15 August 2023

Siôn is unable to contact Cai

As Siôn walks past the estate agents, he is listening to a recorded message on his phone, “I can’t come to the phone right now, so leave a message.”

"It would be nice to hear your voice"

He replies, “Hello, Cai – it’s Siôn – sorry to keep pestering you, but it would be nice to hear your voice.   Give me a ring when you get this message and perhaps we can rearrange that meal.”

Cai is not interested . . .

In his rather downmarket hotel room, Cai switches off his phone and drops it on the table, in the process knocking over an empty can.   

. . . but settles down to someTV

Then he picks up the remote, turns on the television and slumps on the very untidy bed to watch the screen.

"We'll have to pay the deposit soon"

At Maes-y-Deri Gaynor reminds Cheryl that they will have to pay the deposit soon, or they will lose the room in which they want to celebrate their mother.   

"We might as well finish the arrangements"

“We might as well finish the arrangements for the memorial service this afternoon and then it will be done,” she says, 

"I have a shift at five"

but Cheryl seems unenthusiastic, saying that she is on her way to work, as she has a shift at five.

Gaynor replies that she must have not realised that, and suggests that Cheryl could be a bit late;  

"After all, it's only the Deri"

“After all, it’s only the Deri.”

"Sorry if the job isn't good enough for you"

“Only the Deri?   Sorry if the job isn’t good enough for you,” she is rather abruptly told, “Working there isn’t that awful and it pays the bills – enough for me to pay half of everything.   It isn’t a long shift, so I’ll be back soon, probably around eight.”   

Gaynor is not happy

Gaynor does not look happy.

Sioned has some gentle exercise

Sioned is now on her feet and walking slowly along a hospital corridor, supported by DJ;  “I couldn’t wait to tell you,” she begins, “Mind you, I wish I could come home straightaway.”

"That's early enough for me"

He maintains that the end of next week is early enough for him:  he just wants to make sure that Penrhewl is ready for her.   

"You are looking forward to having me home?"

“You are looking forward to having me home, aren’t you?” she asks, with a worried tone.   He rather unconvincingly answers that he is, 

"What's wrong?   What have you done?"

but Sioned continues, “What’s wrong?   What have you done?”

An unsteady Deri customer

In the Deri, a rather inebriated customer almost collides with Cheryl, while Cassie realises that she has something on her mind.   

"Sorry to put you on food at the last minute"

“Sorry to put you on food at the last minute,” Cassie apologises, 

"I'd rather be busy"

but Cheryl says that she would rather be busy.

“What would Gaynor say?” she is asked, 

"Is being a waitress more respectable than being a barmaid?"

“Is being a waitress more respectable than being a barmaid?”

"I shouldn't have to justify working here"

“I think the world of her, but I shouldn’t have to justify working here,” Cheryl sighs, “We all do what we have to do, don’t we?   I appreciate her worrying about me, but, good heavens, we’re very different.”

"Here's a different one now"

Then Cassie notices who has just walked in, and comments, “Oh, here’s a different one now.”

"Pint, please, Cassie"

Mark orders a pint and is asked for a favour by Cassie;  

"I need some things from the cellar"

“We don’t have a lot of staff in the kitchen and I need some things from the cellar.”   

"I've had a lot of practice"

He is only too happy to oblige, pointing out that he has had a lot of practice, carrying his heavy postbag.

“Thank you, Arnold Schwarzenegger,” says Cassie, 

"Plain and Salt and vinegar"

“We need a box of plain crisps and one of salt and vinegar.”   He asks if that is all, and is told that he can clear the tables if he wants something else to do.   

Mark is not looking where he is going

He appears unable to take his eyes off Cheryl, and almost walks into the door frame on his way to the cellar.

"So it was Mathew's fault?"

Sioned has been told what happened at the deli;  “So it was Mathew’s fault?” she says.   DJ explains that he was busy and perhaps he did not realise;  

"Perhaps I didn't point it out clearly"

it may have been that DJ did not point out clearly enough about checking the ages of young people.

"Anyone with common sense"

“Anyone with common sense would have worked that out themselves,” Sioned tells him, 

"But he was only helping out"

but it is pointed out that Mathew was only helping them out.   “I don’t want you to feel bad either,” she assures him, “It’s not the end of the world.”

He was expecting her to be furious and was afraid to tell her;  “I’d understand if you were angry, because I’m angry with myself.”

"I saw it on my phone"

Then she reveals that she already knew;  “Nobody told me – this isn’t a prison – I saw it on my phone.   I was waiting to see you you whether you would tell me or not.”

"I didn't know how to tell you"

He protests that he did not know how to tell her and feels terrible about it, 

"You should have told me when it happened"

but she is adamant, “You should have told me sooner – when it happened.”

Gaynor seems to have a 'thing' for expensive cheese

Gaynor arrives back at Maes-y-Deri with two bags, from which she begins to take various items of food.

Seems to be struggling with his zip

Meanwhile in the Deri, as Mark is drinking at the bar, the inebriated man from earlier is just returning from the toilet and apparently zipping up his trousers.   

Mark is eager to assist Cheryl

Mark assists Cheryl with removing a table, 

Then he moves a chair . . .

and then, without looking, moves a chair on which are the flowers from the table, 

. . . with unfortunate results

depositing them on the floor with a crash.   This causes the rather drunken man, who appears to be called Meddwyn to shout out.

"Go and get a cloth, Mark"

Cheryl advises that Mark should go and get a cloth to clear up.

There is a knock at the hotel door

In the hotel, Cai is still lounging on the bed when there is a knocking at the door;  

"I don't need the room done!"

he shouts, in English, “I don’t need the room done!”   When the knocking continues, he rouses himself from the bed and goes to the door, shouting, “I said I don’t need the room done!” and opens the door.

When he opens the door . . .

As soon as he sees that Siôn is outside, 

. . . it is immediately closed again

he rapidly closes the door and locks it.

The drunken man is ejected from the pub

The rather raucous drinker is being ejected from the Deri by Mark;  “I was only singing – this is ridiculous!” he shouts, as Mark instructs him to go and not to come back.

Cheryl prevents any injury

He turns belligerent and rushes menacingly towards Mark, so Cheryl intervenes, 

"Hey, big mouth!   Get lost now!"

warning the drunkard, “Hey, big mouth!   Get lost now, or I’ll kick you where it hurts – and you’ll be spitting them out!”

He lurches off along the street

He staggers away along the High Street, still singing, 

"No more heroics like that, Cheryl"

as Cassie cautions Cheryl against any more heroics like that.   

"You'd better thank her for rescuing you"

Then she turns to Mark:  “You’d better thank her for rescuing you.”

"You would have got hurt"

“It was better that I handled it, or you would have got hurt,” Cheryl tells him 

Mark feels humiliated

and he looks rather deflated.

"Cai – let me in, please!"

Siôn has not given up, but is banging on the door with increased fervour ;  “Cai – let me in, please!” he shouts.   

"I want to be left alone"

Cai replies that he wants to be left alone and tells Siôn to go home.

“I’m not going anywhere until you talk to me!” 

"Open this door!"

Siôn insists, “Open this door!” and he pounds on the door with all his might.

The door is finally opened and Cai growls, “I want to be on my own!”   

"You can be on your own after I've gone"

He is told that he can be on his own after Siôn has left.   

"What are you doing here?"

Cai demands what he is doing there.

"I can make a lot more noise!"

“Are you going to let me in?   I can make a lot more noise!” Siôn threatens, 

The room is in a terrible state

so he is admitted and is obviously horrified at the state of the room.

"I'm very grateful for your help"

Later in the Deri, the food rush is over, and Cassie is very grateful for Cheryl’s help.   Mark is missing, having gone down to the cellar to change a barrel, but it is noticed that he has been there for a while.   “Why?   Are you missing him?” Cassie wonders.

"He's friendly and funny"

heryl describes him as friendly and funny, but it is pointed out that it is not intentional half the time.   

Then they betray some amusement

Then they are amused to see him returning in an extremely wet condition;  he explains, “The barrel has a fault!”

Cassie demands whether the barrel has been damaged, 

"Never mind the barrel – what about me?"

and he continues, “Never mind the barrel – what about me?”   The customer sitting nearby appears to be very amused by this.

“Mark, the next time I ask you to do me a favour, please refuse,” says Cassie 

Mark tries to mop himself up

and Cheryl throws him a cloth with which to mop himself up.   She comments that he is not a natural barman, and that she prefers him as a punter, as that way he will make less mess.

“Do you know what?   I’ll stick to this side of the bar now,” he vows, 

"Go and change, or you'll stick to the floor"

and she recommends that he goes home to change, or he will stick to the floor.   He will see Cheryl later.

"The deli's good name has suffered because of me"

“The deli’s good name has suffered because of me,” DJ groans, but Sioned is anxious to take some of the blame.   

"It's not a great start for our business, is it?"

“But you’ve been in here, ill – perhaps I should have paid more attention to the deli – it’s not a great start for our business, is it?”

"I don't know what I'd have done without you"

She insists, “DJ, having you here by my side has helped me to get better – I don’t know what I’d have done without you.   This isn’t ideal, but compared to a lot of stuff, it’s not important.”   

"It's not as important as you"

He agrees that it is not as important as her.

"Slowly does it, Sioned Rees"

He offers her his hand, telling her, “Come on – slowly does it, Sioned  Rees.”

Gaynor has prepared a lavish spread

Gaynor has carefully prepared a slap-up meal and when Cheryl returns, 

"Beans on toast would have been fine"

she asks, “What’s this?   Gaynor thought that she would be hungry after her shift.   “Beans on toast would have been fine – but it looks lovely.   Are we celebrating something?”   

"It's just a simple meal"

Gaynor just describes it as a simple meal, 

Cheryl looks concerned

but Cheryl looks somewhat concerned.

The perambulation continues

As they proceed slowly along a corridor, Sioned tells DJ, “I’ve realised how fragile life can be – 

"When I think what could have happened . . ."

“I’m lucky to be alive, never mind being OK.”   He is very grateful for that, and she continues, “When I think what could have happened on that field – 

". . . if the ambulance hadn't turned up"

“if the ambulance hadn’t turned up – or someone didn’t know how to do CPR.”

DJ assures her that she does not have to worry about that now, but she finds it hard not to to so;  

"This place gets me down as well"

“This place gets me down as well.”   She is reminded that it will not be long now and that she can look forward to the future.

“Things are going to be different, aren’t they?   Look at me – I can hardly walk – I certainly won’t be able to play rugby again and I won’t be much use on the farm either.   How are we going to cope?”

"As long as you are all right"

He is not denying that they will have to change things, but as long as she is all right, that is the important thing;  “Everything else will fall into place.”

"What if it happens again?"

“What if it happens again?” she whimpers, but he is adamant that it will not, as she has been told by the doctors.   

She has this ICD device now which will kick in if anything happens again;  

"Bionic Woman, remember?"

“Bionic Woman, remember?”   

"I hope Mam and Huwi don't have this"

She just hopes that her mother and Huwi do not have this condition, but is reminded not to think about that until they get the results back.   “You’re all right – that’s what’s important to Huwi and your Mam now, isn’t it?”

They kiss

Sioned says that she loves him so much, an emotion which he reciprocates, and they kiss.

"I've paid for the whole thing"

Having finished their meal at Maes-y-Deri, Gaynor says, “Now, before we have pudding, I’ve paid the deposit – and I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve paid for the whole thing.   It was just easier that way.”

"I said I'd go halves with you"

Cheryl is offended;  “I said I’d go halves with you,” and is informed that now she does not have to.   Gaynor maintains that she looked after their mother when she was old and ill.   “Well, she looked after me for a lot longer than that,” is Cheryl’s reply.

"There's no need for you to pay"

“Why do you want to pay for something when there’s no need?” Gaynor goes on;  Cheryl insists that it is the right thing to do, and her sister has already done enough, paying off her debts when she arrived, something she has not forgotten, and which she will repay in due course.

"I want to pay my share"

“For now I just want to pay my share of the rent and bills,” she stresses.   

"You won't make your fortune working in the Deri"

Gaynor makes it clear that she is not going to make her fortune working in Deri.

"I like working in the Deri"

“Listen, Gay, I like working in the Deri – I like seeing people – it’s fun.   Perhaps you should find something as well, because – well – 

"We're two very different people"

“it’s not healthy for us to be together all the time – it’s true – we’re two very different people.”

"I want us to be close"

Gaynor wants them to be close;  

"You're trying to control my life"

“So do I, but not like this – with you trying to control my life,” says Cheryl.   

"I'm only trying to help"

Gaynor protests that she is not doing that, but only trying to help.

“The two things look very similar from where I’m standing,” Cheryl replies and Gaynor cannot understand what she is doing wrong.

"As if I'm not good enough"

Cheryl answers, “That’s the whole point – you haven’t thought about how all this is making me feel – as if I’m not good enough.   

"Don't let money keep us apart"

A lot of things have kept us apart during our lives – please don’t let money be one of them.”   

Gaynor has been told

Gaynor now looks suitably contrite.

Siôn has been doing a lot of tidying

Siôn has been doing some serious housework and the hotel room now looks quite tidy;  

"Are you still . . .er . . ?"

“Well, are you looking after yourself?” he asks, but receives no reply from Cai.   “Are you still . . . er . . ?”

"None of your business, Siôn"

“What?   Harming myself?   It’s none of your business,” Cai tells him.   Siôn insists that it is his business and that he is worried.

"It's not good to lock yourself in here all day"

“It’s not a good idea to lock yourself in here all day,” but Cai is unconcerned about this.   “Come out for a walk – we could go for a coffee,” Siôn goes on, 

"I just want to be left alone"

but all Cai wants is to be left alone.

"Have you been in touch with the children?"

Siôn looks around the room and asks if he has been in touch with the children;  

"It would be lovely to see them"

“It’s the summer holidays – it would be lovely to see them.”

"Invite them to Heartbreak Hotel?"

Cai sneers that he could invite them down to stay there with him at Heartbreak Hotel.   Siôn’s next suggestion is that he could go to North Wales;  

"I could come with you"

“It will be better this time – I could come with you – or find somewhere better to live – that would help.”

"Help your conscience, is it?"

“Help?” Cai demands, “What – help your conscience is it?   Do you feel guilty for throwing me out of Y Felin?”   

"You were not thrown out, Cai"

Siôn reminds him that he was not thrown out, but yes, Siôn does feel guilty.

“Well, don’t expect me to make you feel better,” Cai snarls, and Siôn wonders why he hates everyone so much.   

"I don't hate everyone – just myself!"

“I don’t hate everyone – just myself!” he shouts.

Siôn pleads with him to return to Y Felin;  he will talk to Iolo.   

"I'm not welcome there"

“I’m not welcome there,” Cai replies, and Siôn is sure that there must be something he can do to help. 

"Just go home and forget about me!"

“There is something you can do – just go home, Siôn – go on!   Just forget about me – get out!”   

Siôn leaves the hotel room

Siôn has little choice but to comply.