7 December 2022

"I need a few things from Llanarthur"

As Sioned and DJ walk along the street, he says that he needs a few things from Llanarthur;  “Do you fancy coming with me?” but she is too engrossed in her phone to take any notice.   

"Why would I want anything from Llanarthur?"

When he repeats the question, she cannot imagine that she would want anything in Llanarthur.

He offers to give her a lift back to Deri Fawr, but she says she fancies a walk.   DJ will see her later, 

She make a surreptitious phone call

then she carefully checks that he is out of sight before making a phone call;  “Hiya, it’s me.”

"We need to decide where we're going"

At the back of APD, Anita informs Mathew and Jason that they need to decide where they are going for the Christmas party.   “Jason wants a five-course meal and a posh atmosphere,” says Mathew.   

"Remember Glyndwr last year"

Jason stresses that they need to do something special for Christmas;  “Remember Glyndwr last year?   That was lovely, wasn’t it?”   

"I thought you had a bonus on the website"

Tyler is quick to point out that they cannot all afford that, and Anita sarcastically remarks that she thought he had a bonus on the website.

“We need to think of something before we end up with a buffet in the Deri,” Jason points out, 

"You enjoyed the 'Fish Finger Surprise'!"

and Mathew reminds him that he enjoyed the last buffet they had in the Deri, recalling the “Fish Finger Surprise?”   Anita will go to the Deri to book it.   

"Can we bring partners?"

“Great – Merry Christmas everyone!   Can we bring partners?” he asks.

Tyler protests that no-one takes partners to the work Christmas party, but Anita insists that Kelly needs a party.   

"So Eifion will bring Iol!"

“So Eifion will bring Iol!” Tyler moans, and Mathew concludes that it would be less stress to keep it to staff only.   Jason argues that Christmas is supposed to be a time of good will.   “They weren’t thinking of exes when they said that,” Tyler remarks.

"Ieuan Griffiths – life and soul of the party!"

Jason is not dissuaded;  “Anita, Ieuan would enjoy a little party, wouldn’t he?” and Tyler imagines Ieuan Griffiths, life and soul of the party.   

"Staff only – in the Deri!"

Anita angrily responds that it will be staff only – in the Deri – and that is the end of the matter.

"You'll have the essay tomorrow, Dani"

At Llwyncelyn, Gaynor is on the phone to Dani, informing her that she will have the essay tomorrow;  “I just need to print it out, that’s all – so I’ll phone you tomorrow.”   

"I thought you had a meeting with Siôn"

She closes the laptop as Hywel walks in, and she had been under the impression he had a meeting with Siôn.   He replies that it was just a little chat.

"Remember my friend Anna?"

“You remember my friend Anna, the headteacher?   She has got a job as the head of a new school in Swansea, so I phoned her to congratulate her and she got back to me immediately.   

Hywel does remember

“We were discussing the school and how it’s full of various pupils from mixed backgrounds – and then she asked about the family.   

"I mentioned Esther"

“I mentioned Esther and that we’re very eager for her to embrace her culture.”

"Has she offered you a job?"

Hywel fails to appreciate where this conversation is going and asks if Gaynor has been offered a job there.

Tesni's stay in hospital was very short

Tesni is sleeping on the sofa in number 9 when Gwyneth comes downstairs, 

"Those shelves are falling down"

complaining that the shelves are falling down in one of the cupboards.   Tesni tell her to get Mathew to sort it out, but she says she could probably do it herself.

Tesni is glad to be back

She puts another throw over Tesni, remarking, “I’m sure that sofa’s more comfortable than a hospital bed,” and Tesni is happy to get out of that ward.   She knew that she was having a flare-up, but thought that it would pass – she suspects that the tablets have stopped working.

"You should have a word with the consultant"

Gwyneth advises that she should have a word with the consultant, but she does not want talk about that now, when she has just come home.   

"There is another option"

“There is another option if things get worse, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that, Tesni groans.

"Colostomy bag?"

“Colostomy bag?” answers Gwyneth, “What’s holding you back?”   Tesni cannot imagine a girl in her 20s with some toilet bag.   “Only idiots would say that!” Gwyneth insists, but Tesni points out that is easy to say when she is not in the same position.

"Hiya, Gwern"

Gwyneth’s phone sounds, with call from Gwern;  

"I'm looking after Tesni"

“Yes, food’s at six, but you can’t stay – I’m looking after Tesni – she’s just come out of hospital.”

"I don't understand why you're against it"

“I don’t understand why you’re against it!” protests Gaynor, 

"Esther is perfectly happy where she is"

and Hywel points out that Esther is perfectly happy where she is.   “I think it would do her good to be in a school where there are children who look like her,” she rants, 

"How many people does Esther see who look like her?"

“How many people does Esther see from day to day who look like her?”

“Listen to yourself – you’re just saying these things because they’re the right things to say!” he replies, but Gaynor asks what is wrong with going to see the school;  she suggests that Esther might like the place.   

"You're being selfish!"

Hywel flatly refuses this suggestion, and is accused of being selfish.

"It's you who are being selfish!"

“It’s you who are being selfish – and you can’t see it!” he answers.

Sioned is in a secluded part of Cwmderi

Sioned is sitting on a bench in an unfamiliar pathway in Cwmderi, waiting for the arrival of whoever she has been speaking to.   She makes a further phone call;  

"You could have been honest and said so"

“If you didn’t want to meet today, you could have been honest and said so – now you’re not answering your phone.   Thanks for that!”

She is unaware of Garry's approach

What she does not know is that behind her Garry Monk is approaching, 

"Not going to leave me here on my own, are you?"

and comments, “You’re not going to leave me here on my own, are you?”   

"I've been standing here like a lemon"

She was beginning to think that he would not turn up and has been standing here, like a lemon, waiting for him.

"I didn't want anyone to disturb us"

He points out that he is not late, and his phone has been turned to silent, as he did not want anyone to disturb them;  “Is everything all right?”  

Sioned sits down again

 Sioned goes to sit down on the bench and he joins her.

"You didn't invite me here to enjoy the fresh air"

“You didn’t invite me here to enjoy the fresh air, did you?” he asks, and she does not want him to make her regret this before they even start.

"I'm pregnant"

After a pause she announces, “I’m pregnant,” so he congratulates her, and she goes on, “I haven’t told anyone.”   

"It's normal not to say anything during the early stages"

Garry says that it is normal not to say anything during the early stages, but she maintains that things are different between the two of them.

"I hop you don't want me to take a DNA test"

“I hope you don’t want me to take a DNA test,” he laughs, and she tells him not to be so stupid.   

"I had hoped to have a sensible chat like adults!"

She came here today hoping to have a sensible chat, like adults, 

"All right, I'm sorry"

and he attempts to calm her down, apologising for his joke, so she agrees that she will stay.

"What's going on, Sioned?"

He wants to know what is going on;  

"I'm scared that it's going to happen again"

“I’m scared – that what happened to our baby is going to happen again,” she tells him.

"This started when Jinx accused you of being racist"

“This all started when Jinx accused you of being racist, didn’t it?” demands Hywel, “And now you’re using Esther to prove a point.”   

"I'm trying to do what's best for Esther"

Gaynor is adamant that she is trying to do what is best for Esther, 

Gaynor has 'jumped the gun' a bit here

then opens a cupboard and produces a uniform jacket for the new school.

"You've got the uniform?"

Hywel cannot believe it, but is told, “I wanted to be prepared to make things easier for her.”   

"This could affect us as a family, Gaynor!"

He points out that she has gone behind his back and this could affect them as a family.   She continues, “I’ve had a lot of advice about this.”

Esther is listening to all this

They are unaware that Esther is sitting on the stairs listening to them, 

"I'm trying to be a better parent!"

as Gaynor exclaims that she is trying to be a better parent.   

"I'm her father!"

Hywel shouts that he is her father, 

"And I'm trying to be her mother!"

and Gaynor responds, “And I’m trying to be her mother!   I want her to grow up to be a confident young person!”

"By sending her to a big school in Swansea?"

“By sending her to some big school in Swansea?” he demands, “Where she won’t know anyone?”   

Esther has heard enough by now

Esther has heard enough by this time and goes back upstairs, as Gaynor goes on that she will feel at home once she settles.

“I think Esther has a right to have a say on such a big decision!” Hywel emphasises, but Gaynor maintains that parents make the decisions, not children her age.

"She'll be happy to do what we think is best"

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to do whatever we think is best for her!” she rages on, and Hywel simply shakes his head in disbelief.

Colostomy bags being modelled

Tesni is looking on her phone at pictures of models with colostomy bags;  

"Right, the shelves are fixed"

Mathew comes downstairs, advising that he has fixed the shelves, and asks if there is anything else which needs doing.   “I’m not sure – Gwyneth would know,” she tells him.

Tesni has question to ask Mathew 

Then she wants to ask him a question;  “If you started seeing someone and you found out she had a colostomy bag, how would you react?”   

Mathew does not know how to answer that

This comes as a surprise to him, and he does not know how to answer.   “If she told you she had a bag, what would you do?” she reiterates.

"I'd ask her if she was all right"

“I’d ask her if she was all right,” he begins, awkwardly, 

"But if things got more intimate?"

but Tesni is talking about when things got more intimate.   

"You're asking the wrong person, Tes"

He is out of his depth here and insists that she is talking to the wrong person.   Tesni points out that they used to go out together – what if it happened to her.

"You're reaction is enough to put me off"

She admits that it is a possibility;  “But your reaction is enough to put me off.”   He confesses that he just did not know what to say, and she assumes that is how most people would think.   

"It would make no difference at all"

He says that he would not mind and that it would make no difference at all, then he leaves the house.

"But you've bought the uniform"

Gaynor is talking to Esther;  “We’ve only discussed the idea so far,” but Esther is well aware that she has already bought the uniform.   

"What's important is what you want"

Hywel points out that what is important is what Esther wants.

Gaynor will not give up her brainwashing

“The school would be bigger with more pupils, from a variety of backgrounds,” says Gaynor, “And I thought it would be way of celebrating everything that’s unique to you.”   

"You're not different to anyone else"

Hywel makes it clear that if she does not like the idea it does not matter, and that she is not different to anyone else who lives in Cwmderi.

"I am different, Dad – and I like being different"

Esther replies, “But I am different, Dad – and I like being different.   

"I don't want to go to this new school"

“I don’t want to go to this new school – my friends are really nice, and I don’t want to leave them.”   She walks out of the room.

"DJ wants to make plans, tell everyone"

As they sit on the bench, Sioned says, “DJ wants to make plans, think of names, tell everyone – I can’t think of anything worse.   

"I keep losing my temper with him"

“I keep losing my temper with him and he doesn’t understand why.”

"Have you tried to explain how you feel?"

“Have you tried to explain to him how you feel?” Garry asks, 

"He doesn't know we lost a baby"

but she answers that he does not know that the two of them lost a baby together.   

"Would it help if you did tell him?"

He wonders, “Would it help if you did tell him?”

“I don’t know,” she sighs, “It might make him paranoid – make him feel that there’s something wrong with me.”   

"Things are different this time"

Garry reminds her that what happened then might not happen again;  he does know that things are different this time.

"You and DJ love each other"

“You and DJ love each other, and you’ll love this baby – you’ve got a good foundation – which is a lot more than we had!   

"When I heard, I couldn't believe it

“When I heard that you and DJ were seeing each other, I couldn’t believe it – but he makes you happy.”   

"He makes me feel safe"

Sioned agrees with him there, adding that he makes her feel safe.

Anita gets back home . . .

Anita comes in through the back door of Bryntirion 

. . . and finds Ieuan coming downstairs

and is surprised to find Ieuan coming downstairs;  “Sorry – I will be out of your way now – 

"Forgot my toothbrush"

“I’ve come to get my toothbrush,” he says.   

She tells him that he does not have to rush away, so he replies, “You made yourself perfectly clear yesterday.”

"Fancy dinner at the Deri?"

“Do you fancy coming to the Deri for dinner?” she asks, 

"I've got a meeting tonight"

but he replies that he has to go out to a meeting tonight, and that he does not want to be late.

"I've booked us a spa day"

“Listen, I know things haven’t been 100% between us recently – and I want things to be better,” she insists, “To be honest with you, I’ve booked us a spa day – it’s not a Christmas present, just something nice for you and me.”

"There was no need to do that"

He points out that there was no need to do that and seems in a hurry to go;  he says that they will talk again 

He disappears out of the door

and closes the door before she has a chance to say anything more.

Sioned is sorting the washing

Sioned is sorting the washing when DJ returns home;  

"I called in at lunch time"

“I called in at lunchtime, but there was no sign of you,” he says, 

"I've walked miles today"

and she tells him that she has walked miles today.   He thinks that he had better leave her to get some sleep, 

"Could you give me a massage?"

but she is eager that he should give her a massage.

DJ is afraid of being told off again

“Are you sure – I don’t want to touch you in the wrong place and get told off,” he warily answers.   

"I would be grateful"

She insists that she would be grateful, so he says he will try to do a good job of it.

"How about buying  few things for the baby?"

“I’ve been thinking – how you feel about ordering a few things for the baby?” she wonders, “There’s a lot to buy – a cot, changing mat, buggy, and that’s just for starters.”   

"Are you sure?"

He wants to make certain that she is sure about that, but she still does not want to tell anyone.

“We’d better start ordering things then,” he decides and Sioned proposes looking tonight;  

"Before that, I'm going to spoil you"

“Yeah – because I’m going to spoil this baby rotten,” he says, “But before that, I’m going to spoil you”.

"Is Esther all right?"

Gaynor is sitting, looking disheartened and asks Hywel if Esther is all right.  

"I had to tell three times she could stay where she was"

“She asked again whether she has to move school, and I had to tell her three times that she could stay where she was,” he replies.

"I didn't want to hurt her"

Gaynor maintains that she did not want to hurt the child, 

"That's what you've done"

but he points out, “That’s what you’ve done – can’t you see that?   Look, she’s been through a lot for one so young.   

"What's behind this big mission?"

“Tell me, then, if you say this is nothing to do with what Jinx said to you, what’s behind this big mission.”

"The way I pushed Izzy and Lois away"

Gaynor sighs, “I’ve been thinking a lot about way I pushed Izzy and Lois away,” so he wonders why she is doing the same to Esther.   “I’m trying to avoid doing that – can’t you see?   I understand what it’s like to grow up differently – I was never sure who I was, and I don’t want to see Esther that go through the same thing.”

"She won't do that"

Hywel maintains that she will not do that, but Gaynor cannot be sure about that;  

"I'm worried we'll lose her"

“I accept the decision about the school – that’s fine – but if we don’t help Esther understand who she is, I’m worried we’ll lose her – 

"I can't lose another daughter, Hywel!"

“and I can’t lose another daughter, Hywel!”