11 August 2021

The Twitter messages keep arriving

At breakfast time, Gaynor’s phone keeps sounding with Twitter messages, so much so as to irritate Hywel;  

"Can you please put that on mute?"

“Can you please put that on mute?” he asks, “I’m trying to concentrate.”   

She says that she is just checking her messages, but he is surprised that she is on Twitter, dismissing it as, “A platform for fools!”

"Everyone's so sensitive these days"

She maintains, “It’s a good thing that people can have their say somewhere – everyone’s so sensitive these days.”   Then she looks appreciatively at the latest messages to arrive.

Siôn is heading for Y Winllan . . .

Siôn strides round the corner by the chippy, on his way to the bookshop;  

. . . and Tesni is walking past the shop

Tesni is passing on the other side of the road and follows him.   

"Siôn, we need to talk, please"

“Siôn, we need to talk, please,” she says, but he replies that there is nothing to say.   

"So that's it – end of story?"

“So that’s it – end of story?” she demands.

Cassie is watching

Cassie is watching this exchange from outside the Deri, as Siôn asks Tesni to leave him alone, so she walks disconsolately away.   

Siôn is watching Tesni 

He watches discreetly from the door of the bookshop, and we can see that Cassie is still looking in that direction.

Ieuan Griffiths comes out of the alley . . .

Ieuan Griffiths emerges from the alley just as Jaclyn, who is leaving the shop, 

. . . as Jaclyn drops her shopping

drops some of her purchases on the pavement.   

"I'll take these home for you"

He rushes to her aid, assuring her, “I’ll take these home for you now, I insist – Ieuan Griffiths never turns his back on a woman in trouble!”

"If you could get Rhys to leave the house . . ."

Ffion has gone to Llwyncelyn to speak to Rhys;  Gaynor tells her, “If you could get him to leave the house today, you’ll be doing us all a big favour.”   She goes into the room the other side of the front door and closes the door as Rhys comes downstairs.

"Ffion – what are you doing here?"

He is surprised to see Ffion, who says, “I’ve come to apologise for not telling you about the abortion – 

"The way I treated you was totally unforgivable"

“the way I treated you was completely unforgivable.”   He is taken aback by this change of attitude, and she continues, “I’ve been thinking a lot – and I’ve realised that I’ve been selfish.”

"Why now?"

He seems to think there is some ulterior motive behind this and wonders why she is saying this now.   

"Just something someone said to me"

“Just something someone said to me.”   

"Jinx has been talking about the counselling"

He deduces that it was Jinx, and is afraid that he has told her about the counselling sessions.

She has no idea what Rhys is talking about;  

"He was talking about me, leaving a mess behind me"

“He was talking about me, and the way I go through life leaving a mess behind me.   I’m so sorry, Rhys.”   

"Do you want a cup of tea?"

Although still very confused, he offers her a cup of tea.

"Can I play the guitar outside?"

In the Deri, Jinx asks if Cassie minds him playing the guitar outside;  she answers, “No – why would I mind a handsome young man serenading me?”   

Colin offers his undoubted musical talents . . .

Colin is listening, and volunteers, “If you want company, Jinx, I’m quite a crooner.   I got an extensive repertoire – country, rock’n’roll, some jazz.   We could always do a demo tape together.”   

. . . but they are declined

Jinx turns down this offer, just as Mark comes in, looking rather downhearted.

"Mark, we should get the band back together"

Then Colin starts on him, “Mark, I think we should get the band back together – what do you say?   We had some fun years ago, didn’t we, you and me?”   Mark is more interested in the fact that no-one is serving behind the bar (despite two new barmen being on duty yesterday).

"Do you still think about Andrea?"

“Do you still think about Andrea?” Colin enquires, and Mark says that he does not, simply wanting to know where Cassie is.

"No wonder the place is half empty!"

“No wonder the place is half empty!” he moans, 

"I saw Andrea the other day"

then Colin reveals that he saw Andrea the other day – he arranged to meet her, thinking that he might be able to help.   

"I told you I don't want anything to do with her!"

“Col, I told you I don’t want anything to do with her!’ Mark emphasises.   

Colin could tell that he was disappointed, and he groans, “You don’t know the half of it!”   

"You know how much of a fool I've been"

Then seeing Colin’s expression, he demands, “She told you?   There we are, then – you know how much of a fool I’ve been,” and he storms out of the pub.

"Two sugars, for the shock"

Ieuan Griffiths has made a cup of tea, with two sugars, for Jaclyn, 

"What's he doing here?"

but when Tesni comes in through the door, she immediately demands, “What’s he doing here?”   Jaclyn explains what happened, but she continues, “You know what kind of man he is!   

"I can't believe you're having a cup of tea with him!"

“I can’t believe you’re sitting here, having a cup of tea with him!” and she marches straight out again.

"You were right to be angry with me"

He admits that with the whole escort business, Jaclyn was right to be angry with him, but he argues that he was going through a difficult time, with a relationship just ended.   “It was one of those moments of madness you get sometimes.   

"I used to run nightclubs"

“But I’m keeping myself busy now with the council and a few other things.   I used to run nightclubs – Majorca, Tenerife – I don’t now of course, but I’ve still got the contacts.”

Jaclyn seems uneasy

Jaclyn is feeling rather uncomfortable as he goes on, “To be honest, running a nightclub is a lot like running a council – 

"A lot of big egos, you know"

“a lot of big egos, you know.”

"It's my fault you're like this"

Ffion is explaining to Rhys, “I was too much of a coward – it’s my fault that you’re like this.”   He says that she cannot take all the blame, 

"Sorry, I didn't know Ffion was here"

and then they are interrupted by the arrival of his father, who did not know that Ffion was there.

"We all have our baggage"

“It’s all right, Dad – life is complicated – we all have our baggage,” says Rhys, looking at Ffion.   Hywel appreciates that, and Rhys adds, “That’s what I’ve realised after talking to Jinx – he’s been doing the counselling sessions with me.”   

"Oh, Jinx?"

Hywel is surprised to hear this, and Ffion says that he has just started training;  

Gaynor is listening in

Gaynor is listening, from her position in the other room.   

"Jinx helped me sort my head out"

“He’s helped me a lot – sorting my head out,” Rhys admits, and his father agrees that they could all do with a bit of that.   Ffion maintains that she should be first in the queue.

A photo of Gwen

At Y Felin, Siôn looks at a photo of Gwen, his late wife, and then replaces it on the bookshelf.   

"I was sorry to hear about Anita"

Iolo comes in, still with that stupid hat apparently surgically attached to his head, explaining that the door was open.   “I was sorry to hear about Anita,” he tells his father, “Kelly told me she’d moved out.”

"The Cwmderi tom-toms are beating, are they?"

Siôn assumes that the word is out, and the Cwmderi tom-toms are beating;  “Don’t worry – nothing’s happened and nothing’s going to happen, either.   The whole thing is ludicrous!   

"An old man falling for a young girl!"

“An old man falling for a young girl – it’s like something out of the Sunday newspapers!”

Iolo is lost

Iolo is incredulous, not believing his ears;  “I don’t quite understand,” he says, 

"I don't understand it – neither does Tesni"

and Siôn does not understand himself – neither does Tesni.   

"What's Tesni got to do with it?"

Iolo is now even more confused;  “Tesni?   What has she got to do with Anita moving out?”

"Oh, I thought kelly had told you"

Siôn was under the impression that Kelly had told him all the details and advises him to forget about it, but Iolo will not let the matter drop.   “Nothing happened – that’s what I’m trying to say!” his father exclaims.

"But do you want something to happen?"

“But you want it to?” enquires Iolo, wide-eyed with amazement.

Tesni is sitting outside the Deri

Cassie comes out of the Deri to find Tesni sitting outside and asks if she wants anything.   

"Siôn's an old misery guts!"

“What’s wrong?   Was it that argument with Siôn earlier?   Don’t take any notice of him – he’s an old misery guts!”

"A misery guts I've fallen for"

Tesni smiles at this description and adds, “A misery guts I’ve fallen for.”   

"I think we both need a brandy!"

Cassie thinks that this calls for a brandy for both of them.

Gaynor's phone is still pinging

Hywel is working on the laptop at Llwyncelyn and Gaynor’s phone is still incessantly pinging with new messages.   She asks if he had a nice chat with Ffion;  “The three of you seemed very cosy.”   

"Rhys is having therapy"

Hywel says that Rhys is having therapy, but she dismisses this with, “So many young people are having therapy these days – 

"A lot of them just want attention"

“a lot of them just want attention.   I’m not talking about Rhys, but, come on, this victim culture has gone a bit too far, hasn’t it?   It’s an excuse not to take responsibility.”

"That's only your opinion"

Hywel is not going to listen to any more of this, pointing out that it is only her opinion;  

"A lot pof people agree with me"

“Well, a lot of people agree with me,” she informs him, 

She looks at Twitter on the laptop

and looks on the laptop at a Twitter message reading, ‘Need help?   Looking for attention?’

"I don't know what's come over me"

“I don’t know what’s come over me,” groans Siôn, “I don’t know myself any more.”   

Iolo sympathises that is how it is; 

"It just happens, Dad"

“When you fall for someone, it just happens,” but his father again stresses that nothing is going to happen.   “Is that what she wants?” Iolo asks, 

"She has no idea how people would react"

and Siôn answers that she is young and has no idea how people would react.

"Is that the most important thing?"

“And that’s the most important thing, is it?” Iolo demands, while his father imagines all the whispering and people laughing behind their backs.   “Welcome to my world, Dad – but worrying about what other people think hasn’t stopped me, has it?”

"I'm thinking about Tesni, not me"

“I’m thinking about Tesni, not me,” Siôn assures him, and Iolo is always available if he needs to talk to anyone.

"There was this dog that started howling"

Ieuan Griffiths is going on about a cockapoo;  “One of those dogs with curls and things like that, he ran up on to the stage and started howling.   The louder the singer, the louder the dog howled!   

Jaclyn is amused

“It was one of the most successful cabarets we ever had – although the singer might not agree!”

"Your face changes when you laugh"

He comments that Jaclyn’s face changes when she laughs, and advises her to do it more often;  

"I don't get many opportunities these days"

she complains that she does not get many opportunities these days.   She thanks him for helping her, 

"I'm going to take you out to lunch"

and he proposes to take her out for lunch.

"I shouldn't have gone behind your back"

Colin visits Maes-y-Deri to apologise to Mark;  “Look, I shouldn’t have gone behind your back – I had no right.”   Mark agrees with that, 

"At least she as hones with you"

as he goes on, “It must have been a big shock when you found out, but at least she was honest with you.”

"She took her time!"

“Honest?   She took her time!” Mark replies, 

"It's not easy, saying something like that"

but it is pointed out that it is not easy, to say something like that.   She probably wanted to see how they would get on first.   Colin regards her as a lovely girl 

"Will you be seeing her again?"

and enquires if Mark is going to see her again.   

"What do you think, Col?"

“What do you think?” is the stern reply.

Colin cannot see why not;  

"It's not like it was years ago"

“Being HIV positive isn’t like it was years ago – they can manage it these days, can’t they?   Anyway, you said yourself that the . . . sex wasn’t important.”   

Mark says that the HIV is not the problem – it is the deception.   “Perhaps she didn’t tell you, but do you blame her?   

"Did you tell her you'd been to prison four times?"

“Did you tell her you’ve been to prison four times?”   

"Three times!   And that's different"

Mark quickly points out that it is only three times, and is a case that is different.

Colin rebukes him, “Is it?   You went to prison for doing something on purpose – it’s not poor Andrea’s fault that she caught a virus, is it?”   This makes Mark think.

"I had no idea until Kelly told me"

Outside the Deri, Tesni says, “I had no idea how he felt until Kelly told me – he never tried to take advantage.”   

"No – Siôn is a gentlemen"

Cassie agrees that Siôn is a gentleman, and Tesni goes on, “I didn’t realise that I’d fallen for him either.   

"I felt more comfortable with him than anyone else"

“All I knew was that I felt more comfortable with him than I have with anyone else.”   

Cassie can understand that, as she has been through a lot recently, and Siôn is a very dependable man;  “But comfort can sometimes be misleading – 

"Are you sure you're not looking for a father figure?"

“are you sure you’re not looking for a father figure?”   

"I know how I feel"

Tesni denies this, insisting, “I knows how I feel – I’ve been in serious relationships before, and this feels right.   Siôn keeps saying that it’s wrong, and that the age difference is going to be a problem – but there’s nothing to be ashamed of – it’s not an affair.   He and Anita finished ages ago – nobody’s going to get hurt – apart from me, if I lose him!”

"You seem not to give up easily"

“If that’s how you really feel, tell him,” is Cassie’s advice, “You’ll find a way – you seem to me like a girl who doesn’t give up very easily.”

"The health and safety guidelines?"

Gaynor is speaking to someone from school on the phone about the health and safety guidelines when several more message alerts sound on the laptop.   

Still the messages come

She looks at the latest crop as Rhys comes in, after a run, which apparently almost killed him;  

"I thought I was going to have a heart attack"

he thought he was going to have a heart attack.

"Someone is popular"

Hearing all the pings, he comments that someone is popular, and she dismisses it as parents complaining about something;  “You can’t escape it these days, can you?” he remarks, “No wonder young people are more stressed than ever.   

"I'm making dinner tonight!"

“Well, you can put your feet up tonight, because I’m making dinner – I want to.   The only thing that was keeping me going was thinking about a steak and a glass of red wine.   Anyway, it’s about time I started doing something round here – I really appreciate being able to stay.   

"Being here with you and Dad has helped me a lot"

“Being here with you and Dad, well, it’s helped a lot.”

Not what Gaynor was wanting to hear

Gaynor looks disappointed that it seems they will not be getting rid of Rhys any time soon.

"Jinx?   This is a blast from the past"

Jinx is playing on his guitar outside the Deri when Jaclyn and Ieuan approach;  “Jinx?   This is a blast from the past – I didn’t know you were back,” says Ieuan, “He was one of the a few tenants I had who paid rent on time.   

He gets Jinx worried

“Do you have a licence for busking?” 

"All right – only joking!"

then reveals that he is only joking.   

He invites Jinx to give them a song, and it is explained that he is more of an instrumentalist;  

Jaclyn sings the folk song

Jaclyn instantly recognise the song he is playing, and sings along.   Her somewhat unromantic words are,

“There was a man from Cwm Penmachno

Who dated a girl from the parish of Llandudno;

They’d go courting on the Orme,

Before returning to muck out the farmyard.”

"Hey — you've got a lovely voice!"

Jinx compliments her on her voice, and Ieuan invites her to turn up the volume.

"I just wat to forget the whole thing ever happened"

“I know I should apologise, but I don’t want to!” Mark insists, “I just want to forget the whole thing ever happened!”   

"You'e been happier these last few weeks"

Colin points out that it has happened, and he has been happier over these last few weeks than for ages;  “You’re not going to throw all that away because . . ?”   

Mark wants to know if he is being accused of being narrow-minded, because he cannot cope with the fact that Andrea has HIV.   

"You're right, Col – and I want you to go now!"

He concedes that Colin is right, and wants him to go now.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking,” sighs Colin, “But I’ll tell you one thing – 

"That conscience will prick you – guaranteed!"

“that conscience will prick you until you see Andrea – guaranteed!” and with that he leaves the house.

"I've made my decision"

Tesni has gone again to Y Felin, where Siôn continues to insist, “There’s no point – I’ve made my decision!”

"And what about me?"

“And what about me?” she demands;  he replies that he is thinking about her.  “No you’re not!   

"This age business is just an excuse"

“This age business is just an excuse, isn’t it?   You don’t want to be with me.”   

"That's not true"

He tells her that is not true, and she goes on, “If you don’t want me, Siôn, just say – and I’ll leave.”   

Tesni is on the point of leaving

He remains silent, so she picks up her bag and is about to go.

“Please, don’t go!” he begs her, “I want you to stay – but can we take things slowly?   I don’t want people to find out.”   She wonders if he is ashamed, but he denies that;  

"I can't believe my luck!"

“Quite the opposite – I can’t believe my luck!   I feel like I’m dreaming, and that any moment I’m going to wake up!”

This will cause some wagging tongues in the village

She assures him that he is not dreaming;  “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”   As they move towards each other to kiss, the episode ends.