5 April 2022

Kath prepares dinner

When Mark arrives at Maes-y-Deri, Kath is preparing vegetables for lasagne;  “I can’t believe it,” she says, “You’ve come to see your mother and you’re early!”   

"Can I have a sandwich?"

He replies that he has been busy, and wonders if he can have a sandwich while he is waiting for dinner.

"There are crisps over there"

She directs him to a packet of his favourite crisps, adding, “I am pleased to see you – what exactly has stopped you from coming to see your mother?   

"Haven't seen you since Brynmor's party"

“I haven’t seen you since . . . Brynmor’s party – good night, wasn’t it?”   

"It was all right"

He agrees, but not very enthusiastically, and she detects that something is wrong.

"I've raised you to lie better than that!"

“Come on, Mark, spit it out!   I’ve raised you to lie better than that!   What was wrong?   Wasn’t the buffet food good enough?”   He says that it was not that, and is about to explain what happened.

"Rather early, isn't it?"

In the Deri, Iolo orders a chaser, as well as his drink, from Cassie, and she remarks that it is rather early for that.   

"You don't have to live with Dad after Tesni left him!"

“You don’t have to live with Dad after Tesni left him!” Iolo groans.   Cassie’s opinion is that he should have treated her better, and will never find a girlfriend half as good as Tesni.

“Well, don’t tell him that – I want you to persuade him there are plenty more fish in the sea – and that he is a catch,” Iolo goes on.

"Getting drunk isn't going to put a smile on my face" 

At that moment Siôn walks in;  he scornfully tells his son, “Getting drunk isn’t going to put a smile on my face,” 

"I'm trying to get you to relax"

but Iolo alleges that he is just trying to get his father to relax.

Cassie intervenes, “You won’t get anyone else with a moody face like that.”   

"There are loads of women"

Siôn insists that the last thing he wants is someone else, but she continues, “That’s what you say now, but there are loads of women who would like your company – you’re a bit of a catch!”

"Don't ask other people to cheer me up!"

Siôn angrily tells his son, “Don’t ask other people to cheer me up – I’m fine!”   Iolo takes the drinks over to the table.

"You've been watching too many films"

Kath cannot believe the story that she has just been told;  “Come off it, Mark – you’ve been watching too many films.   Why on earth would Wilko want to kidnap Dani?”   

"He may be sick, or a psychopath"

Mark suggests that he may be sick, or a psychopath, adding that Dani is ashamed that she did not see through him sooner.

"You think you know someone"

“She’s not the one who should be ashamed,” Kath stresses, “Good grief, you think you know someone – there we go, you never can tell.   I’ll go and see her.”

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone"

Mark does not want his mother to do that;  “I’m not supposed to tell anyone – the last thing Dani wants is people gossiping about her.”   

"Why did you tell me, then?"

Kath demands why he told her in that case.   She can see there is more to it than this, and Mark is rather reluctant to go on, but is finally persuaded.   

"Brynmor knew about the CCTV"

“Brynmor knew that Wilko had put CCTV in the flat without her knowledge.”   

Kath is lost for words

Kath is speechless at this revelation.

"You have to put a positive spin on things"

In the Deri, Siôn is told that he has to put a positive spin on the situation;  

"There is no positive spin!"

“There is no positive spin!” he insists.

“Well, a woman 30 years your junior was attracted to you – you must have done something right,” Iolo ploughs on, “You’ve got an amazing track record – you haven’t been single for long, 

"You've caught a few 'hotties' in your time"

“and you have caught a few ‘hotties’ in your time.”   Siôn is mildly amused by this, 

He swigs it down

and drinks his chaser.

“Right, we’ll have another one,” Iolo suggests, but Siôn does not want to do that, as he insists he will not be catching any more ‘hotties’ by sitting in the Deri.

“We need new blood, especially as you’re back on the market too!” he declares, “I think we need a trip down to Swansea,” 

"I hope you're joking, Dad"

and Iolo hopes that he is joking.   

"We'll have some chips while we wait"

“Come on, we’ll have some chips while we wait for the taxi,” Siôn tells him, and Cassie is watching this with interest.

Mark is back at number 7

Mark arrives back at number 7, where Andrea is sitting gloomily at the table in the kitchen;  

"Do you fancy a takeaway?"

she thought he had gone out for the evening.   “I don’t think I’ll be welcome there again for a while,” he complains, “Do do you fancy a takeaway?”

"I've just been given my notice!"

She points out that money is rather tight at the moment;  “I’ve just been given my notice in work – cuts.”   He wonders if he can do anything to help, suggesting that he could buy her a takeaway.

"Why would Garry say he loved me?"

“The only thing I want to know is why Garry would say he loved me – and then just disappear like that,” she groans.   

"Pity you can't have a chat with Dani . . ."

Mark considers it a pity that she cannot have a chat with Dani about that;  nobody knows him better than she does.

He goes on, “If anyone knows why he does the things he does, it’s her – but I wouldn’t ask her for a while – she has a lot on her plate.   

". . . but leave it for a few days"

"I’m serious – leave it a few days before going to see her, please.”   

She does not intend to do that

Andrea appears to have no intention of leaving it.

"Cold enough to freeze your 'you-know-whats'!"

Kath is looking very angry when Brynmor returns home, moaning, “That wind is cold enough to freeze your ‘you-know-whats’.   That lasagne will be perfect for warming me up.”

"I haven't made one!"

She coldly replies, “I haven’t made one!” and he assumes that Mark has cancelled again.   “Oh no, Mark’s been over,” she continues, arms folded, 

"So you knew about Wilko?"

“So you knew Wilko wasn’t working for the pigs?   And you knew he'd hidden CCTV cameras in Dani’s flat?”

"He was worried about the drugs people coming after Dani"

Brynmor explains that Wilko was worried about the drugs people coming after her.   

"He kidnapped Dani and kept her locked up!"

“Did you also know that he kidnapped Dani and kept her locked up in a cottage?   Did you know about that?” she snarls.

"You think I knew he was going to do that?"

“You think I knew that was what Wilko was going to do?” he demands, 

"Why would you keep it from me?"

and she wants to know why he would keep the fact that he was not working for the pigs – and the CCTV cameras – to himself.

Brynmor assures her that he thought Wilko was doing those things to protect Dani and the children.   

"When did this happen?"

He asks when all this happened, and is told that it was the night of the party;  “The night you organised for me – 

"You'e accusing me of being in cahoots with him?"

“and now you’re accusing me of being in cahoots with him?” he rages.

"He's out there, footloose and fancy free"

Kath demands whether he knows where Wilko is:  “He’s out there, footloose and fancy free.”

Brynmor emphasises that he does not have a clue where are the man is;  

"If that's the sort of man you think I am . . ."

“Right, if that’s the sort of man you think I am . . .” he rages, and leaves the house.

"The guilty run away!"

Kath shouts after him, “And what do they say?   The guilty run away!”

Andrea goes to see Dani

Andrea has not wasted much time going to see Dani, who is packing for the children to have a sleepover.   

"I don't know who's more excited"

“I don’t know who’s more excited – them or me,” Dani remarks.

"It must be hard without Garry around"

“It must be hard without Garry around,”says Andrea, 

"I'm used to it"

but Dani is used to it by now.   “Well, I’d like to have a quick word about Garry, if that’s all right,’ Andrea continues, 

"I need to understand what's going on"

“I just need to understand what’s going on – why the change in him?”

"That's what Garry's like"

She is told, “That’s what Garry’s like – one minute he promises you the world, and then he disappears.”   

"But he said he loved me"

Andrea mournfully points out that he said he loved her;  

"Of course he did"

Dani laughs, “Of course he did – do you think I would have stuck around so long if he hadn’t said the same to me?   It took me years to work out I couldn’t trust a word he said.   I am sorry, right, but at least now you know what he’s like before it’s too late.”

"Now I don't have a job or a flat"

“But I’ve lost everything – Garry said I could move in with him, so I gave notice on my flat,” Andrea sighs, “Now I don’t have a job – I’ve got no-one or nowhere to turn to.   It isn’t your fault, is it?”

Dani is feeling guilty now

Dani feels guilty;  “The thing is . . .” but Andrea is glad that she knows now before things go too far, although she does not know where she is going to live.   She turns and walks out of the Deri, leaving Dani thinking.

Brynmor is in the cold garage . . .

In the garage, to which Brynmor has fled, 

. . . and the chips do not cheer him

he opens his box of chips and looks at it, unenthusiastically, when he becomes aware of Kath standing in the doorway.   

"You don't want your 'you know whats' to freeze again"

“I’m sure it’s warmer in the Deri,” she comments, “You don’t want your ‘you-know-whats’ to freeze again.”

"I'm trying to apologise here"

He does not say anything, so she goes on, “I’m trying to apologise here.”   He wonders how she could believe that he would help Wilko to do what he did.   She replies that she is angry about what he did to Dani;  “Poor thing – it’s one thing after another for her – it isn’t easy raising three children on your own.   

"I don't expect you to understand"

“I don’t expect you to understand, love – you don’t have children.

“But I remember it myself – I remember when the kids were small and Dyff was in jail – 

"I didn't know where the rent money was coming from"

“I didn’t know where the rent money was coming from – sleeping on the floor when they were ill – where I was going to get the money to buy them winter coats.   

"You have no idea!"

“You have no idea!”

"What do you want?   A medal?"

He turns and shouts, “What do you want?   A medal?   

"Look how your children have turned out!"

“And if we’re being honest, look at how your children have turned out!”   

"Thanks very much, Brynmor!"

This hurts Kath, and she leaves the garage.

Siôn has dozed off already

In the dark and noisy nightclub in Swansea, Siôn appears to have dropped off in a drunken stupor, but is awoken by Iolo, who asks what he wants.   

"A taxi home!"

“A taxi home!” Siôn replies.

"Whose idea was it to come here?"

“Tell me, whose idea was it to come out to Swansea?” Iolo demands, 

"Don't listen to any decisions I make"

and his father advises him not to listen to any decisions he makes, maintaining that he cannot be trusted in his grief.

Then Eifion turns up . . .

Then he turns to see Eifion, who says it is a surprise to see him there, 

. . . and is welcomed excessively warmly

and Siôn hugs him warmly, although discouraged from doing so by Iolo, who insists there is no need to make a fuss.   “We may as well stay here now there’s a familiar face,” and he calls to the barman for some more drinks.

"You haven't got work tomorrow, then?"

“You haven’t got work tomorrow either, have you?” says Eifion, 

"Who are you with?"

and Iolo asks who he is out with.   “A couple of friends, but they’ve just left, as they are working tomorrow,” Eifion tells him, “I was about to get a taxi, but it’s lucky I didn’t.”

Mark is babysitting

At number 7, Mark has managed to get Greta off to sleep, and comes back downstairs, where his mother is waiting.   “You’re a postman and a child-minder these days,” she comments, 

"Where's Tyler, then?"

“Where’s Tyler, then?”

"Problem at the APD laundry"

Mark replies that there is some problem at work, and wonders if his mother is going to kick Brynmor out;  “No, he’s sulking in the garage – well, perhaps I said a few things,” she admits, 

"Compared with what he said to me"

“Nothing terrible, compared to what he said to me, anyway – do you think I should text him?”

Andrea is staring her job hunt

Then Andrea comes in;  “I’m going upstairs to start looking for jobs online, 

"You know – take control"

“you know – take control.”   Mark assures her that there is no hurry for her to move out, and she appreciates that.

Kath suspects something

Kath looks askance at her son, so he makes it clear, “No, I’m not chasing Andrea, all right?   

"You need to concentrate on your own problems"

“Anyway, you need to concentrate on your own problems.”   

Kath gets out her phone . . .

She asks for another drink and looks at her phone.

. . .and texts Brynmor 

Meanwhile, Brynmor is still in the garage when his phone sounds, and we see that it is almost eleven o’clock;  the message reads, “I’m not sure how we fell out.   Come to Mark’s, we’re having vodkas.”

He takes refuge in alcohol

He pours himself another drink in a mug and considers his situation.

Siôn seems to be losing his inhibitions

Back at the nightclub, Siôn and Eifion are drinking and dancing;  “You know what?   I’ve never been with a man!” says Siôn, 

"Have you ever been tempted?"

and Eifion wonders if he has ever been tempted.   

“No, I like women – although Garry Monk kissed me once.   

"It wasn't a nice experience!"

“But it wasn’t a nice experience!”   Eifion suggests they had better think about going as the club will be closing soon, but Siôn is just starting to enjoy himself.   

“We could have a party in the flat,” Eifion invites him, but he protests that there is more room at Y Felin, and predicts that they will have a night to remember.

Iolo is shocked

Iolo is horrified to hear this, 

"Come on, Iols, we'll have fun!"

but is told, “Come on, Iols, we’ll have fun,” 

He kisses his son

and Iolo is given a drunken kiss.

Mark wants his mother to go home

Mark is eager for his mother to leave, so that he can go to bed, but Kath is fretting that Brynmor has still not replied to her text.   “Do you think he’s still in the garage?” she wonders, 

"Can you go over to the garage to persuade him?"

“Do me a favour – go over there and persuade him to come home, please.”   Mark imagines that he may be waiting there for her, but she is doubtful about that, “Not after I heard what he thinks of me.”

Mark wants to know the details

Mark wants to know what that was;  

"He said I wasn't a good mother"

“He said I wasn’t a good mother,” she answers.   

"Go straight home and lock him out|"

In that case, Mark advises her to go straight home and lock him out.

"Well go and find a box of chocolates, then"

When she refuses do that, he recommends. “Go to the shop and find a box of chocolates for him, then go over there and tell him you want to be friends again.   

"The last thing I want is to sort out your life"

“Please, Mam, I’ve been looking after Dani, Greta and Andrea – the last thing I want to do now is sort out your life!   So please go.”

Cassie locks up the Deri . . .

Cassie is locking up the Deri when she notices there is a light in the garage 

. . . then goes over to the garage to investigate

and goes to investigate.   

"What are you doing here?"

She finds Brynmor, looking grim, and asks what he is doing there.   

"I want to be left alone!"

“I want to be left alone,” he growls.

Kath looks for suitable chocolates

Kath lets herself into the shop, and, by the rather inadequate light of her phone, searches for a suitable box of chocolates;  “What does he like?” she mutters to herself.

"I said terrible things, Cassie"

Brynmor confesses that he said terrible things, 

"Kath Jones can test anybody's patience"

but Cassie reminds him that Kath Jones can test anybody’s patience.   “I can see you’re upset, 

"I can't let a man of your age stay here"

“but I can’t let a man of your age stay here all night,” she tells him, 

"Sulk in the house, where the heating's on"

“Come with me – you can sulk in the house, where the heating’s on.”

Kath locates what she has been looking for . . .

Now in the store-room at the back of the shop, Kath is still searching and finding a great number of boxes of crisps.   Then she locates what she has been looking for, grumbling, “Brynmor, the things I do for you!”   

. . . but must deploy the step-stool . . .

She gets the step-stool to reach the top shelf.

. . . however she loses her balance . . .

She stretches to reach the box, loses her balance, 

. . . and emits a scream as she falls

and crashes down on the crisp boxes with a scream.

"Was that a scream?"

Cassie and Brynmor get to number 9, and are about to go in the door, when they hear the sound, which Cassie dismisses as a local feral cat, 

"I'll shoot that cat, if I get a chance!"

and will shoot it, if she gets the chance.   “Come in, before you get any colder,” she tells Brynmor.   

Brynmor accepts the invitation . . .

“Do you want a coffee or a brandy?   Or a coffee with brandy in it?”

. . . while Kath lies unconscious in the shop

In the shop, Kath lies motionless, surrounded by boxes of crisps.