2 April 2020

Ffion awakens on Hywel's sofa

Ffion is just waking up on Hywel’s sofa;  “You’re back in the land of the living, then,” he remarks, and gives her a cup of tea.   

"I've texted Rhys – you had to go on a last-minute course"

“Don’t worry,” he goes on, “I’ve texted Rhys from from your phone – you had to go on a last-minute course,” and he hands her a card, 

This card may be of use to her

reading, ‘Dependent on Alcohol?’

"I'm going to tell Rhys – and I won't touch another drop"

“Look, yesterday was just a blip,” she insists, “And I’m going to tell Rhys about the cirrhosis today – and I won’t touch another drop.”   

"We've heard that before!"

Hywel smiles and reminds her that they have heard all that before.   She maintains that this time she means it, and begs him not to tell Rhys.

"I won't say anything to Rhys if you promise to finish with him"

He calmly replies that he is not going to say a word;  then explains, “I won’t say anything to Rhys if you promise to finish with him.”   

She does not welcome this ultimatum

She is not happy to hear this.

"I though we would have a little treat, Mam"

Em warns her mother to stay out of the kitchen, as she is making food for later;  “I thought we would have a little treat,” but, seeing her mother’s face, she realises that she was wrong.   

"I was intending to go to the pub round the corner"

Cassie was intending to go out with Em, to the pub round the corner.   

"To the Deri – with everyone looking at us?"

“What?   You and me are going to the Deri?” says Em, expressing surprise, “Everybody looking at us?”

Cassie answers that she does not care;  “We won’t notice – we shall be having so much fun – I need to find my lipstick.”

"You said you would help me"

As Ffion puts on her boots, she complains that Hywel said he would help her.   He points out that this is the first step;  

"You've got until the end of the afternoon, all right?"

“If you want to get better, you will have to focus on yourself – you’ve got until the end of the afternoon, all right?”

"Rhys might understand and stick with me"

“I’ll tell Rhys that I’m drinking – he’s more of a man than his father!” Ffion declares, “He might understand and stick with me,” but Hywel is extremely doubtful about that.

He threatens her with losing Arwen 

He warns, “You’d better tell him – because if you don’t, you could lose your job, your self-respect – you could lose Arwen!   No-one wants that.”

"Jim would sulk if I didn't put piccalilly in his sandwich"

Eileen apologises to DJ for putting piccalilli in his sandwich;  “Jim would sulk if I didn’t put piccalilly in his.”   

"You ought to watch the portion control, Mam"

Sioned is of the opinion that her mother should watch the portion control, as there are only three of them.   Then they hear a voice, which turns out to be Adrian again.

Adrian has brought flowers for Eileen . . .

He has brought a bunch of flowers for Eileen;  

. . . which makes Sioned and DJ suspicious

Sioned and DJ look suspiciously at each other.   Adrian says that he is sorry for the way he disappeared last week in such a rush, and gives the excuse that a friend of his, who worked on the buses, had a stroke;  

He comes up with some cock and bull story

“I promised his wife a lift to visit him in hospital.”   

Sioned and DJ obviously do not believe a word of this, 

"You didn't mind letting Eileen down, did you?"

and DJ reminds him that he let Eileen down;  

He seems to be making himself at home

Adrian sits down at the table and is pleased to see the sandwiches.

"I wasn't expecting you back until tonight"

Ffion is now back at home, and Rhys comes in;  “I wasn’t expecting to see you back until tonight,” he says, 

"The organiser of the course was ill"

and she tells him that the organiser of the course was ill.   

"We could go out somewhere"

Rhys suggests, “Arwen is with Siôn for the day, so we can do something – go out somewhere, or stay here.”

"Come and sit down, Rhys"

Looking very serious, Ffion tells him to sit down, and he realises this is something important;  “This menopause business is not going to disappear overnight,” she begins, 

"This is not fair on you – one day you'll want children"

“And I’ve been thinking, it’s not fair on you.   It doesn’t matter what you say now – one day you’ll want children.”

"We've been through this, Ffi!"

Rhys groans that they have been through this, but she goes on, “I want you to be happy, and have your own family – something that I can’t give you.   I have to let you go, for your own sake.”

"I want us to finish now!"

He is stunned by this news, but Ffion is adamant, “I want us to finish, now!”   

"You and Arwen are more than enough for me!"

He protests, saying that she and Arwen are enough for him – more than enough – he does not want another baby.   

"One day you'll want a baby – and you'll leave"

“She predicts that some day he will want a baby, and will leave in the end.   He makes it quite clear that he will never leave her;  however she is determined, “It’s better to finish now.”

"Last night you were flirting over the phone"

“Last night you wanted a special night – flirting over the phone,” he says, but she alleges she has thought a lot about it since then.   “No, you haven’t thought about it at all,” he snarls.   
Ffion maintains that it is the right thing to do, and has always known that, although she has tried to fool herself that things could work between them.

"Have I done something?"

Rhys suspects that he has done something, but she denies this;  then he asks, “Is there someone else?”   

"Is it Dad?"

She sadly shakes her head, and he jumps to the conclusion that it is his father.   “What was the plan, then?   Let the dust settle before telling me?   

"Fair play to you for thinking of me"

“Fair play to you for thinking of me,” he sneers.

She replies that she loves him, so he wonders why she is doing this to them;  “I have to!” she shouts.   He puts it down to her hormones, alleging that she is not thinking straight, 

"Go and get your stuff, Rhys!"

but she tells him to get his stuff.

"I'm not going anywhere"

He resolutely sits down;  “I’m not going anywhere until we’ve discussed this properly.”   

"One day you'll understand, and you'll thank me"

Ffion appreciates that it is a shock now, but one day he will understand and will thank her.

"One salmon and one curry, please, Garry"

In the Deri, Cassie orders one salmon and one curry from Garry, remarking that she has not seen him lately;  

"I've been spending time with Gwern"

he explains that he has been spending time with Gwern.   “It’s a parent’s job to put their child first,” he says, and Cassie maintains that Gwern is lucky to have him.   

"Rice or chips with the curry?"

When Garry asks whether Em wants rice or chips with her curry, 

"I though she'd have half and half!"

Dai, who is also at the bar, sarcastically comments, “I thought she’d have half and half,” and Cassie wants to know what his problem is.   “I haven’t got a problem, have I?” he replies.

Cassie points out, “The only problem Em has is narrow-minded men like you!”

"Crikey Moses!   I've got better things to do!"

Dai utters his usual, “Crikey Moses!   I don’t have time to listen to this mumbo-jumbo – I’ve got better things to do!”

"Good riddance to you – you obnoxious swine!"

As he drinks the last of his pint, Cassie exclaims, “Yes, and good riddance to you – you obnoxious swine!”   

"You sound just like Gran!"

This makes Em laugh, and she says that her mother sounds just like her grandmother used to, adding that we all turn out like our mothers in the end.

“She used to know how to put the people in their place,” Em goes on, and Cassie predicts that she would have eaten Dai for breakfast.   

"Listen to me, sunshine!"

“Listen to me, sunshine!” apparently was her grandmother’s catch-phrase.

"Jim and I always fought over the last sandwich"

Adrian is tucking into the sandwiches, recalling, “Jim and I always fought over the last sandwich – I can see him now, getting angry after I stole the last one.”   Sioned and DJ are still very suspicious, 

"Well, some of us have work to do, don't we, Sioned?"

and DJ says that some of them have work to do;  

"Will you be all right, Mam?"

he tells Sioned to come with him.   

"I'll do the washing-up, Eileen"

As soon as they are out of the way, Adrian offers to do the washing-up, and Eileen apologises for scaring him last week;  he thinks that she should take things slowly now, and recommends she let other people do things for her.   

"Jim would want his big brother to help out"

“To be honest, that’s why I’m here – Jim would want his big brother to help out, wouldn’t he?” he says, 

"Go upstairs for a rest"

“Go upstairs for a rest, and I will sort out everything down here.”   

Adrian sets about searching

Then he sets about searching through drawers.

Rhys cannot believe this is really happening

Rhys is sitting, looking stunned, when Ffion comes back into the room, carrying a bag of his belongings;  “Overnight clothes – and a toothbrush,” she tells him, 

"Sorry there isn't much toothpaste left"

“Sorry there isn’t much toothpaste left.”   

"You're going to meet someone new – I shall be just a memory"

He asks what is happening, and she explains, “You’re going to meet someone new, fall in love and have children – I shall just be a memory.”

"No, Ffion!"

He refuses to accept this, 

"Come on – here you are"

but she encourages him to take the bag and go;  reluctantly he does so, 

He looks at Ffion . . .

taking a final look at Ffion from the doorway, 

. . . and she bursts into tears

and she breaks down in tears.

He seems to have located some keys

As his search continues, Adrian has found a stepladder, and investigates the ledge above the Aga, finding some keys which he is pleased to locate.   

"What are you doing?"

Just then, DJ comes into the room, and wants to know what he is doing;  

An unconvincing excuse about exercising

Adrian comes up with unlikely explanation that he is doing exercises, as he cramps up in the car, and points out that Eileen is upstairs having a nap;  he says, 

"I'll be off now – bye"

“It’s best not to wake her – I will be off now – bye.”

"How's your sound desk behaving?"

At Llwyncelyn, Gaynor asks how the sound desk at CwmFM is behaving;  Hywel replies that it is all right for now, 

"Sorry I wasn't here to help you"

and apologises for not being there to help her.   

"Easther and Arwen gave me a makeover"

“We had fun – Esther and Arwen gave me a makeover,” she laughs, and he replies that she is perfect as she is.

"Ffion – she's finished with me!"

There is a knock at the door, and Rhys appears with a long face, announcing, “Ffion – she’s finished with me!”   

Hywel thinks that he has been successful

Hywel does his best not to smile.

"That's the second time today you've called 'them' Em"

Cassie goes to the bar for another glass of wine, and Garry remarks, “That’s the second time today you’ve called ‘them’ Em – 

"And it didn't get stuck in your throat this time"

“and it didn’t get stuck in your throat this time.   But I don’t think you’ll win parent of the year, though.”   He concedes that she is trying her best, which is what is important;  

"Approval from Garry Monk – result!"

she seems very pleased to have gained the approval of Garry Monk, and he gives her the wine ‘on the house’.

DJ is doing some running repairs

DJ is working on some piece of automotive equipment on the kitchen table at Penrhewl when Adrian comes back in;  

"Don't tell me – you want to do more exercises!"

“Don’t tell me – you want to do more exercises!” DJ guesses, 

"Do you have some jump leads?"

but is told that the car battery is flat, and Adrian asks if DJ has some jump leads.   “I have, somewhere – but you’ll have to wait until I finish this,” is the reply.

However, Adrian seems very anxious to leave, and as DJ goes to find the jump leads, 

"It proves that every policemen isn't a pig!"

he remarks, “It proves that every policeman isn’t a pig!   Sorry, officer – joke!”

"There must be more to this, Rhys"

Gaynor is sure that there is more to this matter then at first appears, and thinks there must be another reason;  Hywel points out that Rhys does not want to discuss it.   

Gaynor is trying to understand

She will not be discouraged;  “But if he’s told her he doesn’t want any more children . . . I’m trying to understand, Hywel.”

Rhys asks if Ffion has said anything to his father, 

"Why would she tell me?"

and he demands, “Why would she tell me?”   Rhys says that it has come from nowhere, and Hywel looks secretly pleased with himself;  

"Can I stay here tonight?"

when asked if he can stay there for the night, Gaynor tells Rhys to take his stuff to the spare bedroom.

Gaynor feels very sorry for him, but appreciates that they are talking about Ffion;  “She’s probably seeing someone else – 

"Theres something strange going on with Ffion"

“there’s something strange going on.   There always is with her,” but Hywel attempts to change the subject, 

"Forget about Ffion – Rhys needs our attention"

urging her to forget about Ffion, as Rhys is the one who needs their attention.   Gaynor will make a cup of tea, and Hywel thinks that his plan has worked.

"Where's Adrian?"

Eileen returns from her nap upstairs, and wonders where Adrian is;  DJ informs her that he had trouble with his car.   “We tried jump leads, but the battery’s kaput – he’s waiting for the recovery now.” 

"There's something strange going on with him!"

Eileen is offended that he was leaving without saying goodbye again, and DJ is sure there is something strange going on with him;  “When I came in, he was up on those steps.”

"Two hours at least – blinkin' useless!"

Then Adrian comes back in, complaining, “Two hours at least!   Blinkin’ useless!”   He maintains that Eileen looks like a new woman after her nap, but she is not taken in by him.   He maintains that he forgot he had a dentist’s appointment, and now that the car has broken down, he will not get there in time.

"Is there any chance one of you could give me a lift?"

“Is there any chance one of you could give me a lift?” he enquires, 

"What were you doing on that step-ladder?"

but Eileen demands to know what he was doing on the step-ladder.   He comes up with the same story about exercising, but Eileen is adamant that this is a lie.   

Sioned comes in and is told what is going on

Sioned comes into the room as Eileen declares, “He’s up to something, and he’s not leaving until he tells me!”

"Do you remember when I broke Gran's window?"

Em and her mother are back from the Deri;  “Do you remember when I broke Gran’s window?” Em asks, “Or perhaps Dad was with me – there was glass everywhere.   We were playing with a ball in the garden, Gran was shouting so much, she almost broke another window.”

"I'm surprised I didn't go deaf"

Cassie is surprised that she did not go deaf, with all the shouting her mother did, and Em recalls that she used to go visit her Gran now and again.   

"Dad and I became good mates"

“Dad took me to all kinds of places – we became good mates – I was lucky to have him.”   Cassie considers that he was lucky to have Em.

"We never talked about who I wanted to be"

“Although we were so close, we never talked about who I was, or who I wanted to be,” Em goes on.   

"Do you feel more like a woman some days?"

Her mother wonders whether she feels more like a woman some days, and is told, “I simply feel like me.   I’m happy with the body I’ve got – I just don’t feel like a woman, but I don’t feel like a man either.”

"I won't pretend I understand"

Cassie is not going to pretend that she understands, but she will in time – she is determined.   

A withheld number is calling Cassie

Then her phone sounds, indicating that it is a Private Number;  

"Someone selling something"

“Probably someone selling something,” she assumes, and ignores it.   

Em is glad that she came back

Em is glad that she came back there, a feeling shared by her mother.

"If we leave now, I'll be in time"

“How many times do I have to say it?   I’m not up to anything!” Adrian insists, “Now can someone take me to Cardiff?   If we leave now, I’ll be back in time.”   Eileen demands what he will be in time for, and does not believe this dentist story.

"What's the name of the practice, then?"

Sioned asks what is the name of the practice, so she can phone them to check;  he does not know the name, only that it is on Cathedral Road.   He maintains that Eileen does not want to know the truth, 

"What 'truth' are you talking about?"

but she is adamant;  DJ guards the door, to block any possible escape.

"Don't lie about Jim to get out of this!"

“You don’t want to know what Jim did,” Adrian continues, and Sioned warns him not to lie about Jim to get out of this.   “You all think that Jim was a saint, and that I’m the bad guy!”   Let me tell you, I’m an angel compared to him.   

He threatens to expose Jim on social media

“If I don’t get a lift to Cardiff this second, I will put it on social media – everyone will know everything – if the business between Kath and Jim hasn’t embarrassed you enough.   Now, is there any chance of a lift, or what?”

DJ successfully blocks his escape

No-one answers, so he turns to leave the farmhouse, demanding that DJ gets out of his way.   DJ will not let him pass, and seizes his car keys.   

"I don't want to go back to prison!"

Adrian is forced to tell the truth;  “I don’t want to go back to prison!” he wails, 

He is sporting a 'tag' (similar to the one Siôn wore in September 2016)

pulling up his trouser leg, to reveal the tag attached to him.   “This and I have to be back by five o’clock, all right?”

Eileen insists she will go alone with Adrian . . .

In a sudden change of mind, Eileen agrees to take him back, if he will tell her about Jim, 

. . . against the advice of DJ and Ffion 

and will not allow Sioned to accompany her.   They leave the house.

Ffion sits disconsolately . . .

At Cysgod y Glyn, Ffion sits disconsolately, 

. . . tears the card in two . . .

tears up the card is given to her by Hywel, and finds yet another hidden bottle of vodka.   

. . . and gets stuck into another bottle

She takes a swig 

She lies back on the sofa

and lies back on the sofa.