22 November 2023

"I'm old enough to be home on my own"

Arwen is protesting that she does not want a babysitter and her mother is becoming rather tired of it;  “I’m old enough to be at home on my own,” Arwen insists.

"I have to trust you, Arwen!"

Ffion points out that it is not just about age;  “I have to trust you!” she says, which Arwen does not appreciate.   “Please don’t make this all about you.   

"I've organised to meet my sponsor"

“Listen, it’s not anything to worry about, but I’ve organised to meet my sponsor – that’s why it’s important I go.   You must understand that.”

"And I shall be fine on my own!"

Arwen is still adamant that she will be fine on her own, but is told that Iolo has promised to babysit;  “He’s on his way – and that’s the end of it.”   

Arwen is not getting her own way

Arwen storms off back to her room.

Siôn wants some assistance . . .

Mark arrives at Y Felin with the post and is invited in by Siôn;  “Perfect timing, come in,” 

. . . but all Mark wants is a signature

but all Mark wants is a signature for a packet.

“I just need you to help me move the sofa,” says Siôn,

Mark finds something under the sofa . . .

 “We’ll only be a couple of seconds – I need to clean the house – I can’t concentrate if the place is a mess.”

Mark thought that he would have had a cleaner, but apparently Siôn quite enjoys cleaning.   

 . . .the cover illustration for Siôn's next book?

As they are about to move it, Mark discovers a piece of paper underneath the sofa and is quite amused by it.   Siôn immediately snatches it from him.

"You've got a bit of an ego, Siôn White!"

“Blimey – you’ve got a bit of an ego, Siôn White!” Mark exclaims, but Siôn points out that he is a writer, not an illustrator, 

"Didn't you say you were in a hurry?"

and reminds Mark that he said he was in a hurry.   He gets a quick signature for the packet and comments that he has something top secret planned for later.

"Not a word to anyone, Siôn!"

Still laughing, Mark assures Siôn that he will not say a word to anyone.

"Right, what do you want?"

At Maes-y-Deri, Cheryl is debating which of two dresses to wear, so when Gaynor comes in, having been summoned, she asks for advice.   

"I'm supposed to be at work"

Gaynor complains that she is supposed to be working.

"Which one – please?"

“I seriously need help,” Cheryl tells her, “Please – I have to leave in ten minutes,” and Gaynor wonders who has a date in the afternoon.   Cheryl wants a decision between the two dresses.

"Nah – not that one!"

Meanwhile, Mark is at number 7, preparing for this date and being advised by Seren, who shakes her head in disgust at one of his ties.   

"Thanks for your advice, Seren"

She hands him another one, which he thinks is much better, thanking her for her advice.   “You’re welcome,” she replies.

“I’m not sure I was as wise as you at your age,” he says, 

"Would it be all right to give her a goodnight kiss?"

“Look, if things go well, do you think it would be all right to give her a goodbye kiss at the end?”

"Yes, but no snogging!

“Yes – but no snogging!” Seren warns him 

Now Mark is all set

and considers that he is ready for his date.

"We're talking about Mark Jones here!"

Gaynor cannot understand why Cheryl is going to so much trouble;  “Seriously, we’re talking about Mark Jones here – it’s not a black tie event, is it?”

"Do you have a problem with Mark?"

Cheryl suspects that her sister has a problem with Mark;  

"I just think you can do better"

“No, not at all – I just think you can do better, that’s all.   Come on, it’s true, isn’t it?”

"I'm surprised you reach your own high standards"

Cheryl is surprised that Gaynor manages to reach her own high standards;  

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Gaynor cannot quite understand what that means.   Cheryl spells it out;  “Mark might not be good enough for you – but he’s good enough for me, OK?   Are you going to help me or what?”

Mark is very anxious

Mark is waiting very anxiously in the High Street, alongside the taxi which is to take them on their date;  he turns to the driver.   

"I think I might have to cancel"

“I think I might have to cancel,” and the driver, by the name of Phil, commiserates with him.

Cheryl is hurrying towards them

Then they see Cheryl, clattering along the street towards and apologising for her lateness;  

"You look lovely, Cheryl"

Mark is very impressed by her appearance, and she comments that he is smart as well;  they get into the taxi.   

Now he is much more optimistic

Mark looks very pleased with himself.

"You should be there already, Mam"

“I thought you were supposed to be there already,” says Arwen, but Ffion is still waiting for Iolo to arrive.   The buzzer sounds, and Ffion lets the caller in, assuming that it is Iolo;  

It is Hywel 

it turns out to be Hywel.

"What are you doing here?"

“What are you doing here?” Ffion demands and he says that he has come to apologise, but she does not have time for this.   “And you’ve got a strange way of apologising, haven’t you?   Leaving the WhatsApp group!”

"I thought no-one appreciated it"

He was under the impression that no-one appreciated it, 

"Here we go again – me, me, me!"

and Ffion sighs, “Ah – here we go again – me, me, me!”   

"Do you want me to go?"

Arwen asks whether they want her to leave the room, but her mother says there is no need for that, and continues to berate Hywel.

"Because of you, `I have to see my sponsor!"

“Because of you, I have to see my sponsor – and my blood pressure is rising because Iolo isn’t here to babysit Arwen!”   

"I don't need a babysitter"

Once again, Arwen insists that she does not need a babysitter, 

"No, Hywel – I don't like your attitude!"

but when Hywel offers to do it, Ffion points out that it will not make her feel any happier and she decides that she is going to refuse his offer, because of his attitude;  

“Arwen can look after herself!”   

Just what Arwen wanted

Arwen regards this as a personal victory and settles down to watch the television.

"Spring rolls for a starter?"

In the restaurant, Mark asks what Cheryl fancies as a starter;  “Spring rolls?”   She tells him that it is lucky he is not on a date with Gaynor, as all they have is duck – 

"Gaynor hates duck"

and she hates duck.  “But it’s the company that’s important, isn’t it?” comments Mark.

“Yes – that’s where I went wrong,” she laughs, 

"We're only here once"

“We have to have fun – we’re only here once.”   Mark replies that she can speak for herself – 

"I'm coming back, possibly as a meerkat!"

he will be coming back, possibly as a meerkat, because he is sure those adverts pay well.

“Are we going to share a bottle of wine,” she asks 

"I'll look after the bottle, just in case"

and he makes the rather unwise comment that he will look after the bottle, just in case.   

Cheryl takes exception to this

Things start to turn sour, and she realises this is reference to what she did to her ex, Dave.

Mark is only joking;  

"Some things just aren't funny, Mark!"

Cheryl maintains, “Yes, but some things just aren’t funny, however you look at them.”   

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything"

He realises that he has put his foot in it and did not mean anything by his comment.

"I'm so grateful"

Ffion is talking to her sponsor in the deli;  “I’m so grateful – you make something complicated sound so simple.”   

"I'm glad I could help"

He is glad that he could help and at that moment Siôn comes in through the door 

"Having a nice time, are you?"

and asks if Ffion is having a nice time.   

"it would ahem been nicer if your son had turned up!"

“It would have been nicer if your son had turned up to babysit Arwen, like he promised,” she grumbles.

"Who's looking after Arwen, then?"

He is concerned about who is looking after Arwen and, when told that there is no-one, appears worried.   

Ffion hugs her sponsor

Ffion hugs her sponsor and they leave the deli.

Gaynor is very 'down'

Gaynor is standing in the pharmacy, behind the cough sweets, looking very depressed;  

Ffion comes into the pharmacy . . .

when Ffion comes in 

. . . and Gaynor retreats in tears

she dissolves into tears, so Ffion asks if she can help, 

"Have you had bad news?"

imagining that she has had bad news.

"No – I'm the bad news!

“No, I’m the bad news,” Gaynor groans, “I’m so ashamed – but I have to talk to someone or I’ll go mad!   

"I've slept with Mark Jones!"

“I’ve slept with Mark Jones!”   

Ffion is quite taken aback

This comes as quite a surprise to Ffion.

"Honestly, I don't know why!"

“Honestly, I don’t know why – there’s nothing you can say that will make me feel worse.”   Ffion makes it clear that she is not judging Gaynor at all, but it is just a shock. 

“That I scraped the bottom of the barrel?” is how Gaynor describes it.   

"There's something quite sweet about Mark"

Ffion tells her that there is something quite sweet about Mark, 

"Mark Jones, Ffion!"

but Gaynor thinks otherwise;  “Mark Jones, Ffion!” she snarls.

A customer has just come into the pharmacy, and Ffion says that they cannot talk properly there, 

"We'll meet in the Deri later"

so they will meet in the Deri after Gaynor has finished her shift.   

Gaynor takes the customer's prescription

Gaynor attends to the customer’s prescription.

"Sorry I put my foot in it earlier"

After their meal, Mark and Cheryl leave the restaurant;  he is very sorry that he put his foot in it earlier, but she simply wants to forget about it.   

"Would you like to go somewhere else"

“Are we going home, or would you like to go somewhere else?” Mark asks, suggesting that they could drop in at the Deri.

"I've got a better idea"

Cheryl has a better idea;  “Do you trust me?” she asks, and he agrees that he does.

Arwen relaxes . . . 

As Arwen sits in front of the television with a packet of crisps, 

. . . but them has a visitor

the buzzer sounds and she finds that it is Siôn;  she wonders why he is there.   

"I'm doing a favour for your mother"

“I’m doing a favour for your mother – as there’s no-one to look after you.”

"I don't need anyone to look after me"

Arwen moans that she does not need anyone to look after her;  

"Your mother's worried about you"

Siôn is sure that her mother is worried about her.   

"Do you know who she was with this afternoon?"

Then he starts enquiring about who Ffion was with this afternoon, but Arwen craftily replies, 

Arwen is not revealing anything

“She might have told me, but I probably wasn’t listening.”

"What do you want to do?"|

Siôn wonders what she wants to do;  

"Do you think you can take me to Elin's house?"

Arwen smiles sweetly, “Do you think you can take me to Elin’s house?   I’ll be playing with my friend, so you could do whatever you like.”   Siôn comes to the conclusion that he might as well do so;  at least her mother will know she is safe.

"Seven and five – 75"

Cheryl has taken Mark to a bingo hall;  “Seven and five – 75,” says the caller and Mark is looking rather askance.

"You're disappointed – I can tell"

“You’re disappointed – I can tell,” says Cheryl, “We’ll have a laugh!” but he does not appear very keen on this place at all.   “What’s the problem?” she demands.

"Dad said Bingo was game for old women"

“It’s just that Dad always said Bingo was a game for old women,” he replies;   

"How many old women can you see here?"

Cheryl asks how many old women he can see there;  “One or two,” he answers, and Cheryl wonders if she is including her in that.   

"Give it a chance, Mark"

She urges him to give it a chance, 

"You'll have to show me what to do"

but he says she will have to show him what to do.   

"Shhh!   Quiet!"

The woman sitting behind him tells him to be quiet.

"Thanks, Geraint"

Geraint brings Hywel his drink 

He notices Ffion with alcohol in front of her

and then he notices Ffion sitting alone nearby, in close proximity to a glass of wine;  

"No – don't touch it, Ffion!"

he warns her not to touch it and undo all her good work.   She explains to him that the win is for Gaynor;  “I’m fine after talking to my sponsor – everything is OK, now.”

"Why are you still angry about that trifle?"

“Well, if everything is OK, why are you still angry about that trifle?” he demands, 

"It's not like I held a gun to your head"

“It’s not like I held a gun to your head and forced you to eat it.”

"Are you listening to yourself, Hywel?"

“Are you listening to yourself, Hywel?   The trifle was the start – I’m more angry about your behaviour since then!” Ffion moans.   

"Someone is popular with the men today"

Then Siôn comes to the bar and remarks that someone is popular with the men today.

He tells Ffion not to worry about Arwen, as the problem has been sorted out;  “She’s staying over with Elin.”   

"And who organised that?"

Ffion demands who organised that and he says that he did.

"You had no right!"

“You had no right!”   Siôn points out that Arwen wanted to – and Elin’s is like a second home to her, anyway.   Ffion is not at all happy about this;  “Next time, you ask me, OK?”

Siôn wants to join the childcare group

“Fine – and speaking of next time, there might be an opportunity to offer myself as a member of your babysitting group,” Siôn goes on, 

"If there is a childcare group"

but Hywel imagines that there will not be a childcare group much longer.

“Welcome to the club,” sighs Ffion, and Siôn seems to regard this as a major step forward.

Mark only needs one more number

In the bingo hall the game continues and Mark is now seriously getting enthusiastic about it;  he only needs a 26 to come up, 

"House!   Is that what I'm supposed to say?

and when it does he jumps out of his seat, shouting, “House!   Is that what I’m supposed to say?”   

"Look – I won!"

It is announced that they have a winner.

"My life has gradually fallen apart"

Things are quieter in the Deri, where Gaynor is complaining, “I just feel like my life has gradually fallen apart recently.”   If it is any comfort, 

"Well, I won't judge you"

Ffion stresses that she, of all people, will not judge Gaynor, not after everything she has been through.

"Everything I do is a complete mess"

“I just feel that everything I do ends up in a complete mess – for example, my relationship with Cheryl.   I’ve invested so much in her, emotionally, since she arrived and the truth is, we have hardly anything in common.   

"She thinks that going on a date with Mark Jones is a good idea"

Gaynor scathingly adds, “She thinks that going on a date with Mark Jones is a good idea.”

Cheryl puts it down to beginner's luck

Just then the two of them walk in;  “I can’t believe you won – it was beginner’s luck!” Cheryl insists, 

"Meet the 'Bingo King'!"

and she points out ‘Bingo King’ to her sister.   They are now having a nightcap.

"See what I mean – Bingo?"

“See what I mean – Bingo?” sneers Gaynor;  

She does not want to tell her sister

Ffion suggests that perhaps she should tell her sister about Mark.

Siôn is playing darts

Elsewhere in the Deri, Siôn and Hywel are having a game of darts;  

He is glad Hywel had the idea

“I’ve got to praise you for having the idea of the babysitting club,” says Siôn and Hywel wishes that he could share that enthusiasm.

"What was you motivation?"

Siôn wonders what his motivation was for starting it;  

"An opportunity to meet attractive mothers"

“Come on, you sly fox – you saw an opportunity to meet attractive mothers.”   

"I will have more opportunity to go on dates"

Hywel maintains that the opposite is the case;  if someone can look after Esther more often, he will have more opportunity to go on dates.

Siôn is sceptical about this, but Hywel comments, “That says a lot about you, Siôn.  Why are you so eager to become part of this club?   Do you want to meet these attractive mothers?”

"I just saw an opportunity to help"

Siôn insists that he just saw an opportunity to help;  

"We're family – almost"

“And you were very eager to help Ffion this afternoon,” adds Hywel.   

Siôn explains that they are almost family – and friends.   He admits that the club would be a chance to see more of each other.

"You old dog!"

Hywel chuckles, “You old dog!   And you’re her daughter’s grandfather!”   Siôn is adamant that it is nothing like that, and proposes that they have another game of darts. 

"You did take precautions?"

“Please tell me it didn’t happen,” say Ffion, “You did take precautions, didn’t you?”   

"I can't remember"

Gaynor cannot remember, and Ffion hopes, “You must have, surely!”   

They look across at Mark . . .

They both look across at Mark 

. . .and he returns their gaze

and Gaynor realises the implications of her actions.