Cwmderi Diary 2017: 11 December 2017

Fried onions for Arwen?

Gethin is surprised to find Ffion frying onions; she explains that she could not sleep and thought she would stock up the freezer with Arwen’s favourite. “I might not have much time to cook afterwards,” she says,

"She will only be there a couple of nights"

but Gethin points out that she will only be in hospital for a couple of nights.

"We don't know what will happen!"

“You don’t know what will happen – none of us do!” she replies, “We’ll be leaving her in the hands of total strangers, who will be digging around in her little head.”

“Arwen adores Mr Patel, so he’s not a stranger – and we have to trust them,” Gethin advises.

"It's so hard, Geth!"

Ffion says that it is so hard, thinking about her having to go through this. “I’m more worried about you – you haven't slept for days!” he tells her.

"This place is full of germs!"

“If I clean Arwen’s room, can you vacuum and dust in here?” she asks, “She’ll be weak after the operation – and this place is full of germs!”

"You must calm down, Ffi"

Gethin urges her to calm down, and says he has to go to work; “Right, I will sort out everything myself!” she shouts.

He maintains that staying here in the flat all day is not going to do her any good; she should take Arwen for a walk or something.

"And let her catch a cold?"

“And let her catch a cold? Great! Just what she needs!” Ffion rages, “I don’t want to go anywhere – please let me do things my own way!”

"I haven't seen him for days!"

In the Deri, Britt is telling Garry that she has not seen Chester for several days, but Garry is not listening. “Has he said anything to you?” she asks,

"I think he's unhappy about the engagement"

“I’m worried he is unhappy about the engagement, and that’s why he isn’t at home much.”

"Hannah has worked miracles with him"

Garry points out that Chester is in love, and anyway, he does not live at Bryntirion. “He might as well – he’s always there!” she moans, and Garry says that Hannah has worked miracles with him, which is more than they have managed.

"Have you heard from Elgan?"

Gaynor comes in, and enquires if Garry has heard from Elgan; “He wasn’t at home and he hasn’t answered his phone all weekend,” she laments, “I’m worried about him because of the PTSD – that’s what this is.”

"PTSD? What PTSD?"

Garry looks at her blankly, so she refers to the ‘difficult times’ he was talking about last week.

"I thought it was a car accident"

“I thought a car accident was the reason for his depression – the one that killed his friends,” Garry replies, but Gaynor knows nothing of any car accident. “That’s why he couldn’t help you when the roof collapsed.”

"He saw terrible things when he was in the army"

“He saw some terrible things when he was in the army,” she begins, and Garry presumes that the roof collapsing triggered the PTSD. He had no idea about this,

"Why would Elgan lie?"

and wonders why Elgan would lie. Gaynor goes on, “He lied to you about the car accident – I don’t know what to believe!”

"No – his phone is turned off"

Garry tries to phone him, but again finds that his phone is turned off; Gaynor has no idea where to look for him.

"Can I have today off, Gar?"

Then Gethin comes in, wanting a day off today, but is turned down by Garry,

Garry is quite emphatic that he cannot

who insists that they have too much work to do.

"You're very popular today!"

Britt remarks that Garry is very popular today.

Chester finds the breadbin is empty

At Bryntirion, Chester finds that there is no bread left; “Well, you know where the shop is!” Dai tells him, “He eats like a horse, so it’s only fair that he contributes!”

"Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed!"

Chester concludes that someone got up on the wrong side of the bed.

"Is that to do with Martha?"

Diane explains that this is how he is when Christmas is around the corner; and she tells him the details,

"Dai and his first wife lost their little girl"

“Dai and his first wife lost their little girl, Martha, back in the 80s. This time of year brings it all back to him.”

"Crikey Moses! There's a tomcat out there now!"

Then Dai rushes in through the back door, complaining, “Crikey Moses! A tomcat has landed in the garden now! I’ve just seen him sniffing and doing his business out there!”

"Can we give him some food, Uncle David?"

Hannah wants to give him some food, as it is freezing out there. Dai is quite emphatic, “No way, José!

"Strays – like someone else round here!"

“That’s how strays are – like someone else around here!” Chester points out that he is allergic to cats.

"Let's go to the café for breakfast"

Diane proposes that they go to the café for breakfast;

"Don't be so hard on the boy, Dai!"

she urges Dai not to be so hard on the boy,

"I've got a lot on my mind"

but he protests that he has a lot on his mind, and is working on a quote for John.

"Shut your mouth! Chester is allergic to you!"

Then Dai hears the sound of a cat outside the kitchen door. He shouts that it can shut its mouth; “You’re not welcome here! Chester is allergic to you!”

Arwen is depressed about the operation

Ffion is dismayed when Gaynor pays her a visit; she remarks to Arwen, looks rather fed up, “There’s no peace, is there?”

Gaynor is an unwelcome visitor

Gaynor comes in and asks how things are, saying she just wants to wish them well for tomorrow.

"I've got a hundred and one things to do"

“Sorry – I’ve got a hundred and one things to do,” exclaims Ffion, hoping that Gaynor will take the hint,

Then Gaynor gets to the point

but instead she asks if Ffion has seen Elgan.

"You look a bit lost"

“Are you all right? You look a bit lost,” Ffion comments, and Gaynor lies that she is lost without her work. “Why not go for walk?” Ffion suggests,

"You could go to Coed y Mynach"

“You could go to Coed y Mynach [MONK WOOD] to collect holly for Christmas.” Gaynor replies that she might just do that.

Arwen is definitely concerned about her head

Arwen appears concerned about her head.

"I'm not quite sure why she came"

Then Hywel arrives, and wonders what is the problem with Gaynor; Ffion is not quite sure why she came.

Arwen has been given a new doll . . .

He has brought a present for Arwen from Esther to wish her well, and Arwen wastes no time in taking the doll out of the bag.

. . . and will introduce it to the others

“Why don’t you go and show her to the other dollies,” her mother suggests, and she does so.

The emotion overcomes Ffion

Ffion breaks down in tears and is comforted by Hywel;

"It's too much!"

“The whole thing is so upsetting,” she says.

"Come to the café with us"

He invites her to come to the café, as it is better than staying here and worrying, and Esther would love to see Arwen.

"Anyone want a top-up?"

In the café, Kelly tops up the coffee of Hannah, Chester and Diane; Hannah complains about living with Scrooge.

"Auntie Anita and me, staring at each other over the turkey!"

Kelly maintains that she cannot wait for Christmas; “Auntie Anita and me, staring at each other over the turkey – joy!”

Christmas in Oz is fab!"

Hannah recalls that Christmas in Australia is fab; “Everyone gets together for a barbie and a big party.”

Britt catches up with her long-lost son

Britt comes in and makes a great fuss of Chester.

Hannah show them pictures of . . .

Hannah shows them the photos on her phone of partying in the street

. . . Christmas, Aussie style

or on the beach, and Kelly has the idea that they should do the same thing in Cwmderi, although Diane thinks the weather is hardly suitable.

"Boring!"

Britt emphasises that Christmas is a time for families, with everyone enjoying themselves at home; Chester describes this as, “Boring!” and then drops the bombshell

"I shall be at Bryntirion with Hannah"

that he will be spending Christmas at Bryntirion, with Hannah.

Gethin is deep in thought

In the garage, Gethin is sitting in a car, thinking, and is reprimanded by Garry;

"I hope you're not sulking"

“I hope you’re not sulking because I wouldn’t give you the day off.”

"I would have gone mad, stuck in that flat"

Gethin replies that he would have gone mad, stuck in that flat with Ffion. “I tried to get her to take Arwen out for walk, but she wouldn’t.” Garry can understand her reluctance, as the operation is tomorrow.

"I couldn't say or do anything right"

“I couldn’t say or do anything right this morning,” adds Gethin.

Garry tells him to go to the café and get coffee and a cake each for them, as they both need a bit of a kick,

"You're not half as bad as they say"

and Gethin comments, “You’re not half as bad as they say, are you?”

Gwen is rushed off her feet

Things are very busy in the café when Gethin gets there, and he is surprised to see

Ffion looks rather happier now

Ffion and Arwen sitting with Hywel and Esther. Ffion tells him that coming out was better than worrying in the flat all day,

"Enjoy yourselves"

and Gethin tells them to enjoy themselves.

Kelly describes her Christmas community event

Ffion informs Kelly that she will be glad when tomorrow is over, and Kelly is sure that Arwen must be looking forward to Father Christmas coming. “I’m thinking of organising a Christmas get-together – a community event, like that local shopping thing,” says Kelly,

Arwen has not touched her cake

but Ffion does not know how things will be on Christmas Day. Hywel agrees to advertise it on CwmFM.

"She doesn't look ill, does she?"

Then Kelly returns to the counter, where she tells Gethin that it is strange, as Arwen does not look ill.

Now Jason and Sara have arrived, with Ifan

Jason and Sara have joined Diane, and are having Christmas at home, as it is Ifan’s first Christmas; Diane is rather disappointed,

"That would remind Dai of Martha"

but Jason points out that it would remind Dai of Martha even more.

Kelly's party seems to be taking shape

“You could all meet at the party,” suggests Kelly, “It’s a communal charity type thingy, to raise money for sick children.”

"That's a good idea"

Sara considers this to be a good idea; so Kelly will have to get her thinking cap on.

"I'll phone you after the operation"

Gethin has received a phone call; he tells the unspecified caller, “I’ll phone you after the operation.” He collects his purchases and leaves.

At Bryntirion, the cat is still wailing repeatedly outside the kitchen door;

"Go and sniff around somewhere else"

Dai instructs it, “Look here – I’ve told you once, go and sniff around somewhere else!”

"You've had a biscuit now – off you go"

He throws a piece of biscuit outside, adding, “You’ve had a biscuit now – off you go,” but as soon as he sits down

But that does not satisfy the cat

and dunks his biscuit, the wailing resumes.

"Nefi wen!"

“Nefi wen!” he shouts, “You’re a stubborn one, aren’t you?”

Still no reply from Elgan

Gaynor still cannot get any reply from Elgan;

She turns on the kettle

she turns on the kettle, then changes her mind and turns turns it off again. She determines to go out and puts on her coat.

Dai shows his soft and cuddly side . . .

By this time, Dai has taken pity on the cat, which is now eating food in the kitchen; “That’s nice, isn’t it?” he says, “Where did you come from? Did you wander up from the village?

. . . and interrogates the cat . . .

“Or did some loser dump you here? You’re quite sweet, aren’t you? Poor thing – out in all kinds of weather.”

Then he hears the sound of the front door,

. . . but then it is rapidly deposited outside

picks up the cat and unceremoniously dumps it outside the back door. Chester is complaining that he does not know what to buy for girls,

"I was thinking of Catrin and Mam"

more specifically, Catrin and Mam; Hannah thinks that he is, “So sweet!”

"I can smell fish"

When they go into the kitchen, Hannah can smell fish,

Chester's allergy kicks in

and Chester begins sneezing repeatedly. He asks Hannah if she has cuddled a cat today; “No, I’ve only cuddled you!” she replies.

"I haven't cuddled any cat!"

“Don’t look at me!” protests Dai, “I haven’t cuddled any cat,” but Chester knows that he is having a reaction to something, and asks about the tomcat that was here this morning.

"Oh, he's long gone"

“Oh, he’s long gone,” Dai insists, “Gone to the village, I hope, far away from here.” As Chester continues sneezing, Dai looks rather guilty.

"They'll be best friends before long"

At Cysgod y Glyn, Hywel predicts that Arwen and Esther will be best friends before long; he has made a cup of tea for Ffion, and she thanks him for this morning. “It did me the world of good to go out,” she says.