Cwmderi Diary 2017: 20 December 2017

"Have you heard from the hospital?"

Colin is not having much success with selling his lights, then sees Non, who does not have time to stop and talk as she is busy. “Have you heard from the hospital?” he asks her.

"Don't get your hopes up, Colin"

“Don’t get your hopes up – there is a chance I won’t be able to be a donor,” she tells him. Gaynor comes out of the shop, and Colin enquires when Elgan will be back at the surgery;

"I've got this strange rash down my . . ."

he begins explaining that he has a strange rash down his . . .

"Save it for the surgery, Colin!"

but she advises him to save it for the surgery.

"The doctor is having a short break"

She tells Colin that the doctor is having a short break.

Kelly has given up on the procession

In the café, Kelly is taking down the notices about the procession; she tells Iolo and Tyler, “No Santa – no procession! No-one wants to sacrifice their Christmas morning –

"Show's over!"

“show’s over!”

Kath informs Kelly that she thinks she can help, and Kelly presumes that she wants to be Mrs Claus;

"Not me – Mark"

“Not me – Mark,” she replies. Kelly does not expect him to help, has he is ill. “He’s got a terrible case of cabin fever –

"He's missing his post round"

“he is missing his post round – it will be a chance to him to see people. He won’t have to say much, will he?”

Kelly says that it will only be a chat with the kids, waving,

"Just a few 'Ho, ho, hos'!"

and a few, “Ho, ho, ho’s.” Kath instructs her to put the poster back up, and she will tell Mark.

Kelly feels better after that

This restores Kelly’s good humour.

"Have you heard from Elgan?"

Gaynor sees Garry in the street, and asks if he has heard from Elgan. He agrees to go and check the house today, as perhaps he may be back.

"When will he be back?"

Iolo and Tyler approach with the pram, and enquire when Dr Pritchard will be back. They have made an appointment for Greta, and were disappointed that it was with a locum;

"We like Greta to see the same doctor"

they like her seeing the same doctor.

"I'll phone you later"

Garry assures her that he will go up to the house later and will phone her.

"I have some good news at last"

Kath returns to Maes-y-Deri, quite excited; “Wait until you hear what I have to tell you – I got some good news at last.”

"Trafalgar Square Christmas tree coming to our garden?"

Mark suggests that the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is being moved to their front garden.

"You're Cwmderi's Santa Claus!"

“Better than that – you’re Cwmderi’s Santa Claus in the Christmas procession!” she announces.

"I'm still waiting for the good news"

“I’m still waiting – you said you had good news!” Mark tells her, “Why would I want to be Santa Claus? It will be too cold for me.” Kath tells him to wear some thermals, and Ricky suggests that he will also need a fat suit.

"It's too much hassle"

“It’s too much hassle, so forget it!” is Mark’s verdict.

Kath argues that it will do the world of good for him, and for all of them; it will be a Christmas to remember. “How and many more times do I have to tell you?” he answers, “I want a normal Christmas – family, turkey, telly – is that too much to ask?

"We've got to go and see the consultant"

“Come on, we’ve got to go and see the consultant, remember? Some of us have more important things to think about than Santa.”

"Christmas is going to be a total washout"

Ricky is of the opinion that Christmas is going to be a total washout at this rate. “If you’re so clever, you cheer him up!” snaps Kath, “It’s obvious his mother has no idea!”

"I didn't sleep much either"

At Y Felin, Iolo complains that he did not get a lot of sleep last night, and his father commiserates, saying he had the same problem;

"I thought Macs was old enough to sleep through the night"

“I thought Macs was old enough to sleep through the night!” Iolo comments. Siôn knows that Macs is not the easiest brother in the world, but urges Iolo to give him a chance.

"Come over for dinner tonight"

“Come over for dinner tonight,” Siôn asks, but Iolo does not think he can stand sitting round a table with Macs; perhaps some time in the future, if he can prove that he has changed.

“Come over between Christmas and New Year – Arwen might be here, if I can persuade Ffion,” says his father, and Iolo thinks she will jump at the chance,

"Remember he tried to kidnap Arwen"

reminding him that Macs tried to kidnap Arwen.

Siôn maintains that it was a cry for help, and Ffion knows that; he pleads with Iolo,

"Oh, goose for dinner this Christmas"

who notices on the table an invoice for a goose.

"We've been invited to Anita's"

Siôn says that they will have it on Boxing Day, as they have been invited to Anita’s on Christmas Day, but nobody is supposed to know.

"Anita's playing Cupid"

“Anita’s playing Cupid with Ed and Kelly – asking for trouble if you ask me,” Siôn tells him,

"You could volunteer to be Santa Claus"

and Iolo suggests he could volunteer to be Santa Claus in the procession, as they do not have a Father Christmas.

“It would be something nice for you to do, and you’d be helping them out.” As it would be something for the community,

Siôn likes the sound of this idea

Siôn is warming to the idea, and says that things are looking up for Christmas Day already.

Elgan's car is in the drive . . .

Garry arrives at Elgar’s house and sees the car standing in the drive;

. . . of his impressive house

he goes up to the rather imposing house

Garry rings the bell, but there is no reply . . .

and rings the doorbell. He looks inside, but as there is no sign of anyone,

. . . so he walks away again

he walks away again.

Elgan is keeping an eye on him

Then Elgan comes to the door and checks that Garry has gone.

Non is looking nervously at her phone;

Non announces she is going to Swansea

when Ricky comes in, she tells him she is going to Swansea for Christmas. “Don’t be so soft!” he replies, but she insists that they need some time together, and that she will be all right, staying with friends.

"You're part of this family"

“But we want you here with us,” Ricky protests, “You’re part of this family – anyway Gran has included you in the table plan now. Please – it would mean loads to Dad – and it would probably be easier for you, after losing your mother.”

"Well, I don't want to upset the table plan"

She agrees to stay, as she does not want to upset Kath’s table plan,

"No wonder he's so proud of you"

and comments that it is no wonder his father is so proud of him. “He will be thrilled to have everyone here together.”

Ricky gets out his phone . . .

Then Ricky gets out his mobile phone, but quickly puts it away again

. . . but then Non comes back in

when Non comes back into the room, saying that it will be quicker if she has lunch here.

Elgan leaves the house with several bags . . .

Elgan comes out of his house with several bags,

. . . proceeds across the lawn . . .

and walks across to a stone-built outbuilding, the other side of the lawn;

. . . and opens the door

he unlocks the door.

Again, Ricky's phone call is thwarted

Ricky is just about to make a phone call when Mark and Kath return from the appointment;

The dialysis is having an effect on Mark . . .

Mark reports that he feels much stronger than he did, thanks to the dialysis. “With a bit of luck, I’ll be able to go back on my round soon.”

. . . which delights Non

Non says that this is fantastic news, and hugs him; Kath points out that he has no excuse for not being Santa Claus now, and says, “I’ll buy you some thermals, and Ricky will find you a fat suit on the Internet. If you’re serious about going back on your rounds, this will be a good test. See, your mother thinks of everything.”

Mark agrees to his mother's suggestion

Mark has little choice but to agree.

"I can't talk for long"

Ricky goes into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, takes out his phone and makes a call; “Listen, I can’t talk for long, but . . .”

He goes outside for some privacy

Then he goes out of the back door, and we hear no more of the conversation.

"Pity the procession has been cancelled"

In the café, Colin remarks that it is a pity the procession has been cancelled; Kelly corrects him, “It hasn’t, Col – keep up!” He assumes that Jim has changed his mind, but she enlightens him that it is Mark. He can envisage Mark as Santa Claus.

"I'll step in as Santa Claus"

Then Siôn arrives, and informs Kelly that he will step in as Santa Claus, insisting that she would be doing him a favour, as things are complicated this Christmas.

"Everyone is excited except me"

“It feels as if everyone is excited except me – being out in the village would cheer me up.”

Kelly tries not to upset him

Kelly is not sure what to say in answer to this, and he goes on, “I can see the children’s faces lighting up already.”

"You've already got a Santa Claus!"

Colin wonders what she is doing, as she already has a Santa Claus; “I couldn’t refuse,” she says, “Siôn sounded really down – can’t we have two Santa Clauses?”

"No – two wouldn't work!"

He is firmly of the opinion that such an arrangement would not work, and that she must choose.

"Elgan's back home"

Garry leaves a message for Gaynor to say that Elgan is home; “I don’t know where he’s been, but he’s back now.”

Iolo is definitely not keen

At number 7, Iolo tells Tyler that his father wants them to have a meal with him and Macs after Christmas, but he is not really sure.

"Everyone wants to be with their family"

“Everyone wants to be with their family at Christmas,” Tyler remarks, but Iolo is worrying about Liv,

"What if Liv turns up?"

and wondering what if she turns up to be with her family.

Tyler is quite emphatic that she knows she is not a part of Greta’s life any more. They have to trust her, or they will worry until Greta is 18. “I can’t be Liv’s brother and Greta’s father.”

Then the baby cries and Tyler goes upstairs,

"That's not true for you and Macs"

commenting, “It’s over for Liv and me, but that’s not true for you and Macs. There is nothing stopping you being brothers, if that’s what you want.

Perhaps he should go to Y Felin, after all

“Maybe we should go to Y Felin after Christmas.”

Colin has some chips from downstairs

In the chip shop flat, Colin is eating chips,

Non is in a good mood

and Non is happy that Mark is responding to the dialysis and becoming stronger. “But it doesn’t change anything,” he reminds her, “Have you phoned the hospital?”

"Now's your chance – ring them!"

He fetches his mobile phone and presents it to her; “Now’s your chance!”

Non does not honestly think that she will pass the tests;

"Phone and you'll find out"

“Phone, and you’ll find out,” he instructs her.

She gives her name and date of birth

“I’m phoning for test results,” she says, “Non Mererid Evans, 22 November 1994,”

"This is worse than X-Factor"

and Colin comments that the suspense is worse than X-Factor.

"I passed – full marks!"

She seems to find the results astonishing; “I passed – full marks!”

"Mark's going to be OK!"

Colin is much more excited than she is; “Listen now, I know you’re frightened – but you do know what this means – Mark’s going to be OK!”

"It's to do with the Human Tissue Authority"

She explains that the process is not finished, as she has to have another assessment, something to do with the Human Tissue Authority.

Colin is very concerned

She might not be able to help Mark in the end.

"What time does Santa start his journey?"

In the Deri, Siôn wants to know what time Santa is due to start his journey; “Just tell me and I'll be there. About the costume . . .”

"If I'm going to be Santa Claus . . ."

However, at this point, Kath interrupts them, but Siôn is persistent; “If I’m going to be Santa Claus, I want to do it right!”

"Our Mark is Santa Claus, isn't he?"

“Hold on!” exclaims Kath, “Kelly, what’s going on? Our Mark is Santa Claus, isn’t he?”

"Well, I didn't want to refuse"

Kelly tries to explain that she did not want to refuse so . . .

"What – two Santa Clauses?"

“So you’re telling me there are two Santa Clauses?” rages Kath, “I’ve bought thermals, and Mark is excited about it! This is your mess, so sort it out! The choice is obvious – our Mark, who is ill, and who is counting the hours until he can have a transplant,

"He looks as fit as a fiddle!"

“or him, who looks as fit as a fiddle, as far as I can tell!”

"He should be cwtching up at home!"

Siôn argues that Mark should be at home, cwtching up and keeping warm. “Don’t tell me how to look after my own son!” snarls Kath, “Do you know what? People in this village miss Mark.”

“Well, bring him to the Deri for half an hour, instead of propping him up on a trailer!” Siôn responds.

"Listen here, John White!"

“Listen here, John White!” she shouts, “It’s taken me long enough to persuade him, as it is!” As the two of them bicker,

"That's enough!"

Kelly shouts that it is enough, and that they are behaving like children.

Kelly is forced, unwillingly, to make a decision

They both demand that Kelly make a decision, and she eventually chooses Mark; she adds that Siôn can be one of Santas little helpers, with her, and she will find them some really cute outfits.