14 October 2021

The £300 reward catches Mark's eye

Mark is looking at the poster offering a £300 reward for the return of the missing dog;  “That’s a lot of money for a dog,” he remarks to Eifion, who maintains that it is worth every penny to Eileen.   

"You're talking thousands"

“You’re talking thousands for an experienced working dog,” he adds, and Mark thinks that it is worth more than him;  “A gerbil would be worth more than you!” snorts Eifion.   Mark wonders if he has a spare sheep dog he can borrow;  “Perhaps,” Eifion replies, and Mark is beginning to think of a scam.

"Look what I found in the back of the shop"

Aaron is doing some last-minute homework when Colin comes in with some old magazines;  “Look what I found in the back of the shop – old nature magazines – because you and I enjoyed that program on wildebeest.   

Aaron is doing some catching up

“I thought these would help you with your school work.”   Aaron thanks him, but is rather busy with his homework.

“You have to read about this weasel – what a character!” Colin goes on, “He’s having fun – him and his friends.”   

"I'll look at it later, Col"

Aaron will look at that later, as he is already late for school, and Colin is sure that they will be perfect for his biology work.   Aaron leaves, and Colin finds the right page in the ‘Wildlife of Britain’ magazine;  

"What a little devil he is!"

“There he is – what a little devil he is!”

Siôn is going to the bookshop

Siôn is packing his lunchbox and about to leave for the bookshop 

"Why don't you write here, Siôn?"

when Tesni comes downstairs;  he apologises for waking her and explains that he is going to Y Winllan to write from there today.   “Why don’t you write here?   I enjoyed our day yesterday,” she whines, 

"Me the inspiration, you the creator"

“Me the inspiration, you the creator.”

He argues that he should open the shop for the sake of the customers, but she is quite sure that nobody will want to buy a book before 10:00am;  

"Are you sure I can't tempt you?"

“Are you sure I can’t tempt you to come back to bed?” she invites him.

"Oh, you are tempting me!"

He confesses that she is tempting him, but if Kate Roberts has taken that attitude, where would they be today;  “Mind you, Kate’s husband was gay, apparently – and Kate, too, possibly.   Perhaps they’re not the best example – thanks, but no thanks.   See you tonight.”   Tesni is disappointed.

"I've just had a call from the police!"

Amanda has arrived at Bryntirion, and is decidedly not happy;  “I’ve just had a call from the police, asking me to come and talk about historical sex offences!” she snarls, “I told you to dump Mickey, not to go to the blinkin’ cops!”

"Don't lie!   Nobody else knows!"

Anita points out that she did not tell them, but this does not stop Amanda’s ranting, “Don’t lie!   Nobody else knows.”

"Except for me"

A quiet voice is heard from the other room, “Except for me,” says Kelly, “I told the cops, not Auntie Anita.   

Her mother is shocked

“You’ve got nothing to apologise for, OK?   I’m sorry . . . for what happened to you.   I don’t blame you for not telling me, either – 

"He's to blame!"

“but it’s not you, or Auntie Anita, or me who’s to blame.   He’s to blame!”   

"I never thought this would come out"

Her mother is reduced to tears and admits, “I never thought that this would come out.”   

"Tell me exactly what happened"

Kelly is also in a highly emotional state and tells her mother to take a deep breath and relate exactly what happened;  

"I need to hear it from you"

“I need to hear it from you.”

"You know what you were saying about the dog?"

In the Deri, Eifion is drinking a pint when Mark comes in;  “You know what you said earlier about that dog?   The one that looks like Penrhewl’s dog – were you serious?”   Have you got one?”

"Deri Fawr is full of old dogs"

Eifion replies that Deri Fawr is full of old dogs, and he is sure that there is one that is exactly like Fflam.   “£150 and you can have the dog.”   

"Why don't you do it yourself?"

Mark refuses the offer, pointing out that if it is such a good idea, why does he not do it himself.

“Eileen would never believe me – this way you still get half of the profit,” Eifion tells him, and he thinks seriously about it.

Siôn hopes for inspiration

Siôn is sitting in the bookshop, waiting for inspiration to strike, when his phone sounds, 

Tesni phones him . . .

but when he sees that it is a message from Tesni, he turns it off.   

. . . but has to leave a message

She leaves him a message, “Hi, Siôn, I hope the writing’s going OK – you must be really busy serving someone.   Phone me back when you get this message.”

"That didn't sound clingy at all"

Aled has just come into the house and sarcastically comments, “That didn’t sound clingy at all – honeymoon over already?”   She denies this, so he continues, “Right, so that’s why he won’t answer your calls.”

"You're too young and jaded"

She accuses him of being, “Too young and jaded,” and he counters with the assertion that she is too young to go out with 

"A job as Father Christmas without make-up!"

a man who is old enough to get a job as Father Christmas without make-up.   Tesni maintains, “He’s just spending a lot of time on his novel, that’s all.” 

He wonders if she is going to be in the novel;  “You should be – have you ever heard of a muse?”   

"I'd like to have a character named after me"

She does like the idea of having a character named after her, 

"You should be rewarded for sleeping with him!"

and he points out, “Exactly – it’s only right you should be rewarded for sleeping with him!”   

Tesni throws a cushion at him

She regards this as an insult and throws a cushion at him.

"I was legless – he'd made sure of that"

Amanda continues her sorry tale, “I was legless – he’d made sure of that – I collapsed on the bed – I don’t remember taking my clothes off.   I do remember waking up and he was in bed with me.   I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t.   

"I didn't say a word in the morning"

“I didn’t say a word to him in the morning – I felt so stupid, and of course when I found out that I was expecting you, 

"I pretended he wasn't the father"

“I decided to just pretend to myself that he wasn’t the father.”

"He doesn't deserve to be called 'Dad'!"

Kelly, now with tears flowing down her face, declares, “He’s not my Dad – he doesn’t deserve to be called ‘Dad’!”

"And I thought he was nice"

Amanda asks what Kelly thought of him, and she replies, “Nice.” 

Mark is doubtful about this scheme . . .

Eifion has taken a suitable dog to Maes-y-Deri, but Mark is doubtful about the whole thing;  he is assured that it is foolproof.   

. . . but Eifion tries to persuade him

“And guess what – this dog’s called Fflam as well – it’s lucky that John Deri Fawr is as unimaginative as Eileen.   He’ll be able to do the work – it’s in the blood – 

"He's probably related to Fflam"

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s related to Penrhewl’s Fflam.”

“But this one’s got more white on him,” worries Mark, “I don’t know – I’m too old for these capers.”   Eifion is quite convinced that Eileen will be so pleased that Mark will get £300 – and probably a snog as well.

Mark hands over £150

Mark is convinced, and rather unwisely hands over £150 before the scam has actually worked.

Aaron is watching the television

In the chip shop flat, Aaron is watching the television, where there is a programme about the red kite, but Britt does not want to join them, 

"Those dirty magazines"

commenting, “You go and watch the pigeons – are those dirty old magazines yours, Col?”   

He is quick to point out they are not dirty, so then she calls them ‘dusty’.  “They are old stock from the shop and perfect for Aaron’s school work, biology and geography,” Colin maintains.   

Colin has a present for Aaron

He has also bought Aaron an encyclopaedia of animals and a pair of binoculars, 

"Wow – thanks, Dad!"

for which Aaron is very grateful.

"For his GCSEs, are they?"

Britt assumes that these are for his GCSEs, but Colin explains, “It’s important that he learns about nature and the world around him – that’s what Mam-Gu Mwnt used to say.”   

Aaron tests the binoculars

Aaron is very pleased with the binoculars.

There is a silence at Bryntirion 

At Bryntirion, there is an uncomfortable silence and Kelly thanks her mother for sharing what happened;  

"I want you to share it with the cops"

“I want you to share it with the cops, on the record,” she adds, but Amanda will not entertain the idea.

"They don't want to waste time on a case like this!"

“No chance – the police don’t want to waste time on a case like this.   Even if the CPS did take it up, do you think I want to tell a court what I’ve just told you?   

"I'd be torn apart!"

“I’d be torn apart – they’d dig up every scumbag I’ve ever been with, just to make me look bad!”

"It wouldn't be like that, Mam"

Despite Kelly’s protestations that is not how it would be, 

"Staying quiet is best!"

Amanda goes on, “Do you want everyone to know that you’re here as the result of a rape?   No – staying quiet is best!”

"What if you're not the only one?"

Kelly is disgusted and wonders what if her mother is not the only one;  she concedes, “I’m probably not – but I can’t change the bloke!   I think we’ve all said enough!   

"I don't want anyone to raise this again!"

“I don’t want anyone to raise this again – and leave Mickey in the past!”   

Kelly is furious . . .

With that she walks out of the house, leaving Kelly 

. . . and Anita does not know what to think

and Anita looking at each other.

"Surprise – I've made us a picnic"

Tesni comes into the bookshop, carrying a hamper;  “Surprise – I’ve made us a picnic,” she says, 

She does not appear to be welcome

but there is a look of horror on Siôn’s face.   “Don’t you want to know what’s in the picnic?” she asks, but he replies that he has just had lunch.

"Let me just get this sentence down"

She sadly turns to go, but he urges her, “Let me just get this sentence down – it’s perfect in my head, and I want to get it down before I forget it.”   

She sits in the armchair

Tesni sits down in the armchair.

Mark puts the plan into action

With the dog sitting in front of him, Mark phones Eileen, reporting that he has found the missing Fflam, who was wandering around Maes-y-Deri.   

"He must be lost"

“He must be lost – do you want me to bring him over?   

He would prefer cash

“About the reward – I’m happy with cash or cheque, but if I’m being honest, cash.   Right, I’ll see you soon.”

"How much did they cost, Col?"

Britt enquires, “Tell me, Col, how much did those binoculars and that book cost?”   He regards it as an investment for the future, but when she is insistent, 

"Oh, about £100"

he replies that it was about £100.

"You don't have to try so hard"

“Listen, you and Aaron already have a special relationship – you don’t have to try so hard,” she goes on, “I know you want the best for him, I’m just worried that this new interest in animals will distract his attention from his school work.”

"I'd better cancel the electric bike, then . . ."

Colin agrees that there will be no more expensive fads, adding, “I’d better cancel the electric bike I’ve ordered from Garry, then,” 

". . . joke, Britt!"

but reveals that was a joke.

"That's not Fflam!"

Eileen is not taken in for a moment;  “That’s not Fflam!” she insists, “I’m perfectly sure.”   

"People's minds can play tricks on them"

Mark advises her to check carefully, because people’s minds can play tricks on them.

"Remember when people thought I was dead?"

“Remember when people thought I was dead – and it was another man?” he reminds her, but she is adamant this is another dog.   “Perhaps he’s changed because of the stress of being missing,” Mark suggests, 

"Viet Cong?"

“Like John McCain – his hair turned white after the Viet Cong kidnapped him.”

The dog completely ignores Mark

Then he tries to prove that the dog knows his name, repeatedly shouting, “Fflam!” but the dog appears to take no notice at all.

Eileen points out the crucial evidence

Eileen points out that it is definitely not Fflam;  “He hasn’t got his ‘John Thomas’.”   

"Is there any chance of getting some of the reward?"

Mark enquires if there is any chance of getting some of the reward, as apart from his ‘John Thomas’, he was close.   

"Good night, Mark!"

Eileen is having none of this and wishes him good night, 

He – and the dog – leave Penrhewl 

so Mark has to go.  

"Tangerine jelly"

Sitting at the kitchen table in Bryntirion, Kelly recalls, “I remember having tangerine jelly at a birthday party when I was little – that was my favourite day for ages – still in my top five, actually!”

"I shall have to get you some"

Anita cannot understand the fascination with tangerine jelly, but will go out and get some for her.   Kelly continues, “Today – bottom 10!   Do you feel any different since you found out how I came to be here?”

"You are you, Kelly!"

Anita replies that of course she does not;  “It doesn’t matter who your mother and father are – you are you!”

“I don’t know if I believe you, but thank you for saying it, all the same,” Kelly tells her.   Anita realises has been through so much – too much – 

"You're the bravest person I know"

and yet is still the bravest person she knows – and nothing will change that.

Mark is now £150 out of pocket . . .

At Maes-y-Deri, Mark and the dog are sitting on the sofa when his phone sounds;  

. . . and his mother comes home tomorrow

he reads the text, “Brynmor and I are coming home tomorrow.   Put the flags out and start cleaning.   Mam.”   

He looks at the dog

He sighs and looks at the dog, then makes a phone call, but has to leave a message;  

"Answer the phone, will you?"

“Eifion, you idiot – answer the phone, will you?   You won’t get away with this – I want my money back!   

"Come and pick up this mutt!"

“And come and pick up this mutt!”   

"Sorry, mate, you have to go"

Then he informs the dog that he will have to go, 

The dog is very unconcerned

but it seems very disinterested.