8 April 2021

The staff of APD are hard at work

As they are manhandling bags of cement and tools from APD into the van, 

"We'll take this stuff to the house"

Jason says, “Once Mathew comes back, we’ll take this stuff to the house, so we’re ready for tomorrow morning.”   Eifion asks where he is, and is told, “He promised to take a delivery at Penrhewl, while they’re away.”

"They always find a fool to do their dirty work"

“Those two always find a fool to do their dirty work for them,” Eifion snarls, and Jason reminds him that he was a farmhand there for years.   “At least, I knew what I was doing!” is the angry reply.   

"Here comes the farmer!"

Then Mathew returns and is hailed as ‘the farmer’.   Jason asks how the cows are doing up there, and Mathew says that he is enjoying life there.

"I remember when this one was scared of lambs"

“I remember when this one was scared of lambs,” says Eifion, “What about that orphaned lamb?”   There a photo somewhere.”   

"It wouldn't stop staring at me!"

Mathew recalls that it would not stop staring at him – right into his eyes – and he was only five years old at the time.

Then Izzy suddenly reappears

The reminiscences end when Izzy suddenly appears from the shop and asks if she and Mathew can go somewhere to talk.   Mathew replies that they can go to the flat, 

"You're supposed to look after the shop"

but Eifion points out that they are working, and he is supposed to look after the shop.

Jason is sure that they will be able to manage without him somehow, and Eifion complains, “How does he always get away with dodging all the hard work?”

"He's got a team of good workers"

Jason has the answer;  “Because he’s got a team of good workers to pick up the slack!”

Kath comes into the Deri

Kath arrives at the Deri and asks Cassie for an orange juice;  

She has heard nothing from Brynmor

she is in a miserable mood, as she has heard nothing from Brynmor.   

"Well, it's his loss!"

Cassie points out that it is his loss;  “Yes, that’s what everyone says,” groans Kath, 

Ffion comes in to retrieve 'Flops'

then Ffion comes in, and Cassie directs her to the soft toy, ‘Flops’, which was left behind by Arwen last night.   

“She was so upset when she found she’d lost him,” Ffion tells them.   

"Are you on these dating apps, Ffion?"

Kath asks if she is on these dating apps, 

"Men are nothing but trouble!"

and Ffion replies, “No – I’m happy enough without a man – they’re nothing but trouble!”  

Cassie maintains that they can also be fun, “As long as you make it clear who is the boss, and everything’s on your terms.   

"If they take one wrong step, you dump them!"

“The first stage is, if they take one wrong step, you dump them – or you carry on seeing them until someone better comes on the scene.”   

"Thanks for 'Flops'!"

Ffion goes back home.

“Why did you insist on arranging that first date?” Kath wants to know, 

"I'll put some vodka in here"

so Cassie decides she will add some vodka to that orange juice.

Lisa has been shopping

As Tesni comes out of the shop she sees Lisa, who has been spending money at a posh store;  “It’s a bit more exciting than your bag of bananas!” she is told.   

"I've never been able to afford to go there"

Tesni has never been able to afford to go there, and is told, “I can’t turn up for my date with Bill wearing any old thing.”

"That's not part of the business, Lisa!"

Tesni is concerned that Lisa is meeting him and maintains that is not part of the business;  

"Since when do you make the decisions?"

“Isn’t it?   Since when do you make the decisions?” Lisa demands, 

"His messages are really creepy!

and Tesni urges her to be careful, as some of Bill’s messages are really creepy.

Lisa is confident that she will be all right;  “The difference between you and me is that I’m a confident and experienced woman, who can control men – 

"That's why I can afford to shop here!"

“that’s why I can afford to shop here,” and she flaunts the bag.

"I thought going to Carmarthen was exciting"

In the café flat, Mathew sighs, “Thailand?   And I thought going to Carmarthen for the day was exciting.”   

"I needed time to think"

Izzy maintains that she needed time to think, and he asks if she got time to do that. 

“I’ve missed you so much – did you get my messages?”   She nods her head, and he assumes that she chose not to answer them.

“I didn’t know what to say,” is her reply;  

"I know I let you down, Izzy"

he appreciates that he let her down by choosing his father, and is sorry about that.   He would do anything to turn back the clock.   

"You let him talk to me without respect!"

“The fact you chose your father wasn’t the problem, Math – you let him talk to me without respect!” she growls.

"I'll do anything to make it up to you"

He repeats that he is sorry, and will do absolutely anything to make it up to her, but she surprises him by saying that she has not come back to see him;  

"I'm here to get the rest of my stuff"

“I’m here to get the rest of my stuff,” which comes as a shock to him.

"I didn't appreciate that childish message"

Rhys is surprised when Ffion comes to the house to see him;  “I’ve come to tell you that I didn’t appreciate the childish message you sent me!”   

"I was trying to apologise, Ffi"

He alleges that he was trying to apologise, but she continues, “After everything you said to me, you thought the word ‘LOL’ and a few emojis was good enough?   

"You have no idea how to treat women!"

“You have no idea how to treat women!”

"Do you want me to go down on my knees and beg?"

“What do you want me to do, then?   Go down on my knees and beg for forgiveness?” he laughs, and she informs him she wants a bit of respect.

"Everything's a big joke to you!"

“You’re not sorry – everything’s a big joke to you!” she snarls, “I don’t know why I came here!” 

"Let me try to explain"

but he wants to try and explain things better.

"His mother came as well"

Cassie is telling Kath about one of her dates;  “He said there was no point carrying on unless his mother liked me – so she came as well!   She didn’t say much – she was 94, and didn’t even know where she was.   

"There's no need to give up, Kath"

“You see, we all have disasters, but there’s no need to give up, is there?”

Kath does not regard it as a disaster;  

"He made me feel there was something going on"

“I simply can’t understand how I misunderstood things – he made me feel that there was something going on, you know.”   Cassie cynically comments that some men get a kick out of things like that.   

“I don’t know why I bother, Cassie,” Kath groans, 

"Only one man has come close to Dyff"

“Only one man has come close to filling Dyff’s shoes, and that was Johnny Mac.”   

"Brynmor's not like them"

Cassie muses that there are a lot of Dyffs and Tegs in this world;  they both thought Brynmor was like them, but he was not.

She begins to list Brynmor’s failings, 

"He's boring and a snob"

“To be honest, he’s much too old for you – he’s boring and he’s a snob and . . .”   

"Sorry!"

She is interrupted by the unnoticed arrival of Brynmor, and they both turn round in surprise.

"You're still alive, then?"

“You’re still alive then?” Kath comments, and he is sorry for not getting in touch;  he had picked up the phone several times, but got cold feet.   

"I've always suffered from nerves"

“I’ve always suffered from nerves when I really like someone – but I’m so glad I plucked up enough courage to come here today,” he says, 

"Just seeing you has made my week"

“Because just seeing you has made my week.”   

"Awww!"

Kath and Cassie look at each other.

"You have some strange effect on me"

“You have some strange effect on me,” Rhys tells Ffion, 

"Stop trying to be charming!"

but she tells him not to try to be charming.   “I don’t like it,” he goes on, 

"I'm used to girls doing exactly what I want!"

“I’m used to having girls do exactly what I want – I know that text made you angry, but it worked, didn’t it?   You’re here, aren’t you?”

"Everything's a game to you, isn't it?"

“Everything’s a game to you, isn’t it?” Ffion rages, “And you think you’re funny!   You’re cocky and immature – and you have no idea what women want!”   

"I made you happy, didn't I?"

He points out that he made her happy, and she complains, “From what I can remember, you sulked like a teenager every time things didn’t go your way!”

He replies, “And you were a great laugh – you never hassled or nagged me!”   

"Getting rid of you was the best thing I did!"

She shouts that the best thing that happened to her was getting rid of him, 

"And I'm much happier, too!"

and he likewise insists he is much happier.

“No, you’re not!” she exclaims, 

That looks pretty serious!

and immediately kisses him, passionately.

"Will you stay with your mother?"

Izzy comes back into the room with a bag of her belongings, and Mathew asks if she will be staying with her mother;  

"I'm staying with Siwan in Cwrtmynach"

“I’m staying with Siwan in Cwrtmynach,” she tells him.   

He cannot believe that this is really the end, and that there is nothing he can say to change her mind.

"The fact that I love you means nothing?"

“The fact that I love you means nothing?” he demands, 

"It's just 'lockdown love', Math"

but she describes it as ‘lockdown love’, and thinks they would be better as friends.   “So why come back?   Why not text from Thailand to say that it was over?” he wants to know.   

"I can't run away from Cwmderi every time"

She replies that Cwmderi is her home, and she cannot run away every time there is a problem.

"So Cwmderi gets a second chance – but I don't?"

“So Cwmderi gets a second chance – but I don’t?” he pleads, 

"I'll get Dad to apologise to you"

“I’ll get Dad to apologise to you,” but she insists that everything is black and white to her.   “It’s ironic, isn’t it?   Going away makes you realise you can’t live anywhere but Cwmderi – and I realise that Cwmderi means nothing to me if you’re not there.   But there we are – 

"Well, I really enjoyed it"

“if it was ‘lockdown love’, I really enjoyed it.”   Izzy agrees that she did, too.

They dress, after their little romp on the sofa

Rhys and Ffion are getting dressed, after their little activity on the sofa;  he says that he was not expecting that.   

"Don't expect it again, either!"

“Don’t expect it again, either – I don’t know what came over me!” Ffion exclaims, as she pulls up her trousers and tries to escape from him.   

"You ought to sort out your hair, Ffi"

He advises that she ought to sort out her hair, 

She makes a hurried getaway . . .

and she hurries out through the back door, 

. . . and Rhys looks very pleased with himself

leaving him looking very pleased with himself.

Lisa comes downstairs

Lisa comes downstairs and looks at her phone;  she finds a message from Bill, 

Bill has altered the arrangements

informing her that the hotel has been cancelled and asking if he can come over.   He says he has champagne.   

Lisa is having doubts . . .

As she is looking dubious, it is joined by another message;  

. . . but the promise of cash manages to quell them

“And an extra £500 for your trouble.”   This of course persuades her.

"Who was the best James Bond?"

In the Deri, Kath and Brynmor are debating who was the best James Bond;  his choice is Sean Connery, 

"Because I'm so old!"

but he adds, “I might be the only one who remembers it – because I’m so old!”

"Did the films teach you to treat women so well?"

“Was it James Bond films that taught you how to treat women so well?” Kath asks, 

"The last thing I wanted was to hurt you"

and he protests that the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her.   He is very sorry for not getting in touch.   

"You're not shy!"

“I’m having real trouble believing that you suffer from nerves – you told me about your history with women – you’re not shy,” she emphasises

"Only if they're flings"

He agrees, but only if they are just flings, and she looks incredulously at him.

"You might as well keep this blanket"

Izzy has completed sorting out her things and tells Mathew to keep the blanket, as he used it more than she did.   

"It will only remind me of you"

He says that it will only remind him of her, and asks if she would like some of his home-made cakes.   

"I started cooking"

“I was so bored after you left, and I didn’t want to go back to eating takeaways and ready meals, so I started cooking, using online recipés.”

"I've never had such an uncomplicated breakup"

She tells him, “I’ve never had such an uncomplicated breakup before.”   

"There's no point shouting"

He does not see the point of shouting and asking her not to leave him;  he has told her that he is sorry and that he loves her, but that is obviously not good enough.

“Just tell me one thing – the night of the stag, when I phoned you and told you that I loved you – I know I was drunk, but I meant it.   

"Did you mean it, too?"

“And when you said it back to me, did you mean it, too?”

"Don't do this, Mathew"

She urges him not to do this and says that she is just scared that she will be hurt again if she stays with him;  

"Or you could hurt me"

he turns the argument around, suggesting that she could hurt him.   “Izzy, all I know is that I’d never hurt you on purpose – stay with me!   We can work through this – 

"We were more than friends"

“you know as well as I do that we were more than just friends who were sleeping together during lockdown.”

“What about your father, and Eifion?   They won’t be happy,” she points out, and he says he will make it perfectly clear that they cannot see him any more unless they show her more respect.   

"Perhaps it's time for Eifion to move out"

“Perhaps its time for Eifion to move out – then they can have the flat to themselves.   He was only supposed to be there temporarily – she is the important one now.”

"No, Math – we are the most important!"

Izzy corrects him, insisting that they are the most important now.

Lisa is anxiously waiting

Lisa waits for the arrival of her date and looks at her watch;  then there is a knock at the door.   

She opens the door

She takes a deep breath and goes to open it, 

"You're late!"

informing her visitor that he is late.

"Arwen is staying with Grandad Siôn tonight"

Ffion has been summoned to Llwyncelyn, about some school matter;  fortunately Arwen is staying with Siôn tonight, as they are very good friends.   

Gaynor is perplexed by the figures . . .

Gaynor has been through the figures several times and cannot make head nor tail of them;  

. . . and Ffion is unlikely to be of much help

Ffion does not think that she will be much help.

"I want to borrow some tools"

Rhys arrives, wanting to borrow some tools, as the sofa leg broke today.   Gaynor surprised to hear this, as his father has had that sofa for years.   

"Too much jumping up and down . . ."

“Too much jumping up and down, he begins, then adds, looking at Ffion, 

". . . watching the rugby, I mean!"

“Watching the rugby, but I’m sure I can fix it.”   

Ffion is rather uncomfortable

Ffion is feeling rather uncomfortable, as Gaynor tells him that the tools are in the garage, and he warns them not to work too hard.   

"Coffee, please, Gaynor"

They will have a cup of coffee before they start.

There is a text from Rhys . . .

Ffion receives a text message containing some emojis and the word ‘LOL’, 

. . . which causes a smile

but this time she smiles.

"I think I'll have the cod"

Brynmor selects the cod from the menu,

"I fancy a burger"

whereas Kath fancies a burger;  she heads for the ‘ladies’ and leaves him to order.   

"I'll give you extra chips, to says sorry"

Cassie will give him extra chips, to say sorry.   

"Sorry because I heard?"

“Sorry because you didn’t mean what you said, or sorry because I heard?” he enquires.

“I was trying to comfort Kath – I thought you’d treated her badly,” she explains, 

"I'll say a lot worse if you hurt her again!"

“And I will say a lot worse if you hurt her again!”   He assures her that he thinks the world of Kath, and she maintains that a lot of people think the world of her.

"You don't need to worry about that"

“You don’t need to worry, honestly,” he says, and she is glad to hear it.

Mathew is pacing up and down in the flat, waiting for Eifion to return;  “Are you sure you don’t want to come?   There’s plenty of room in the taxi,” Eifion tells him.

"Look, Izzy and I are back together"

“Look, Izzy and I are back together,” Mathew announces, 

"What sob story did she use this time?"

and he wonders what sob story she used this time.   

"I'd like to ask you to move out"

“I’d like you to move out – and before you blame Izzy, it’s my decision!”

“It’s a heck of a coincidence!” Eifion sneers, but is told he has been there for months.   

"Until that tramp came back!"

“I was good enough until that tramp came back – where’s your loyalty?   I thought blood was thicker than water!”

"I want you out – as soon as possible"

Mathew calmly repeats, “I want you out – as soon as possible.”   

Eifion maintains that he feels sorry for Mathew – he is always someone’s lapdog;  

"Well, don't come running to me!"

“Well, don’t come running to me when things fall apart– again!”

Cassie arrives home . . .

Cassie arrives home from the Deri, 

. . . and has a terrible shock

and is horrified by the sight that greets her;  

Lisa is unconscious on the floor . . .

Lisa is lying motionless on the floor, 

. . . with the signs of a struggle

nearby an upturned chair and a bottle can be seen.   

"Police and ambulance, please!"

Cassie immediately phones for the police and an ambulance.