Cwmderi Diary 2015: 1 October 2015

"Like a funeral without a coffin"

Outside Bethania, Gaynor asks Siôn if he is ready for the service tomorrow, and remarks, “It will be strange, like a funeral without a coffin. What if Meic knew what was going on in this place – Anita and Dai, – and all the other things!” At this, Siôn looks distinctly uneasy. Gaynor continues, “You’d be surprised what I see from the flat windows after dark.”

Just a small one

Ffion opens a birthday card from Jinx;

A card from Jinx

“Happy 40th birthday, lots of love, Jinx.”

"Happy birthday to me"

She pours another vodka and wishes herself, “Happy birthday!”

"Lois is over the moon"

Gaynor goes to see Colin, and tells him that Lois is over the moon about her new baby brother; she is coming home at the weekend to meet him.

"Tessa has fooled me!"

Colin replies, “I didn’t want either of the girls to know. Is he their brother? I’m not so sure that I’m his father. I believe you were right – Tessa has fooled me!” Gaynor thinks he is overreacting.

Siôn needs to steady his nerves

Iolo, just back from London, goes to the Deri, where he finds Siôn having a stiff drink to steady his nerves, and tells him,

"Megan is doing the cleaning at Bethania"

“I just saw Megan on her way to clean Bethania.”

"I told her I was doing that!"

Siôn is very agitated about this, saying, “I told her I was doing that tonight!” and wants Iolo to look after the bar for him. Iolo refuses; and reminds him that Megan has cleaned the chapel before.

"You look stressed"

Garry comes across and comments that Siôn looks stressed; “You have to do something,” replies Siôn, “Megan’s cleaning in Bethania!” Unconcerned, Garry asks for a bottle of lager.

"Will you move the gun?"

Siôn continues, “Will you move the gun? I can’t hold the memorial service, knowing it’s there – and there could be children present.”

"Where's my lager?"

Garry nonchalently replies that it is not his problem, and repeats his request for the lager.

Dani has been busy

Dani has been making cakes for the visit of Daniel; Gethin thinks she is going over the top, and angers her by saying he is going to take a present to Ffion.

"Not a present for Ffion?"

“She doesn’t deserve anything after what she has done to you!” Dani insists.

In the Deri, Siôn leaves a message for Ows, urgently wanting him to do a shift, and offering double pay.

"I'm going to the police"

He then threatens Garry, “If you won’t move it, then I’m going to the police. I’ll say I found the gun in the chapel, and they will get rid of it for me.”

"In that case, so am I"

Garry counters with, “Then I’ll go to the police and tell them you stole the money from the chapel.”

“Britt and the children mean more to you than that,” hisses Siôn, “You’d never destroy their lives!”

"I could do with three apprentices"

Garry is predictably unperturbed; “Britt has been through worse – anyway, I’ll be there to help raise the children. I could do with three apprentices to carry on the Monk name to future generations. I don’t think you’ll go to the police – the gun stays where it is!”

Slightly good news from Megan

Siôn’s anxieties are somewhat calmed when Megan phones to tell him the chapel is all ready for tomorrow; she cannot have stumbled across the firearm.

"We ought to decorate the chapel"

Then Gaynor arrives, suggesting that the chapel should be decorated with flowers and greenery. “The sisterhood deal with the flowers each week,” Siôn tells her,

"Since when have you been interested?"

“And since when have you been interested? You never attend the place!”

Gaynor remarks that is the second telling-off she has had today. Iolo asks Siôn, “What’s wrong with you, dad?”

Siôn grabs his jacket

and Siôn decides he has to go out urgently, assuring Iolo that he will not be long.

Tessa arrives once again at number 7, telling Colin how lonely it is at home, but he is uncharacteristically distant.

"Fancy a gig in Bristol?"

When she tells him she has booked for line dancing and has the chance of two tickets for a Country and Western gig in Bristol, he replies that he is very busy. “Don’t you want to go with Martin?” he asks.

Poor old Colin is convinced he is right

“I don’t want to go with my brother!” she protests.

Ffion lurches around the flat

Ffion has Welsh nursery rhyme music playing, and is unsteadily dancing, glass in hand.

Gethin is aghast at her state

When Gethin arrives, looking disgusted, she invites him, “Come and dance with me!” and tries to embrace him. He unsuccessfully attempts to take the glass from her,

"You're not welcome here!"

and she snarls, “What do you want? You’re not welcome here!”

Gethin tells her that she looks terrible.

"Jinx and I were so happy!"

Ffion replies, “I regret ever touching you! Jinx and I were so happy – and Arwen! Get out of here, and take your grumpy face with you! Today should be a celebration, because I’m 40!”

The present, before she sends it flying

Gethin produces his present, but she takes a swipe at it, knocking it to the floor; “I don’t want it – and I don’t want you either!”

"Ta-ta Gethin!"

As Gethin leaves, she sings, “Ta-ta Gethin, ta-ta Gethin!”

"Do you want to give him a cwtch?"

Tessa invites Colin to give Jac a cwtch, but instead he demands,

"Why were you kissing your brother?"

“Why were you kissing your brother? Kissing, snogging – whatever? I saw you outside the house – you’re not brother and sister – you’re a couple! Just tell me the truth, Tessa!”

She confesses

Tessa admits it; “It was Martin’s idea – we’ve been struggling for years.”

"When I met you at Narberth?"

Colin is heartbroken; “What? When I met you in Narberth? I thought that I meant something to you.”

Tessa insists that Martin has been unfaithful to her hundreds of times;

"Martin couldn't believe his luck"

“Hurting you was the last thing I wanted. Babies are so expensive, so when you texted, Martin couldn’t believe his luck – a local bloke with a chain of shops. He thought he’d hit the jackpot!”

"I'm skint as well"

“I’ve got news for you,” says Colin, “I don’t own any shops, and just work a few shifts at Eileen’s shop. I’m skint as well!”

He is surprised when Tessa admits, “Yes I know, but I enjoy your company. You’re lovely, Colin – everything Martin isn’t! He’s a lazy and useless father. I’m so sorry! I hate myself for what I’ve done to you – I think the world of you.

"Please forgive me"

“Please forgive me.”

Colin is distraught; “You played me for a fool, you let me think we had a future as a family.
Now I don’t have anything!” Tessa is in tears.

There is certainly a good pile of food

Natalie and Daniel arrive at the flat; Dani announces they have pizza, crisps, cakes and loads of pop.

"Did you manage to get the time off?"

When Gethin joins them, Natalie asks him if her can have the time off work for the football, and Dani answers, “That’s fine with Garry!”

This displeases Gethin who confides to Dani that Ffion is in a mess, and that he cannot leave her alone.

Dani is again asked to babysit Ffion

“Tough!” replies Dani, but again he pleads with her to keep an eye on Ffion.

"You're going to move that gun!"

Siôn marches into the garage and confronts Garry; “You’re going to move that gun from Bethania, and stop playing these childish games! If you don’t, there’s no telling what I’ll do. I can’t trust myself - and I don’t want to shoot you, accidentally.”

"It might be Dani – or Gwern"

He grabs Garry and continues, menacingly, “Maybe it wouldn’t be you, but Dani or Gwern! How would you feel about that? It would be your fault, and you’d regret you hadn’t moved the gun.”