Cwmderi Diary 2015: 13 October 2015

Breakfast on Anglesey

At a hotel on Anglesey, Anita and Gabriela are having breakfast, overlooking the sea; “You have a right to be here,” says Anita,

"I wouldn't like to so this on my own"

“And I wouldn’t like to do this on my own. Debbie couldn’t come as she has a family of her own to look after now. And it would be — difficult — to arrange for Kevin and Darren to be here. Even though Meic spent more than half his life in Cwmderi, this is where his heart remained, and I’m so glad we’re going to scatter his ashes here.”

Debbie is looking depressed as she sits on the sofa;

Debbie tells Vicky the significance of today

Vicky comes in, complaining as usual, and is told that today is when Meic’s ashes are being scattered on Anglesey.

“They’ve gone all that way, to throw some ashes around?” replies Vicky, “He’s dead – who cares?

"You've got the café – don't pretend to be upset!"

“Stop being so sentimental! You’ve got the café – don’t pretend to be upset. You only went out with him to get the café, and he dumped you for his ex.

"You're more stupid than you look!"

“You’re even more stupid than you look – and you married a rapist!” Debbie walks out in a rage.

Julie is feeling the effects of last night

Julie staggers downstairs, and is greeted with, “I wasn’t expecting to see you for hours. It was bad enough you being drunk, without bringing Diane home with you. You were dancing on your own, and Diane was flat out on the sofa!

"I don't need this!"

“I’m being induced in a few days, and I don’t need this! Once the baby comes, I want you to pack your bags and go!”

Julie concludes that Hywel is behind this, but Sheryl insists that it is her decision; she cannot cope with her mother and a newborn.

"You can take the first bus out of here!"

“Once you’ve met this little one, you can take the first bus out of here!”

Gaynor comes out of the salon flat’s door looking at the post,

Gaynor sees it in black and white

and stops while she looks at the Decree Absolute.

"Another part of my life is over"

She tells Eileen, “This piece of paper says that another part of my life is over.” Eileen invites her in for a cup of tea, telling Gaynor that school can wait for half an hour.

"Where do we go?"

Across the road, a furious Debbie has ejected Vicky and the baby; “Why are you throwing us out? Where do we go?” pleads Vicky.

“You should have thought of that before being so cheeky!” Debbie tells her, upon which Vicky maintains that she should be ashamed to call herself a mother, and walks off along the street.

"We should visit Gwalchmai and Llanerchymedd"

Anita says that after scattering the ashes, they should visit some of the places that were important to Meic; “Gwalchmai, and Llanerchymedd – I think he had a cousin who still lives there.”

"I heard you were here!"

Then their peace is shattered; Nansi Furlong appears, announcing, “I heard you were here, so I thought I’d call by! I have friends in Cwmderi, and unlike some I don’t betray my friends!”

"We have things to do"

Anita says that it is nice to see her, but they have things to do. Nansi is aggrieved at not being invited to Meic’s memorial service, as she considers she had a right to be there.

Gabriela is more friendly

Gabriela tells her she is welcome to join them, much to Anita’s annoyance, and Nansi comments, “She’s her father’s daughter!”

Eileen remembers her divorce

Eileeen commiserates with Gaynor; “Although I’d left Denz, the day I got the Decree Absolute was tough.” Gaynor says that she has been though it before with Colin, but a marriage with children never ends.

“Colin and I are are better friends now than we ever were,” she confides to Eileen, “But he would be disappointed it he knew the truth – I slept with Hywel a few weeks ago! It was a mistake – a huge, complicated one!”

Yes, Eileen is shocked

Eileen is shocked.

The Menai Bridge

Under the Menai Bridge, Anita tells them that this was a special place for Meic;

"He came fishing with Uncle Ned"

“He came fishing here with Uncle Ned when he was a boy.”

Nansi dismantles that myth

Nansi begs to differ; “He didn’t meet Ned until he was in his twenties, and Ned was no fisherman, rather a poacher!. It’s a pack of lies – he lied about that as well as everything else. She grabs the urn from Anita and walks off, saying, “I’m taking him to where he should be!”

As they come out of the shop, Gaynor asks Eileen not to breathe a word.

"I just want my home back!"

“A man who cheats on his pregnant girlfriend is the last thing I want,” she says, “The only thing I want from him is my home back!”

"Have you seen Vicky?"

Debbie asks if they have seen Vicky, as she cannot find her anywhere.

"The taxi will be here in a minute"

Julie has her coat on and tells Sheryl the taxi will arrive shortly; as expected Sheryl replies,

"Please stay for another week"

“You haven’t listened to a word I said – I don’t want you to go today. Please stay for another week.”

"I won't stay where I'm not wanted!"

“I won’t stay where I’m not wanted,” insists Julie, “He’d be better off not knowing me. Anyway, I can’t stay, as in a couple of days I’m going on a cruise with someone from work.”

"One lie after another!"

Sheryl has heard it all before; “The story of your life – you intend to do the right thing, but don’t stick to your word! One lie after another – I wonder it what you said about Tyrone is true.”

Excruciating pain

Then suddenly she is doubled up with pain.

Soon Sheryl is at the hospital

The next we see of her is being rushed along a hospital corridor, with Julie in hot pursuit, and Hywel catching up with them. She is taken through the swing doors, and Julie is left behind.

Parys Mountain, Anglesey

“Parys Mountain – Meical loved it here,” says Nansi, but Anita complains that he never mentioned it.

Nansi reminisces about her schooldays

“This is where we used to come, a group of us, after school, to mess about and have a smoke, if anyone had a packet. Meic was a clown even then, he would tell stories and stretch the truth. This is where I realised he was the one for me – we were in love.”

"That was before you cheated on him"

“That was before you cheated on him,” exclaims Anita, but Nansi reminds her that she did her share of that as well. “He was with me at the end, so I decide where he rests!” Anita says, and tries unsuccessfully to get the urn back.

Nansi points out, “But he wasn’t, was he? He ran away to Patagonia before you got married.”

"Give me that urn – now!"

Anita demands that she is given the urn, but receives the answer, “No chance!”

"You are not wanted here!"

Hywel comes out to speak to Julie in the waiting area; “You can go now! Go away – we don’t want you here! If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive you! Get out before I get them to throw you out!”

"Why don't we share the ashes?"

Nansi proposes a compromise; that they share the ashes, and then scatter them at both their chosen places. As she and Anita bicker, Gabriela intervenes.

Gabriela mediates between them . . .

“Stop it now! Meic was a person, not something to fight over, a man who meant a lot to all of us! he deserves respect, not arguing.”

. . . and Nansi lets her decide

Nansi comments, “How did Meic Pierce have such a sensible daughter?” and hands over the urn to Gabriela, for her to decide.

"I thought you'd be at the hospital"

Julie is sitting disconsolately in the Deri when Gaynor comes in and is surprised that she is not at the hospital with her daughter. “I wasn’t welcome there, and Hywel thinks it is my fault that the baby is early,” she explains.

"You need to stand your ground with him!"

“You don’t have to listen to him – you’ve every right to be there!” insists Gaynor, “Hywel is a bully, and you need to stand your ground with him!” This encourages Julie, who immediately sets off for the hospital again.

Debbie and Ricky have located Vicky

Debbie and Ricky come in and find Vicky with the baby; Debbie begs her to come home but she snarls,

"I'd rather sleep on the street!"

“Not with you! I’d rather sleep on the street than stay with you!” Debbie turns and goes, then Ricky asks what she intends doing now.

"The baby is almost here!"

Hywel is trying to encourage Sheryl, as the midwife announces, “The baby is almost here!”

Hywel offers moral support . . .

She utters a loud cry,

. . . and now so does Julie

and at that moment Julie rushes in, taking no notice of Hywel’s protests.

"Dad will be cool about it"

Ricky takes Vicky back to Maes-y-Deri, assuring her, “Dad will be cool about it – everyone likes babies. He might babysit for you, if you’re lucky!” Vicky is exceedingly grateful to him.

Back at Menai Bridge, and more harmonious this time

Back at Menai Bridge, Anita thanks Gabriela for allowing her to do it there; “Meic described this place perfectly – picturesque, quiet and peaceful!”

"A place to rest the soul"

Nansi adds, “A place to rest the soul – the only line we remembered from boring Welsh poetry lessons.” Gabriela recalls he spoke a lot about his schooldays, and Nansi remarks, “And how he met that Jezebel, Nansi Furlong, I bet!”

Addressing Anita, she continues, “You were the love of his life – no matter how you hurt him, he always forgave you.”