16 November 2023

'Tell me about this date, then"

Colin is at work as usual in the shop and has just served Hywel;  “Tell me about this date, then,” he remarks 

"How did you hear about that?"

and Hywel wonders how he heard about that.   “This is Cwmderi – no secret is safe, is it?” Colin replies.

"Are you going to answer that?"

Hywel’s phone sounds, as he maintains that it is not much of a secret – he went on a date and it did not work out.   He is asked whether he is going to answer the call, 

"No – it's Eileen!"

and points out that it is Eileen, so he is not.   Colin hopes that the councillor is not ignoring his parishioners.

“I want to keep Eileen at arm’s length after her performance in the Deri last week!” Hywel tells him, 

"As she's been keeping some of your wages"

“I thought you’d be on my side, especially as she’s been keeping some of your wages.”

"How did you know about that?"

Colin demands how he knows about that;  

"Secrets don't exist in Cwmderi!"

“This is Cwmderi – secrets don’t exist here, do they?” says Hywel as he leaves.

"Did you get my message?"

He meets Ffion in the doorway and asks her if she got the message on the child-care group;  

"No-one's answered"

“I’m just trying to organise a social event – nothing big – but there we are, no-one’s answered.   I assume you’ll be able to come?”

"Well, to be honest . . ."

“Well, to be honest . . .” Ffion begins and he pleads that this will be a chance to start the club properly;  her resolve wavers and she agrees that she will be there.

"Phone me back, please, Hywel"

Eileen is speaking on the phone;  “This is the third message I’ve left – I  want to discuss what happened last week.   Phone me back, please, Hywel.”   

"Sorry if I'm interrupting"

There is a knock at the door and Howard walks in, apologising if he is interrupting.

She demands what he wants and he says, “I just wanted to sympathise about the chicken shed.   It doesn’t concern me, 

"I just thought we were like-minded, you know"

“but I just thought that we’re like-minded, you know.”   

"Us - like-minded?"

Eileen is not sure about that, but he is under the impression that he may be able to help.   

"All right, then – forget it"

When he sees the forbidding look on her face, he tells her to forget it.

Eileen looks suspicious

“Hang on a minute – do you want a cup of tea?” she asks and she looks suspiciously at him.

"No, Ffion, I'm not going to Hywel's amazing night!"

Ffion goes to talk to Dani, who is adamant, “No, Ffion, I’m not going to Hywel’s amazing night!   Tell him Seren’s got swimming or something.”   

"I can't go on my own . . . "

Ffion whines that Hywel is forcing her to go and she cannot go on her own.   “I can say no if I want to!” snaps Dani.

". . . it will leave me in a hole"

Ffion protests, “It will leave me in a hole!”   Dani wonders what the problem is here, anyway and is told that Ffion ate some of his trifle last time.   

"Trifle?"

Now Dani is even more puzzled.   

"There was alcohol in it!"

“There was alcohol in it – I’ve been on edge all weekend – I’m not going on my own tonight!” 

Dani is confident that she will be fine, 

"Well, don't eat the trifle, then!"

simply advising, “Don’t eat the trifle!” and finally agrees that she will go – to keep Ffion company – but will not be staying long.   

"Neither will I!"

Ffion has exactly the same idea.

"Hello – Iolo"

When Ffion has gone, Dani picks up her phone to talk to Iolo.

"What would you do, Howard?"

“Now then, Howard, as we’re ‘like-minded’ and now that the chicken shed has been rejected, what would you do?” 

The chocolate biscuits have come out

Eileen asks, as she puts down a plate of chocolate biscuits.   He suggests that she should look at other options, something she had already worked out.

"Bill size 12s?"

“Well, have you heard of Bill Gelligan from the next valley?   They call him ‘Bill size 12s’.”   Eileen knows of him, and Howard says that he is retiring, “From farming and breeding hunting dogs – foxhounds.   

"You could take the dogs from him"

“Well, if you’re thinking about diversifying, this is your chance – you could take the dogs from him.”

"What planet are you on?"

Eileen laughs, “What planet are you on?   C0nsidering your history with dogs – is that the best idea you have?”   

"How much would that pay?"

Then, as an afterthought, she enquires, “How much would something like that pay?”   

"Good – she's interested"

Howard smiles wryly.

"Eileen not here?"

Sioned is grabbing a bite to eat while the deli is quiet when Kelly cautiously comes in;  “No Eileen?” she asks, 

"She's collecting Huwi""

and is told that she is collecting Huwi from school.   “Good – because my ears are still ringing after the other night,” says Kelly, 

"I was public enemy number one!"

“Oh you know, she criticised everyone – and I was Public Enemy number one – she was really out of control.”

"Sorry about that, Kelly"

Sioned is surprised to hear this and Kelly 

"I know she's your mother, but seriously, like . . ."

adds, “I know she’s your mother, but seriously, like . . .”   Sioned apologises for her mother’s behaviour, 

Sioned shakes her head

and shakes her head in disbelief.

They look absolutely thrilled

Ffion, Dani and Iolo sit disconsolately at the table in Llwyncelyn as Hywel shouts that will be up to check on Esther and the others in a few minutes.   “Time for the adults now,” he says and when Dani wants to now what is happening, he announces that it is a quiz – which lasts for five rounds.

"I don't like quizzes!"

Dani makes it clear that she does not like quizzes, but he insists that it will be fun and afterwards they can have something to eat.   He wonders if he has prepared all this for nothing and Dani once more states, “I’m rubbish at quizzes!”

"Well, with an attitude like that . . ."

“With an attitude like that, you’re not going to do well, are you?” he responds 

He brings out the glasses . . .

and produces some wine for them.   

. . . and pours out the wine – in front of Ffion

Ffion looks at Hywel with disdain.

"I don't have anywhere to keep them"

Eileen starts raising objections to Howard’s idea;  “I don’t have anywhere to keep them – and I won’t get planning permission.”   He points out that she will not need planning permission, 

"You could use one of the lambing sheds"

as she could turn one of the lambing sheds into kennels and avoid all the ‘faff’.

"Yeah – what's it for you?"

Eileen enquires what is in it for him;  

"I was hoping for a job, possibly"

“Well, I was hoping for a job, possibly.”   She reminds him that he has a job, farming Deri Fawr, but he groans, “With the money John pays me, I’m always on the lookout for something extra.   I can give you Bill’s number if you want.”

"I haven't said I'm interested yet"

Eileen stops him there;  “I haven’t said I’m interested yet,” but he says that she sounds interested and he has already told her how much money she could make from selling the dogs — 

"You could make a fortune"

she would make a fortune.

"How about 'drag hunting'?"

She asks what he knows about ‘drag hunting’ and how legal it is;  “It’s completely legal, I think,” Howard replies, “The dogs just run after a piece of cloth with a scent on it – there’s money in it, but not as much as breeding.   But it depends on what you want to do.”

"We could establish our own hunt"

Eileen raises the possibility of establishing their own hunt and charging a membership fee, “With members paying to use our dogs – and we organise hunts on Penrhewl’s land – would we make a profit then?”

"You'd make more enemies than money"

“You’d make more enemies than money,” Howard predicts, “You know how townies feel about hunts.   There must be a way to make money, but you’ll upset half the village.”   

Sioned wants to see her mother"

There is a text tone on her phone, and Eileen finds a message from Sioned;  ‘I want to see you.’

Eileen decides she is not interested . . .

Eileen decides, “Yes, you’re right – we should forget about it – I don’t want to discuss it, I’m not interested.   

. . . and takes away his cup of tea

Right, I have to go now – I’m in a rush!”   Howard realises that his visit has been a waste of time and leaves the farmhouse, 

What is she working out now?"

but Eileen appears to be scheming.

"What's the capital of Qatar?"

Hywel’s three guests do not seem to be enjoying the quiz night;  “Think about the world cup – what is the capital of Qatar?”   Dani thinks that she knows this and answers Qatar City.   Ffion mutters that it is Doha and Hywel says that brings them to the end of round two;  “Do you want the scores now or wait until the end?” he asks.

"This is the end for me!"

Dani exclaims, “This is the end for me – I have to sort the kids out, thank you!” and she calls for Seren.   

"Iolo is also keen to leave"

Iolo, who has been looking close to falling asleep, thinks that he had better go, too.

"It's just the two of us, then"

“Well, it’s just us then,” concludes Hywel, 

The prospect fills her with excitement

and Ffion sadly nods her agreement.

"You wanted to see me?"

Eileen arrives at the deli;  “You wanted to see me?” she enquires.   Sioned replies that she had not heard about her mother’s antics in the Deri until today.   

"Who told you?"

As they go through into the kitchen, Eileen wants to know who told her.

"It's hardly a secret, is it?"

“Does it matter?   From what I’ve heard, it’s hardly a secret,” says Sioned 

"I was angry!"

and Eileen explains that she was angry.   “I can understand that – but you can’t treat people like that – 

"You're chair of the school governors!"

“you’ve got responsibilities now – the business.   And you’re chair of the school governors.”

“I thought you asked me here for a chat, not a lecture!” her mother snarls, but Sioned is only trying to help, so that she does not make a fool of herself again.   

Eileen blames everyone else

“I don’t know what you’re blaming me – if Britt hadn’t withdrawn that letter – and if Kelly hadn’t rubbed it in . . .

"But, Mam . . ."

Sioned tries to interrupt, but is shouted down, 

"I knew Kelly had been here!"

“Kelly told you!   I knew she’d been here!”

“Does it matter?” exclaims Sioned, “Kelly may have gone about things the wrong way – but the thing is, by ranting like a banshee, you’ve turned people in the village and now they support her!   

"You've embarrassed me, Mam!"

“You’ve embarrassed me, Mam!”

"I only started this for you!"

“I don’t think that you, of all people, have the right to say that – I only started this idea of keeping chickens for you – it was your idea!” shouts Eileen.   

"I regret even considering it!"

Sioned says that now she regrets even considering it in the first place, which temporarily silences her mother.

The two of them ignore each other . . .

Kelly walks through the alley and encounters Eileen, who simply ignores her, 

. . . then Eileen sees a poster

   

then sees a small poster on the wall.

"Do you know anything about this?"

She asks Iolo, who happens to be passing, if he knows anything about it;  “It’s libellous – that’s what it is – it’s not funny!”   Iolo, on the other hand, does consider it rather amusing.   

"Why are you shouting – again?"

Dani is approaching and wonders why Eileen is shouting again.

Eileen is furious about the caricature

When she sees the poster, a caricature of Eileen with steam coming out of her ears and a mushroom cloud bursting out of her head, she has a job to control her mirth.   

Eileen accuses Iolo

“Iolo won’t say anything, so I think he’s got something to do with it!” Eileen rages.

Iolo denies that he could create something like that, and Dani asks why he would do it, anyway, so then she is accused as well.   Dani does not take kindly to this accusation;  

"You're paranoid, Eileen!"

“You’re paranoid – I’ve heard all about your antics!   Sort yourself out, Eileen!”   

Is it any wonder everyone dislikes her?

Iolo drags her away before she says anything else.

"I simply blanked her, Col"

In the shop, Colin demands, “She didn’t say anything to you?”   Kelly did not give her a chance, but simply ‘blanked’ her.   

"Don't go out of your way to anger her, Ken"

“Oh, Kel, please don’t go out of your way to anger her – you’ve done enough of that already,” he pleads.

Kelly could not care less about that;  

"Are you frightened of her, or what?"

“Are you frightened of her or what?”   

"You haven't helped things"

He points out that Kelly has not helped things between them, and when he hesitates, 

"Spit it out, Col!"

she urges him, “Spit it out, Col!”

"You had no right to drag me into it"

“You had no right to drag me into your argument,” he growls, “Or tell Britt, either.   

"Now she's on my back as well!"

“Now she’s on my back to get Eileen to pay back . . .”

"Do something about it!"

“Yeah, too right – do something about it!” Kelly tells him, but he angrily tells her it is not her problem;  this is something between him and Eileen.

Kelly sternly looks him in the eye;  “I’m sorry if I’ve made things more difficult, right?   But the principles are still the same – Eileen’s in the wrong.   

"Yes, I know"

He acknowledges that he is quite aware of that.

“You’re salt of the earth, Col, right?   

"Stand up for yourself!"

“But if you’re nice, the Eileens of this world are going to steamroller you every day of the week.   Stand up for yourself!”   She leaves him with that thought.

Hywel is droning on . . .

The quiz continues with only the one contestant;  “Round four is questions about Carmarthenshire – that’s why I thought that Dani and Iolo would have an advantage over you.   You’re not paying attention, Ffion – there’s no point carrying on.   Perhaps we should order a curry for us and the children.”

. . . and Ffion is not listening

Ffion protests that she is trying to eat healthily at the moment;  

"I don't know why I bother"

“You’re trying to get away, aren’t you?   I don’t know why I bother – I try to do something nice and this is all the thanks I get,” Hywel grumbles.

"The childcare club is about you, like everything else!"

“Oh yes, of course – the childcare club is about you, like everything you you else you do!” she tells him, 

"I wanted to bring everyone together"

but he maintains that they are all part of this and he wanted to bring everyone together.

"Did you think Dani or Iolo would enjoy a quiz?"

“Are you serious?   You didn’t bother checking what the others wanted – did you honestly think Dani or Iolo would enjoy a quiz?   And you haven’t even asked how I am after the ‘freelapse’ – you just pour wine as if nothing’s happened.

"I thought you were all right"

His excuse is that he thought she was all right;  

"Well, I'm not, OK?"

“Well, I’m not, OK?” she snaps, picking up her bag and coat.   She calls to Arwen that they are going home.   Hywel tells her that he is sorry 

"You're Hywel, aren't you?"

and she replies, “Yes, well, you’re Hywel, aren’t you?”

Colin steels himself for the confrontation

Colin is wearing a more determined look when Eileen comes into the shop;  “I need a bottle of wine,” she tells him 

"You mean you want one"

and he imagines she means that she wants one.

"There's one safe place for me in this village"

“No, I need one – at least, there’s one safe place for me in this village,” she groans, 

"Where's that, then?"

and he innocently wonders where that is.   “Here, you idiot!” she snarls, 

"I know you're always on my side"

“Even if the whole world is against me, I know you’re always on my side.”

"Eileen, about this salary business . . ."

He summons up his courage and begins, “This salary business – Britt and I have been talking and I think you should be repaying the amount you took out of my account.”

"This is how you repay me?""

Eileen looks aghast at this suggestion;  “All of it?   You’re my best friend, Col – and this is how you repay me, is it?”   

"You can have the rest in a cheque"

She takes out her purse and empties the small amount of change in it on the counter.   “You can have the rest in a cheque through the post!”

"There's no need to be like that"

He argues that there is no need for her to be like that;  

"I thought there was something special between us"

as Howard comes into the shop, she shouts, “Isn’t there?   I thought there was something special between us!”

Howard gets the impression that Colin is hassling Eileen, but she says that it is not the case, 

"The next time you want a favour!"

adding to Colin, “I’ll remember the next time you want a favour!”

"Everyone in the village has turned against me!"

Then she turns to Howard;  “I’m fine – I love the fact that everyone in the village has turned against me!   The cheque will cover this bottle as well!”   Howard follows her out of the door.

That childcare club did not last long . . . 

It appears that this is the end of the childcare club, as on his phone, Hywel leaves the group chat 

. . . and Hywel shrugs his shoulders

with a look of indifference.

"I thought we were eating at Llwyncelyn"

At Cysgod y Glyn, Arwen protests that they were supposed to be eating at Llwyncelyn.   “I’m angry with Hywel,” says her mother, “Look, Arwen, it wasn’t a hair in that trifle last week.”   Arwen wonders what the trifle has to do with this, 

"I 'freelapsed' – do you know what that means?"

and it is explained, “Sherry – alcohol – I ‘freelapsed’ – do you know what that means?”

"Seriously, Mam – are you OK?"

Arwen is anxious that her mother is OK and the answer is that she is;  “Seriously, Mam?” demands Arwen and Ffion assures her that it is true.

"If this had happened two years ago . . ."

“If this had happened about two years ago, I don’t know, but I’m much stronger now, I promise.”   

"Why were you angry with Hywel?"

Arwen wants to know why her mother is angry with Hywel.   “Because he should have thought . . .” she begins, but when Arwen laughs, 

"Perhaps I overreacted"

she realises that she may have overreacted.   

"Well, what an idiot!"

Her phone sounds and she finds the notification that Hywel has left the group.   “Well, what an idiot!” she exclaims.

Howard puts his feet up

Howard is resting at Deri Fawr when there is a knock at the door;  he thinks that he had better go and answer it, 

"Oh – Eileen"

then finds that the caller is Eileen.   “About these dogs – can you get me a good price?”   

"I'm in!"

He thinks that he can oblige, so she tells him, “I’m in!”