hospital bed in the lounge today for Linda, and I’m here because I’m too much of a coward to go home – I know I’ll be upset, and I don’t want to be, in front of Linda.

"I'm worried I'll say something without thinking"

“I’m worried I will say something without thinking – that it’s a nuisance or in the way or something, and that Linda will hear me.”

Gaynor thinks that when she sees the bed she will know exactly what to say – and what not to say.

"Why are you not with Dr Dishy?"

Diane asks what is her excuse for being here instead of being home with Dr Dishy.

"Why don't we go out to Llansteffan?"

At Bryntirion, Dai suggests going out, to Llansteffan or somewhere, and get fish and chips on the way back,

"No, I don't feel like chips"

but Linda tells them to go, as she does not feel like chips. Neither does she want a sandwich,

Linda wants to get changed for bed . . .

but would like to get changed for bed.

. . . but Dai objects to being stuck in the kitchen

Dai is of the opinion that they need a better arrangement this, with them stuck in the kitchen; “We need to make proper arrangements so your mother gets some peace to do her ablutions. Where is Diane when she is really needed?

Linda secretes the pills under her pillow

Meanwhile, Linda is hiding her bottle of pills under the pillow.

Ffion's babysitter has let her down

Out in the street, Ffion tells Siôn that she has to referee a netball match tonight, and Elinor was supposed to babysit;

"Something has come up, as it tends to do"

“But of course something’s come up, as it tends to do!”

"You've obviously forgotten who's staying with you"

Siôn says that he may have the solution to her problem; he could have Arwen. “You’ve obviously forgotten who’s staying with you!” she replies,

Siôn comes out with a calculated and bare-faced lie

but he lies that Macs has gone away for the day, and is staying with a friend in Swansea.

"Are you sure he won't be back?"

“Are you sure he won’t be back?” she asks, and when Siôn assures her that he will not, she accepts his offer; Siôn tells her that if she rings when she gets back, he will bring Arwen home.

"It could be the most romantic time you'll ever have!"

Diane gives advice to Gaynor that she would make sure the relationship continued, even though they are apart; “It could be the most romantic time you will ever have! Trust me, life is too short to waste time worrying about what you could – or should – do.”

"I have a talent for choosing the wrong men"

Gaynor is concerned that she has a talent for choosing the wrong men – ones that break hearts, but Diane points out that she will only know if she takes the plunge.

"Isn't it worth fighting for?"

“It sounds to me that you’re both in a good place in this relationship – isn’t that worth fighting for? And there is one bonus – you’ll be closer to Gretna Green!”

Macs is ready to make a clandestine exit

As Macs comes downstairs, with his luggage, he hears his father arriving, so hurries back upstairs.

"There's an extra one for dinner tonight"

When he returns, Siôn advises him, “There’s an extra one for dinner tonight – I hope you don’t mind!” He introduces Arwen to Macs,

Arwen takes Macs' hand

who extends his hand, and she steps forward and grasps it. “Now that we know each other, why don’t we start cooking dinner? Go upstairs and wash your hands, Arwen,” says Siôn,

Off goes Arwen up the stairs

and she dutifully does so.

Siôn explains that she knows her way around the house,

"Ffion – ill?"

as she stayed there when Ffion was ill,

"Back on the bottle"

adding, “When she was back on the bottle,” which causes Macs some concern.

"Sorry, I can't leave Cwmderi"

Gaynor has summoned Dr Pritchard to come to Llwyncelyn, and tells him she has made a decision; “I can’t leave Cwmderi – sorry!”

"That's quite understandable"

He replies that it is quite understandable, but she continues, “I don’t want to say goodbye to you either – what we have makes me very happy.

"We could try to make it work from distance?"

“So I suggest that we try to make it work from a distance.” He says that he thinks it is a very good idea.

They do not look enthralled by the new arrangement . . .

Dai, Diane and DJ sit miserably in the lounge,

. . . sitting, watching Linda sleep

looking at Linda asleep in her bed; they get up, and Dai wants go and get some food,

"I only had crisps for dinner!"

as he only had a packet of crisps for his dinner. Diane urges him not to make this more difficult than it has to be, and they all go up to bed.

Arwen sits with her teddy . . .

As Arwen sits in the armchair at Y Felin,

. . . and Macs cannot take his eyes off her

Macs tells his father he cannot take his eyes off her. “My head is spinning – all this time I’ve wasted – all the time I’ve been without her –

"Why didn't you tell me before about Ffion?"

“I can’t believe it. Why didn’t you tell me before about Ffion?”

Siôn explains that it was because he was not in contact with them, and was not part of their lives at that time.

"Ffion was going through a difficult time"

“Ffion was going through a difficult time, and Britt and I were more than willing to help out.” Macs is grateful that he knows the situation now.

Gaynor compares the benefits of flying and the train

Consulting her laptop, Gaynor points out that the cheapest way for her to visit Elgan is to fly from Cardiff; “But the last flight leaves at 5:00pm, and I will never make it in time, after school. Or I could drive and catch a train, from Carmarthen to Edinburgh, leaving just after six.”

Elgan looks less than passionate about the idea

Elgan looks rather unenthusiastic, but tells her that this would be perfect; then she explains it would cost £400 and she would not arrive until 9:30 the following morning. When she suggests driving all the way,

"It's too far and too dangerous"

he tells her, “It’s too far and too dangerous,”

"Someone, somewhere is trying to keep us apart"

and she concludes that someone, somewhere is trying to keep them apart. “It looks like the decision is being taken away from us,” he advises her.

"What are you doing up at this hour, Diane?"

During the night, Diane comes downstairs and finds Linda awake.

"I have to make a sandwich for Dai"

Diane complains that Dai is keeping her awake because she did not cook him any dinner; “Muggins here has to come down and make him a sandwich, because he’d make too much noise.” Linda tells her that she is all right, but finds it strange being down here all night; she asks Diane to come and sit with her for a while.

"Come on, say it"

Diane sits down, but looks uncomfortable; “Come on, say it – I’m sure I can handle it,” Linda tells her,

"How about a sherry?"

and Diane suggests having a sherry.

"Who's that at the door?"

There is a knock at the door of Y Felin, and Siôn is dismayed to find that it is Ffion; “It got late and I thought it would be easier if I picked her up,” she tells him.

Ffion is furious

She is naturally outraged when she finds that Macs is there, and that Arwen is sleeping upstairs.

“Before you say anything, this was my idea,” says Siôn, “It’s only fair that Macs gets . . .”

"Go and get Arwen – right now!"

but she stops him and insists that he gets Arwen immediately.

"This shows I can't ever trust you!"

Macs pleads that he is only asking for a second chance, but she screams, “You’ve let people down time after time! Tonight only shows that I can’t ever trust you!”

"Choosing vodka over your daughter!"

He retaliates, “And you’re so reliable – choosing vodka over your daughter! You’re fooling yourself, Ffion – you don’t even remember how Arwen came into this world – and suddenly you’re an angel?”

"It's an illness!"

Ffion replies is that it is an illness.

"And you can't say when you will be 'ill' again!"

“And like every other illness, it’s impossible to say if or when you’ll be ‘ill’ again,” Macs alleges, but she insists that it is in the past and she will never turn back to it.

Ffion wastes no time in getting Arwen out of there

When Arwen is brought downstairs, Ffion hurriedly leaves with her, warning them, “Don’t come anywhere near us again – neither of you!”

"I never thought I'd be lost for words"

Diane admits that she never thought she would be lost for words, but Linda sympathises that she too finds this awkward.

Linda likens her situation to running a race

“I read somewhere about someone describing life as a race, and we’re all running full pelt for the finishing line. At the moment, I am in the lead, but if I look over my shoulder, everyone I’ve ever met, everyone I’ve ever loved – they are all just behind me.”

"I dreaded facing this"

Diane confesses that she did not come home tonight when she was supposed to, because she dreaded facing this. Linda says, “The fact that you and Dai are willing to have me here and witness this – well, not many people would be so brave. “You two are incredible!”

She moves in the bed and her bottle of pills falls on the floor,

Diane returns Linda's pills

so Diane returns them to her, fortunately without looking closely at them.

"I've been up there, dreaming of fish and chips!"

Then Dai comes down, moaning that he is up there, dreaming of fish and chips, and they are down here, enjoying themselves. “Sorry, but I have to have something to eat!” he grumbles.

"We might come up with another idea"

Gaynor is still pondering, “If we sleep on it for another night, we might come up with an idea,” but Elgan thinks it is time he went, pointing out that there is nothing they can do,