Cwmderi Diary 2015: 5 May 2015

Sheryl struggles with the lock

As they leave for Sheryl’s scan, they have difficulty locking the salon door, and she confiscates the car keys from Hywel, telling him,

"You're not fit to drive!"

“You’re not fit to drive! If I were you, I’d eat some mints, in case you intoxicate the midwife with your breath!”

Mali from the adoption agency arrives

Ffion’s visitor from the Adoption Agency, Mali, arrives, and Ffion tells Jinx that she wants to talk to her alone, so he leaves for the Deri.

"We have a very important matter to discuss"

As soon as he has gone, Mali says, “We have a very important matter to discuss.” Ffion replies, “These things happen, it’s just pressure of work and so on.”

"So you don't deny having an affair?"

Mali is rather taken aback; “So you don’t deny having an affair? We received a phone call making the serious allegation that you were having an affair with Mr Gethin Thomas.”

"This is a joke!"

Ffion shouts, “What? This is a joke!” Mali says that she has to take these things seriously, and urges Ffion to keep calm.

"Was her name Kelly?"

Ffion demands, “Was her name Kelly?” but Mali continues that she has to ask specific questions.

"I have nothing to hide"

I have nothing to hide,” insists Ffion, but does look worried.

Dai is pleased that they have had such a quick response to the online advertisement, and is arranging the chairs to interview the three applicants.

"Why is the shop closed?"

Diane marches in, complaining that the sign on the door says “CLOSED”. Dai tells her that they are holding a staff meeting; “We’re very busy, so if you don’t mind,” he says, ushering her out of the door.

Sandra Jones arrives

Then the first applicant arrives, Sandra Jones, and says she worked for Cwrt Cleaners; Dai comments, “They ought to be taken to court, the amount they charge for a service wash!”

She is exhaustively interviewed

She tells then she left there as she did not get on with the boss.

Sheryl's baby is in there somewhere

Sheryl is having the scan,

"Amazing, isn't it?"

and is quite excited, whereas Hywel looks queasy, as a result of his alcohol intake last night,

Hywel is in a tearing hurry to get somewhere

and has to dash out of the room. The midwife appears concerned when Sheryl says she sometimes feels breathless and has a “fluttering” sensation; she will book another appointment.

Who is this Dan character then?

Diane goes to the Deri, where a chap called Dan is behind the bar; Jinx complains he has been ushered out of his own home, while someone interviews Ffion about the adoption.

Diane also thinks it is strange

Diane agrees it is strange that they only want to talk to her, and Jinx reflects that, “While we’re chatting, there’s a child somewhere out there without parents.”

"Your old job has been advertised"

Diane tells him that she also has been sent away, from APD; “The way Dai treats me, you’d think I was just a worker, rather than co-owner. Jinx mentions that her old job has been advertised on the APD website; “I would have applied for it, but they are only offering minimum wage – slave drivers!”

Diane confirms it on her iPad

As soon as he has gone, Diane looks it up on her iPad, and is concerned when she sees that interviews are being held today.

Look at Gwynfor, all smartened up!

Meanwhile, we seem to have missed the second applicant, but the third is Gwynfor, unusually in a shirt and tie, who is subjected to Dai’s insistence that woollen items should be washed at 30˚C, “Or they’ll shrink to hobbit size!”

"As long as I have time for my other jobs!"

Gwynfor is not deterred by the minimum wage, “As long as I have time to do my other jobs.” Dai tells him that anything is better than drinking in the Deri all day, and when Gwynfor is asked if he could start this week, he replies, “No problem!”

Dai favours Gwynfor . . .

Dai knows who he wants to employ; “Gwynfor would fit in here – Jim would love having him here,” but Eileen does not agree.

. . . but Eileen definitely does not

“Did you see his nails – you could grow potatoes in the dirt! Hygiene is one of the top requirements.”

Dai does not sound keen on the fourth applicant

However she does have a text from another applicant, which she received earlier; when she shows Dai, he immediately answers, “No way, José!” “Tell her yourself then – she’s on her way over!” says Eileen.

"How could you do such a thing?"

Furiously, Ffion marches into Anita’s house and confronts Kelly; “How could you do such a thing? It’s so cruel! I’ve been interrogated by the adoption agency because you told them I’m having an affair with Gethin!”

"I didn't phone them!"

Kelly denies this, and asks why she would do such a thing. “To get Jinx back!” snaps Ffion, and when Kelly says she would never spoil it for them, Ffion does not believe her.

“Why do you hate me so much? Jealous, is that it?” demands Ffion, and Kelly replies that if she suspected such an affair was going on, she would tell Ffion to her face. Unconvinced, Ffion continues, “It didn’t work last time, so now you’re trying something dirty! I can see right through you!”

Jinx watches the door slam in Ffion's face

Kelly has had enough and orders her out, slamming the door behind her. Jinx sees her, and asks how the interview about Elliw went.

She leads him to believe all is well

Ffion reassures him that it should not affect the application, so he begs for forgiveness for his anger last night. “I want this child as much as you,” says Ffion.

Apparently Hywel's stomach has settled down

When Hywel returns to the examination room, Sheryl reveals there is a problem, not with the baby, but with her.

"I didn't think it was important"

She had not mentioned anything about the “fluttering” as she did not think it important.

Eileen extols the virtues of the anonymous fourth applicant

Eileen tries to persuade Dai that the fourth candidate, whose identity is not revealed, is the right one for the job; “You won’t regret it – she is familiar with the job, and good with her hands. You don’t have time to think about it, as she must start this week!”

"Oh, all right, then!"

Dai reluctantly agrees, with the proviso, “If it’s a shambles, it’s your fault!”

Kelly's anger grows. . .

Kelly sees Ffion and Jinx talking outside, so she storms across the road.

"You haven't told him, have you?"

“Glad you’ve got something to smile about! You haven’t told him, have you?

If looks could kill . . .

“She accused me of phoning the adoption agency and telling them she was having an affair with Gethin! You know I’d never do that.”

Jinx supports Ffion (but for how much longer?"

Jinx now understands why he was excluded from the conversation; he asks Ffion, “Would you have told me if Kelly hadn’t?” Jinx informs Kelly that his job is to support Ffion, and that what she did was very nasty.

“You two won’t believe me!” Kelly shouts at the top of her voice, “All right, It was me, guv, all along! Happy now?” She returns across the road, where Anita has just come out of her front door and heard the exchange.

"Whoever phoned was telling the truth"

Kelly snarls, “I think whoever phoned was telling the truth, but I never want to discuss it again!”

The door is about to be slammed again

She goes inside, and slams the door again.

Dai tells Hywel a thing or two

Hywel calls at APD for a can of WD40 to apply to the lock on the salon door. Dai greets him with, “Don’t say you’re here for an interview too! You wouldn’t know which part of an iron to hold, let alone use it. You’ve had your fair share of women to do it for you!”

Hywel’s retort is, “And you’re a perfect example of modern man!” as he leaves.