27 April 2022

Olivia sits quietly

Olivia is sitting quietly and Rhys is speaking on the phone to Jason, asking where Lois is;  “When will she be back?  OK, thanks.”   

"She won't be back until later"

He tells Olivia, “She’s working – she won’t be back until later.”   

"We need to tell someone you're safe"

He sits on the sofa and stresses that they need to tell someone she is safe.

"After I see Lois"

“After I see Lois,” Olivia answers, but is told that she might be a long time;  

"I'll see my Mum and then I'll go"

“I’ll wait, I’ll see my Mum and then I’ll go,” she informs Rhys.   

"You can't call Lois that"

He says that she cannot call Lois that, but Olivia demands, “Why?   That’s what she is – it’s ‘Mam’ in Welsh – Abi told me.”

He comments that she does not call him ‘Dad’, 

"That's different"

but she maintains that is different, which brings tears to his eyes.   She continues, “Did they force you to give me away?” 

"No, they didn't"

and he assures her that they did not, placing his hand on hers.

"We didn't know what we were doing"

“No, it wasn’t like that – we were so young – we didn’t know what we were doing,” he says, 

"Do you hate me?"

and Olivia wonders if he and her mother hate her.   “Of course we don’t,” he answers.

Olivia is convinced, “She won’t come if she hates me.”   Rhys makes it very clear that she will come, but Olivia doubts that.   

"Lois will come, I promise"

He promises that Lois will come.

"I'm not sure I'm posh enough to stand next to you"

Iolo walks into the Deri and is surprised to see his father wearing the new suit;  “I’m not sure I’m posh enough to stand next to you,” he comments, and Siôn concedes that it is a bit different.   His son thinks that it is about time for a change, 

"Eifion helped me"

and it is emphasised that Eifion helped him.

"Since when have you been interested in fashion?"

“Since when have you been interested in fashion?” Iolo demands, and Eifion regards it as putting a shine on old things, 

"People pay a lot of money for fashion advice"

adding that people pay a lot of money for fashion advice.

“I’ve already spent a fortune on this!” Siôn grumbles, and seeing Iolo’s cynical look, asks, “What’s wrong with it?”   Iolo wants to know why he is dressed up like that, 

"Iwan Ceiriog has agreed to come to Y Winllan"

and is informed, “Iwan Ceiriog has agreed to come and sign his books in Y Winllan – he shops in the same place as me – and he thought I looked very smart.”

"Iwan Ceiriog – who would have thought?"

Gaynor comes in, having received a message from Siôn;  “I need to see Dani  first, and then I’ll come over later.   Iwan Ceiriog – who would have thought?”   

"I'm very excited about it!"

Siôn is very excited about the occasion.

"Iwan Ceiriog – never heard of him!"

When his father goes back to the table, Iolo looks at Geraint behind the bar, and asks, “Iwan Ceiriog?”   Geraint has also never heard of him.

"Have you got time to discuss your statement?"

Gaynor arrives at the Deri flat, hoping that Dani would have time to discuss her personal statement.   A sheet of paper is produced, and Dani says that she has done as much of it as she could;  

"I can't remember the last time I wrote so much"

“I can’t remember the last time I wrote so much.   Tell me if it’s rubbish, OK?   I know it’s not very good.”

Gaynor diplomatically asks whether she has read it over, and Dani tries to explain, “I can see the words, but when I try to read, 

"It's as if my brain doesn't, erm, catch the words"

“it’s as if my brain doesn’t, erm, catch the words.   Does that make sense?”   

"Let's go through it one sentence at a time"

Gaynor proposes that they go through it one sentence at a time.

"Do you want a biscuit?"

Rhys is looking through the cupboards to see if Wilko has left anything edible, but only finds a half-eaten packet of biscuits in the bread bin.   

Olivia does some colouring

Olivia is sitting, doing some colouring, as he asks, “Do you want a biscuit?   You should eat something,” but she simply looks at him.

"It'll be nice, the three of us together"

“It’ll be nice, the three of us together,” he says, 

"Who do you say 'Hello' in Welsh?"

but she is more interested in finding out how you say ‘Hello’ in Welsh.   He replies, “It’s the same – ‘Helo’, 

"You could say, Shwmae"

“or you could say ‘Shwmae’.”

"Shwmae — I'll say that when she comes in"

“Shwmae – I’ll say that when she comes in,” Olivia decides, but he warns her to stick to what they said;  

"Remember, you stay in the kitchen"

she is to stay in the kitchen, and then he will bring Lois through after he has explained to her.

"It's time to go and get her"

He looks at his phone and says that it is time to go and get her;  “How do I know you’re not going to call my parents – or the police?” Olivia demands.

"I wouldn't lie to you – I'm your Dad"

Rhys assures her, “I wouldn’t lie to you – I’m your Dad.”   She is not convinced, but he adds, “You’ll have to trust me – will you do that?” 

She nods her head, and asks, “How you say ‘I love you’ in Welsh?”   We do not hear Rhys’ answer to that.

"Has anyone seen my wallet?"

Siôn comes back into the Deri, asking if anyone has seen his wallet;  

They are surprised by his appearance

Mark and Colin are sitting at the bar, and look rather incredulous at his appearance.   “My head’s all over the place today, with Iwan Ceiriog coming to Y Winllan,” he goes on, and when asked who, he adds, “The Chief Bard.”

"Someone's having a mid-life crisis!"

Britt arrives and laughs, “Look at him!   Someone’s having a midlife crisis!”   

"That suit must have cost an arm and a leg!"

Colin can see that the suit must have cost him an arm and a leg, concluding that books must be selling like hot cakes.

This gives Siôn another chance to publicise the occasion;  “They will tonight, hopefully, with Iwan Ceiriog there!”   

"He's a bit of a 'drip'!"

Britt has seen him on the television, and describes him as ‘a bit of a drip’.  “If your definition of a Chief Bard and a genius is a drip – perhaps.” replies Siôn, angrily.

"An interesting spin on old stories"

Britt has been looking at her phone and finds a review of the ghost tour;  “An interesting spin on old stories – a great night.”   Siôn seems aggrieved that the old stories he researched have been given a ‘spin’, and is told that they had to spice up the stories a bit.

"You can't rewrite history!"

“You can’t rewrite history!” he rages, but she points out that they are only stories and that it is a bit of fun.   He walks out of the pub, and Mark is pleased to hear that the tour went well.

"Cwrt Young Farmers want to book a night!"

“It was better than good – The Cwrtmynach Young Farmers want to book a night,” announces Britt, but Colin is unenthusiastic.   Mark wonders what is wrong with him, and Britt says, “He saw someone dressed in black.”   

"It might have been a policeman, Col"

Mark suspects that it might have been a policeman.

"I keep telling you – it wasn't normal!"

“I keep telling you – it wasn’t normal!” Colin insists;  

"I could say the same thing about you, Col"

Britt maintains that she could say the same thing about him.   

"Shut up and drink your pint, good boy"

Mark advises him to shut up and drink his pint.

At last, Rhys has caught up with Lois in the chip shop flat and she demands what he wants.   

"There's something I want to show you"

“There’s something I want to show you,” he says, enigmatically, “Come with me and you’ll see.”

"What's this about, Rhys?"

She demands what this is about, 

"Trust me, Lois"

and he pleads, “Trust me!”   She warns him that she does not like surprises, but he insists this is important.

"If you're playing games . . ."

“All right – but if you’re playing games . . .” she begins, but he continues urging her, 

She consents to go with him

and they leave the flat.

"Your statement is almost there"

Gaynor explains that Dani’s statement is almost there, but Dani can see that she has made a lot of red marks on it.   “Perhaps one more paragraph saying you have personal reasons for wanting to understand a criminal’s psychology.”

"You really think they want to know that?"

“Do you really think they would want to know that?” Dani asks, and is told that it will make her application stand out.

"I want to know why I always pick bad men?"

“So I admit that I want to know why I always pick bad men?” she suggests, but Gaynor thinks there may be a better way of putting it.   

"I thought I'd found q good man in Wilko"

“The joke is, I honestly thought I’d found a good man in Wilko,” Dani sighs, “Wow – was I wrong?”

Gaynor reminds her that he fooled all of them, not just her;  

"Have you ever been diagnosed with dyslexia?"

“You were talking about reading earlier – have you ever been diagnosed with dyslexia?”

"Do you think there's something wrong with me?"

“Do you think there’s something wrong with me?” asls Dani, 

"You process information in a different way"

but is told that she just processes information in a different way.   She understands everything as well as anyone, but by watching and listening, rather than reading.

"In college, they read, don't they?"

“And what do they do in college, Gaynor?   They read, don’t they?” Dani points out;  she is informed that there are ways around that these days, and they work with your strengths.   

"Only half my teachers called me thick!"

“So you’re saying that they won’t call me thick?   Only about half of my teachers said that.”   

Gaynor does admire her;  “There is a lot more in your head than most people I know.   

"Shall we discuss this again?"

“Shall we discuss this again?” and Dani seems quite enthusiastic.

Lois has arrived

Rhys returns to the house, accompanied by Lois, still demanding, “Why have you brought me here?”   

"This was not my idea, Lois"

He explains that this was not his idea, but perhaps it is the time for it to happen.   “Time for what to happen?” she rages, 

"Sometimes being put in a situation is better"

but he considers that sometimes being put in a situation is better, before she can think of ways to avoid it.

"What are you taking about?"

Lois is increasingly puzzled;  Rhys tell her that someone wants to see her, 

Olivia comes in

and Olivia comes into sight.   

"Shwmae, Mam"

“Shwmae, Mam,” she says to Lois, 

Lois is speechless

who is absolutely lost for words.

“It’s me, Mam,” Olivia continues, and Lois bursts into tears;  

"I can't believe you're here"

“I can’t believe you’re here.”   Rhys urges her to give Olivia a chance.

"This can't be happening!"

“This can’t be happening!” she sobs, “I can’t believe this!”   Olivia asks if Lois is happy to see her.   “How could you?” Lois demands, and is told that she just turned up.   

Lois makes a hasty exit

Rhys pleads and with her not to let the child down, but in floods of tears, Lois rushes from my house.   He follows her, 

"I'll be back soon"

after assuring Olivia that he will be back soon, 

Olivia sits down again

and she sadly walks back into the kitchen.

So this is contemporary Welsh poetry, is it?

In the bookshop, Iwan Ceiriog is reading one of his poems;  

“To the rage of the storm we’ll dance to the song of our destruction.

"Sink our noses into the trough"

“We’ll sink our noses into the trough of our shallow greed

While raising the waters through the dirt of our being.

"Stand in our underpants"  (?)

“How long will we stand in our underpants,

Balancing on the precipice?”

"Lois, please come back to the house!"

Then they hear the sound of running footsteps outside, and Rhys’ voice, “Lois, please come back to the house!   Give her five minutes – I’m begging you!”

"What's happening, Lois?"

Gaynor crosses the road from the bookshop to find out what is happening;  

"I left her in a toilet when she was less than an hour old!"

“I don’t want to see her!” shouts Lois, “I left her in a toilet when she was less than an hour old!   How am I supposed to face her?”   

Rhys is left alone

She hurries away, followed by her mother.

"It's only a bit of fun, after all"

In the Deri, Mark is telling Colin, “It’s only a bit of fun, that’s all.”   

"If I hear 'a bit of fun' one more time . . ."

Colin groans that if he hears the phrase ‘a bit of fun’ once more . . . and stresses that the more you mess around with these things, the more it plays with your mind.   

“We’ll set up a couple of things in the cemetery,” Mark proposes, “Speakers behind the walls, spooky lights, things like that.”

"How can you speak so lightly about the cemetery?"

“How can you speak so lightly about the cemetery?” Colin demands, but is told that they are not going to do anything disrespectful.   Colin is adamant that he wants nothing to do with it;  he does not want things to go too far.

"It's our chance to make a bit of money"

Mark cannot understand him;  “It’s our chance to make a bit of money, that’s all,” 

"Some things are more important than money"

but Colin points out that some things are more important than money.   Mark imagines that he just saw a shadow – possibly his own shadow, 

"It's Gaynor – I have to go"

but then Colin receives a message from Gaynor, and has to go.

"Why did she run away?"

Olivia is understandably upset;  “Why did she run away?” she asks, 

"She got scared"

and Rhys says that she got scared – she did not expect to see her daughter.   That is why he wanted to explain to Lois before Olivia appeared.

"She hates me!"

She regards it as her fault;  “You promised me she’d come – she hates me!”   

"She doesn't hate you"

There is nothing that Rhys can say to console her, but he tries to convince Olivia that Lois does not hate her.   

"She does – she ran away!"

“She does – she ran away.”

"At least, we had some time together"

Rhys says that at least they had some time to spend together, 

"I don't want you – I want her!"

but she turns on him, “I don’t want you – I want her!”

"Rhys brought her over?"

Colin cannot believe what he is hearing;  “Rhys brought her over?” 

"She just turned up"

but Lois said that she just turned up.   “In Hywel’s house – why there?” he wonders and Lois says that it does not matter where.

She continues, “I thought that Rhys was just playing a game – if I’d known, I would never have gone round there!   

"Her face – the look in her eyes!"

“Her face – the look in her eyes!”   

"Let's all go round there now"

Colin suggests that they all go round there now, but Gaynor will not entertain the idea.

Again Lois stresses that she does not want to see her, 

"Leave her alone, Colin"

and Gaynor tells Colin to leave her alone, 

"She's our granddaughter"

but he whispers, “She’s our granddaughter.”

"Not if Lois doesn't want her to be"

“Not if Lois doesn’t want her to be!” snarls Gaynor, 

"How can I explain it to her?"

and Lois does not know how to explain the situation to the child.   Gaynor puts her foot down, 

"She won't get it from this family!"

“Whatever the child needs, she won’t get it from this family!” 

Gaynor makes a phone call

and she picks up the phone.

In the Deri, Eifion muses, “Iwan has such a nice voice – a poetic voice,” 

Siôn might ask him again

and Siôn is considering asking him to call again, to sign more books.   

"Or we could forge his signature"

“Or we could forge his signature and sign them ourselves,” Eifion suggests.

“A lot of people have got into trouble for doing less than that,” Siôn warns him.   Iolo arrives, and his father will buy him a drink, for being at the shop tonight.   

Eifion says that Siôn is funny, 

"You fancy him now, do you?"

and Iolo imagines, “You fancy him now, do you?   Why did you persuade him to buy that suit?” 

"He looks great in it"

and Eifion maintains that he looks great in it.

"She just needs time"

Rhys appreciates, “It must have been a shock, but she’ll think it over – she just needs time.”   Olivia is still convinced that Lois will come back, 

There is a knock at the door

and then there is a knock at the door.

"On suspicion of child abduction"

Rhys goes to answer it, only to find a police officer, who says, “Rhys Llywelyn?   I’m arresting you on suspicion of child abduction.   You do have to say anything, but anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

"I'm her father"

Rhys points out that he is the girl’s father;  

They look at each other 

he and Olivia look at each other.