15 September 2021

The humdrum routine is getting Ffion down

Ffion complains that Arwen’s wash basket is full again;  “I don’t want to moan, 

"Every day's the same here"

“but every day’s the same here – clothes, dishes. cleaning, work, run and sleep.”   

"Well, so something different, then"

Jinx tells her to do something different;  she groans, “Like . . . erm . . . go to chapel, yeah?   Sorry – 

"The Reverend Huw Jenkins?"

“but you – the Reverend Huw Jenkins?”

"I'd like a bit of support, old girl"

“I don’t expect you to understand, Ffion – but I’d like a bit of support, eh, old girl – my old mate?   I don’t know where all this is going, but like I said, I just want to make a difference.”   

"I promise I won't tease you again"

She promises not to tease him again, or criticise him, either.

"What are we going to do with you?"

He wonders what they are going to do with her;  “Just ignore me – I’ve got a million and one things to be grateful for.”   He knows that everyone gets fed up sometimes and suggests a new hobby, or volunteering.   

"Or I could just come to my senses"

“Or just come to my senses,” she sighs.   Jinx promises to think of something, 

Ffion does not happy about this

and she does not look entirely happy about the prospect.

"Cassie, are you there?"

Anita is frantically knocking at the door of number 9 and calling, “Cassie – are you home?   I need a word with you.”   

"Britt has not seen her today"

Britt comes round the corner and is asked if she has seen Cassie today.   

"How is Colin?"

Then Anita enquires how Colin is.

"Hell, he's up and dressed"

“Well he’s got up and got dressed,” Britt replies, and Anita thought it would be nice if they did something to show that they are all thinking of him.   

"I'm organising a Remembrance Day"

Britt has had the same idea and is going to arrange a Remembrance Day for Izzy.   Anita imagines that Colin appreciates that, but apparently he does not know about it yet.

"Britt, it's not a party"

“Britt, it’s not a party – you can’t organise a surprise Remembrance Day,” Anita warns, and Britt will tell him, but just wants to sort everything out first.   “Wouldn’t he like to help organise it?” asks Anita, 

"Colin's still trying to find Lois"

but Britt considers that he has enough on his plate – and is still trying to find Lois.

Britt sees the DI . . .

As Britt turns, she sees DI Wilkinson approaching and wishes him good morning;  

. . . and steers clear of him

she does not like the look of him and hurries back to the chip shop.

Mark is back from his round

Mark returns home after his post round and wonders what Vicky fancies doing today;  

"Lunch in the Deri?"

“Lunch in the Deri?” but she would rather chill out there.   She has not yet been to see Mathew, 

"I'm bound to say the wrong thing"

as she does not know what to say to him, and is bound to say the wrong thing.   

“Just like your mother!” he comments, “Listen, have you thought about using your contacts at work?   

"Perhaps a solicitor could help get her home"

“Perhaps a solicitor could help to get her home,” Mark suggests, but she points out that they do not do ‘mate’s rates’.

"Mam is getting married"

Then she is forced to reveal that Debbie is getting married, 

Mark is amazed

which comes as a shock to Mark.

Colin has some good news

Colin has received an encouraging phone call;  

"Yes, that's great – you be careful!"

“Yes, that’s great – you be careful – love you!”   

Britt is moaning away . . .

Britt is coming up the stairs, 

. . . and its effects on her

and says that she has just seen ‘him’, the DI, and it caused her to sweat buckets.

"We're allergic to he police!"

“Every time I see him, I feel guilty – and I haven’t done anything wrong!   I know he’s just a man like everybody else, but there we go, I’m a Monk – we’re allergic to the police.”

Colin is wearing a smile

Then she realises that Colin has a smile on his face and appears to be in a dream;  

"Lois – she's coming home!"

“Lois,” he says, “She’s coming home!”

Out in the street, Jinx has suggested something else that Ffion could try, but she dismisses it, “With these two left hands?” and he is sure that she must be able to do something.

Ffion sees the DI in the distance . . . 

Then as they come round the corner she sees in the distance the DI;  

. . . and is immediately smitten

“Hey, who’s he?   I know him from somewhere.”   Jinx replies that he is the policeman who has moved into Hywel’s house.   “He’s living here – better still!” is Ffion’s reaction, 

"Come on – focus, Ffion"

and Jinx urges her to focus and suggests cooking or photography.

"Shush – you're distracting me"

“Shush – you’re distracting me,” she tells him, but he is only trying to think of a project for her.   

She has now found her project

“There’s no need, because I’ve just found it!” she declares, and cannot help looking along the road.”

"Your mate's down there – the DI"

Colin is looking out of the window and informs Britt, “Your mate’s down there – the DI.”   

"He's not looking up here, is he?"

She is afraid that he is looking up at the flat. and Colin reminds her, 

"Come on, he was brilliant with Aaron"

“Come on, he was brilliant with Aaron – you’ve forgotten that.”

"I'm scared of the police"

Britt just cannot help it;  “I’m scared of the police – always have been,” but he points out that they are here to keep people safe, 

"You should be glad he's on the doorstep"

and she should be glad that he is on her doorstep.   “I’ve never thought of it like that,” she answers.   Colin emphasises that now she is an ‘Evans’, not a ‘Monk’.

“Yes, you’re right – I’m always here for you, and for Lois, when she comes home.   

"We Evanses stick together"

“We ‘Evanses’ stick together.”   Colin smiles.

Kelly has just emerged from the shop

Kelly comes out of the shop with a bottle of water and sees Eifion in the alley;  “Oh aye, where are you off to?” she demands, “To burn some more tyres, is it?”   

Eifion has decided to go organic . . .

He maintains that he is off to do some research, as he has decided to go organic.

. . . and Griffiths cannot resist having his say

Griffiths has just walked past, and cannot help interrupting;  “John Deri Fawr’s got nothing to say to the Green Brigade!” he sneers.

"When John sees the grants which are available . . ."

Eifion is sure that when John sees the grants which are available, it will be a different story;  “There’s good money to be made, if you know where to look – it’s a good way of getting votes.   Everyone loves an eco-warrior!”

"Make sure you do it for the right reasons!"

Kelly exclaims, “If you’re going to go green, right, make sure you do it for the right reasons!”   

"You and your type are never happy!"

Griffiths considers that Kelly and her type are never happy, 

"You two are both from the same cesspit!"

so she accuses them, “You two are from the same cesspit, if you ask me!” and she stalks off.

"Isn't she a lovely girl?"

“Isn’t she a lovely girl?” remarks Griffiths.

"You haven't been to the police, have you?"

Cassie comes to Bryntirion;  “I’ve been looking for you everywhere – you haven’t been to the police, have you?” Anita whines.   Cassie would not do that without telling her, which comes as something of a relief.

"Kelly is what's important here"

“I know that not reporting it is wrong, but Kelly is what is important here,” Anita admits.   

"She might be stronger than you think"

Cassie maintains that Kelly might be stronger than she thinks, and still recommends that Anita reconsiders.

"You don't know her like I do"

“You don’t know her like I do – she suffers from bulimia – it’s under control now, but she’s been through so much – well, too much!   She gave her son away because his father was a murderer.   Little Paul will never know what his father was like – and that’s exactly what I want for Kelly.”   

"I won't say a word"

Cassie promises not to say a word.

"What's this SOS, then, Mark?"

Mark summons Garry to Maes-y-Deri;  “What’s this SOS, then?   I’m busy,” Garry growls.   Mark announces that Debbie wants a divorce and he does not.

"What do you expect me to do?"

“What do you expect me to do?” Garry demands, and is told that he is going through the same thing, 

"I thought you would understand"

so Mark thought he would understand.   

"Open up and share our feelings?   I'm joking!"

“Yeah, why don’t we open up and share our feelings?   Joking, Mark!”

Garry does not know what the problem is, as Mark has not seen Debbie for years;  she is in Spain, 

"A pity Dani's not in Spain with her!"

“And it’s a pity Dani isn’t with her!” he snarls.

"I didn't think I wanted her back, but . . ."

Mark complains, “The thing is, I didn’t think I wanted her back – but when Vicky said she wants to marry some waiter – I don’t know – something changed.”   

"All you did was argue"

Garry reminds him that all they did was argue;  “Yes, but if I want to argue with anyone, I want to argue with her!” is Mark’s rather illogical reply,  “Perhaps that’s why all the dates I went on were such a ‘car crash’ – 

"I didn't want them – I just wanted Debbie"

“I didn’t want them, I just wanted Debbie.”

Garry reveals that he does not want a divorce either;  “But the point comes when you just have to accept it.”   Mark protests that if they get divorced, she will never come home again – even if she was not ‘on the run’, he would never see her again.   

"I would say that it's all over now"

“I would say that it’s all over now,” is Garry’s considered opinion.

“Not for me it isn’t – I’m not giving up on her – no way!” insists Mark, as he leaves, “If she wants a divorce, she can think again!”

Eifion says he wants to clear the air

Eifion arrives at Penrhewl on the pretext that he wants to clear the air;  

"After filling it with smoke yesterday"

“After filling it with smoke yesterday?” says Eileen, “I could smell it from here!”   He assures her that it will not happen again;  “We don’t want any more of your nonsense – especially when we open a café here,” she goes on.

"It's nice to see farmers diversifying"

He says he wants to wish them all the best with the venture, pointing out that it is nice to see farmers diversifying;  “You’re an example to us all – 

"Deri Fawr's going organic, too"

“to be honest, I’m using Penrhewl as inspiration.   Deri Fawr’s going organic, too.”

Eileen finds this idea risible

Eileen laughs at the very suggestion, but he adds that they are also going zero carbon;  “And what’s in it for you?” she knowingly demands.   

"Are there any guidelines – or grants?"

He comes up with the answer that he is protecting the planet, and asks how to go about it;  “Are there any guidelines?   Grants, perhaps?”

"Too lazy to do your own research"

She knew that there was something;  “Too lazy to do your own research – I’m not giving you advice, 

"We've worked hard at Penrhewl to get those grants"

“because we’ve worked hard at Penrhewl to get those grants.”

His attitude immediately changes;  “Penrhewl, Penrhewl – you think you’re so fantastic.   

"We're going to do a better job than you!"

“I’m proud of Deri Fawr – and we’re going to do a better job than you!”   Eileen cannot envisage that happening.

Britt presents the DI with a casserole

Britt has taken over a chicken and vegetable casserole for the DI;  “Just something to welcome you to the village, 

"Is it all right to call you Mark?"

“so welcome, Mark – it’s all right to call you Mark, is it?”

Mark Jones is angered

Mark Jones comes out of the pub and is surprised to see this fraternisation;  “Well, well, well – what’s going on here?   

"Traitor!"

“Traitor – you should be on my side!”   She insists that they cannot drive Mark out of the village, and he reminds her that the DI should be known as ‘Wilko’.

"He's a nice bloke, actually"

“He’s here to stay, so we might as well get used to him – he’s a nice bloke, actually,” Britt continues, “Something in the name, you see.”   

"I've never trusted the pigs!"

Mark hopes that she and her new best friend have a lot of fun together;  he has never trusted the pigs, and is not going to start now.

Ffion is concerned about Anita

Inside the Deri, Ffion is concerned about Anita, sitting at the bar;  “She probably needs some peace – there’s a houseful in Bryntirion,” replies Jinx, but then Anita walks out without a word.

"I've got an hour before picking up Arwen"

Ffion has another hour before picking up Arwen, 

Then who should come in but 'Wilko'?

and then notices the latest object of her ‘passion’ coming in through the door.   She cannot help staring, as the DI sits at the bar, 

"Go over and say hello"

and Jinx encourages her to go over to say hello.  

"No, I couldn't"

At first she is reluctant;  “Look at him, poor thing, sitting there on his own,” Jinx goes on, “Go on – get over there now!   Just be yourself – 

"If you get married, I want to be the maid of honour!"

“and if you get married, I want to be the maid of honour!”

"Hiya, do you want to get married . . ?"

She goes over to the DI, and with Jinx’s words are still ringing in her head, says, “Hiya – do you want to get married?  

". . . sorry . . . do you want a drink?"

“Er . . . do you want a drink?”   

"No, thanks"

He declines her offer, and she continues, “I didn’t catch your name.”

He introduces himself as Mark, 

"I'm Ffion"

and she tells him she is Ffion;  

She is overwhelmed with embarrassment . . .

on her way back to Jinx, she looks extremely embarrassed, 

. . . and Jinx cannot believe it

and Jinx cannot believe what he has just witnessed.

Mark is back home . . .

Mark returns to Maes-y-Deri, 

. . . and Vicky offers to look into divorces

where Vicky asks if he wants her to see a solicitor at work about the divorce.   

"No, I'm not getting a divorce"

“No, I’m not getting a divorce,” is his answer.   She realises that it is a shock, 

"You've been separated for ages"

but they have been separated for ages – she cannot believe that he wants Debbie back.

"After everything she's done to me?"

“After everything she’s done to me?   No thanks!   It’s the cost and the hassle,” he moans,   Vicky emphasises that her mother wants to move on.   “Why should I help her?    

"It's her turn now!"

“She made my life difficult for years – it’s her turn now!” he snarls.

"Do you want to get married?"

Back at Cysgod y Glyn, Jinx asks Ffion, “Do you want to get married?” 

They fall about, laughing

which makes them both laugh.   She says that it is so embarrassing, and it was his fault, going on about a wedding.   

"Put it behind me and try again"

She will just have to put today behind her and try again.

"One utterly embarrassing conversation"

“Of course – don’t let one completely and utterly embarrassing conversation hold you back,” he jokes.

"I can't stop thinking about him"

“I know this sounds totally crazy because I don’t know him, but I can’t stop thinking about him,” she continues;  unsurprisingly Jinx had noticed this.   “No, I really fancy him – 

"And I'm going to get him, too!"

“and I’m going to get him, too!” she declares with determination.

"I can't talk to anyone else about it"

Anita goes to number 9;  “I’m sorry, I can’t talk to anyone else about it,” she tells Cassie, “Because nobody else knows.   The thing is, it’s going round and round in my head – 

"The way he forced himself on Amanda"

“the way Kelly came into the world, and the way he forced himself on Amanda.   

"She was such a beautiful baby" – and she still is beautiful!

“She was such a beautiful baby – those big brown eyes – she was just like a dolly.   She was bonkers – you never knew what she was going to do next!”

"Kelly is still the same girl"

Cassie points out that nothing has changed – Kelly is still the same girl;  “You can’t let Mickey win!”   

"I was so hard on Amanda"

Anita regrets that she has been so hard on Amanda, thinking she was a bad mother, and that she was selfish;  “And all this time she’s been carrying this terrible secret around.   

"If I hadn't been seeing him at the time . . ."

“If I hadn’t been seeing him at the time, this wouldn’t have happened!   I was his girlfriend – I brought him into the house.   I was too stupid to see what he was like!”

"You have to stop feeling like that, Anita"

Cassie makes it clear that it was not Anita’s fault, but she cannot help blaming herself.   “You’ll have to stop feeling like that, or it will eat you alive!” advises Cassie, “The women in your family are stronger than you think – stronger than Mickey!   As far as I’m concerned, Kelly does not have a father – 

"Kelly has such a good auntie"

“she doesn’t need one with such a good auntie.   

"Forget about Mickey – you'll never see him again"

“Forget about Mickey – he’s not worth your tears – you’ll never see him again – it’s over!”

Kelly slams shut the laptop

At Bryntirion, Kelly slams shut the laptop, 

"Do you still want to do this interview?"

then picks up her phone and calls Mickey;  “Do you still want to do this interview about the toy bank?   Really?   

"That would be amazing, yeah!"

“That would be amazing, yeah!   I mean, come over here if you want – see you, then.”   

She looks very pleased with herself

She looks very pleased with herself.