Cwmderi Diary 2015: 10 November 2015

Hywel suddenly awakens

Hywel suddenly wakes, to find himself on the sofa in the salon flat, with Gaynor asleep beside him;

He looks out of the flat window

he gets up, looks out of the window, then Gaynor wakes.

"I hoped it was a nightmare!"

“I was hoping to wake up and find it was a nightmare!

Meilyr's teddy is still there

“I’m going to Lwyncelyn,” he insists, although she tells him there is no rush.

Siôn wants his point of view heard

Outside the shop, Siôn is badgering Kelly about her newspaper article; “I’m writing about the protesters next week,” she informs him.

"As far away as possible"

Garry is on his way into the shop, so Siôn asks him where he stands on the matter; “As far away as possible!” Garry assures him.

As Gwyneth sees Hywel hurrying past on the other side of the road, she shouts after him,

Gaynor breaks the sad news

but Gaynor, who is following, breaks the news to her; “Meilyr has died! Hywel found him in his cot yesterday – I’d better go after him!”

Silence falls on the assembled group

Gwyneth goes back to the others and tells them she has just heard something terrible; “Meilyr is dead!” Cadno comes round the corner with protest posters, but finds the group standing silent, and Siôn enlightens her as to the reason.

"It was my fault!"

At Llwyncelyn, Hywel holds Meilyr’s teddy and tells Gaynor, “It was my fault – I should have checked on him more often – the blankets were too warm, or I did something, trying to revive him!”

"I should have cared for him better!"

Gaynor tries to convince him that he did everything that he could; he is adamant, “No – or he’d still be here! It’s true – I should have cared for him better!”

"What can I say to her?"

He tells her that Sheryl phoned, but he did not answer – he asks what was he supposed to tell her.

Eileen remembers John . . .

Meanwhile in the shop flat, Eileen is looking at a baby’s rattle

. . . Sioned's twin

and a blue knitted hat, and she cries.

Hywel's first visitor

Gwyneth arrives at Llwyncelyn,

He is angry with Gaynor

and Hywel is angry that Gaynor told anyone;

"Sheryl must not be told!"

Gaynor explains that the doctor does not want Sheryl to be told until she is stronger. Then there is another knock at the door,

The plain-clothes department arrives

this time it is the police.

“What do you want?” Hywel demands, “You asked endless questions yesterday.” The female detective points out that they have to see where Meilyr died, and collect evidence.

"I'd never hurt Meilyr!"

Evidence? You make it sound as if I have done something wrong!” rages Hywel, “You believe I did something, don’t you? I’d never hurt Meilyr! Less than twenty-four hours, and you’re doing this to me!”

The other detective picks up the teddy, and Hywel explodes, “You can’t take that – it’s the only thing I have left!” Gaynor attempts to calm him, as the teddy is placed in an evidence bag.

Sheryl rings again

The phone rings – it is Sheryl, but again Hywel does not answer.

Gemma is shocked by the news

In the Deri flat, Gemma tells Kelly that she cannot imagine how a parent copes after losing a child. Then, as Kelly suggests going out and getting some fresh air,

"He wants me to go and see him"

Gemma adds, “I had a reply from DJ. He’s all right, but wants me to go and see him next week. I’m not sure if I can – I don’t like the idea of going into a prison.”

Kelly chides her, “You’re a good friend, aren’t you?”

How long will Sioned's pleasant mood last?

Eileen is chatting to Sioned, who is, unusually, behaving like a loving daughter; “You go on day by day – it’s still there, but not in the forefront of your mind. Then it happens to someone else, and it takes you back to the moment it happened. I can even remember what I was wearing – and what he was.”

An historic photo from many years ago

She shows Sioned a photo, and recalls, “The night before that was taken, I didn’t sleep a wink – every time he fell asleep, you woke! Although I was shattered, I adored you both.”

Sioned cannot remember her brother

Sioned regrets that she has no memories of her brother John, and when Eileen says it is time she reopened the shop, insists that she will prepare lunch for her mother.

"How long does it take to cook egg and chips?"

In the Deri, Eifion complains, “They’re so slow in here – I’ve got to go to work in ten minutes. How long does it take to cook egg and chips?”

"It was the worst thing that ever happened to me!"

Angela looks very depressed; “There’s nothing worse than losing a child – it was the worst thing that ever happened to me!” Eifion’s rather characteristically offhand reply is that these things happen,

Cadno is looking for some assistance at Penrhewl

then Cadno comes in and asks him if he can lend a hand at the farm later.

At the bar, Siôn tells Kelly that he is free if she wants to do an interview,

"Give it a rest, Siôn – it's my day off!"

but she dismisses him with, “Give it a rest, Siôn – it’s my day off!” Cadno gives the posters to Siôn, and they agree that it is terrible news about Meilyr.

Then Gwyneth arrives, reporting that the police are collecting evidence at Llwyncelyn, and that Sheryl does not know about what has happened.

Gemma reveals her diagnosis to Kelly

Gemma admits to Kelly that she has been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, and that DJ is the only other one who knows. “I do want to see DJ, but I’m frightened. You know how I can be – obsessive!”

Kelly assures her that DJ will understand, and that perhaps she needs more time to work things out; “You don’t have to go next week. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself! Now let’s go out and get that fresh air – seeing Siôn’s face all the time is stressing me out!”

Hywel talks to Sheryl

Hywel finally speaks to Sheryl on the phone, telling her that he did not get much sleep and has developed a cold, then reassures her that Meilyr is “fast asleep”.

"This is driving me crazy!"

Although she says that lying there all day is driving her crazy, he thinks it better if he does not visit her, for fear of her catching something.

"Sheryl will never forgive me!"

Then he sits down by the cot; “Sheryl will never forgive me!” he tells Gaynor, who thinks it advisable to move the cot.

"I am going to visit DJ!"

Kelly and Gemma have arrived back at the Deri after a sizeable walk, which has strained Kelly’s muscles, and Gemma announces, “I’ve made a decision – I am going to visit DJ – I was being a bit over-dramatic. I want to see him, and I’m in a better position now I know about the BPD – so I’m going, and to hell with the consequences!”

Hywel’s hand is shaking as he pours whisky for Siôn and Garry;

Three fathers sit silently

the three of them sit silently, then Hywel speaks.

Hywel muses on what he would have done

“I was thinking yesterday morning I would have to teach him to play rugby when he was old enough, like I did with Rhys. It doesn’t matter now, does it? I would have loved watching him grow up. He could have gone completely off the rails, could have broken every heart in the valley, and I wouldn’t have minded. He would be my son, and I would be his father.”

He gives advice to Garry and Siôn

He warns Garry and Siôn,

"Make the most of your time, boys"

“Make the most of your time, boys.”

Eifion proposes a weekend away

Eifion, back from his shift, has bought a bottle; “Something for us to drink on our weekend at the Mumbles. I thought it would be nice for you to have a break. I do understand how you feel,” he says, but she snaps that he could not possibly know.

"Cadno and I lost a baby once"

He enlightens her that he and Cadno lost a baby once in the womb, then jokingly urges her, “Get a move on, or you won’t have a job!” She smiles and kisses him before she goes.