10 January 2024

Mark on his postal round in the rain

Mark is walking down the High Street on his postal round when he sees Cheryl coming out of the shop;  

He comes face to face with Cheryl

“Hiya – are you all right?” he asks 

"I'm OK"

and when she says that she is, he adds, “Good.”

She is about to walk away 

As she walks away under her umbrella, 

"Do you think you'll ever forgive me?"

he wonders, “Do you think you’ll ever forgive me?   I miss you.”

"You shouldn't have slept with my sister"

“Well, you shouldn’t have slept with my sister,” she replies and then continues on her way.

"Did you sleep well, Iolo?"

Siôn comes downstairs in his dressing gown and asks Iolo if he slept well;  

"I don't think I slept at all"

“I don’t think I slept at all,” his son grumbles, “If I could have, I would – all right?   

"I need more tablets"

“I need more tablets.”

"Things will get better"

His father tries to insist that he is doing well and that things will get better, but Iolo does not believe a word of this.   

"Not until Cai comes back!"

“Nothing’s going to get better until Cai comes back!”

“If you carry on like this, people will suspect something’s wrong,” Siôn reprimands him.   Iolo snarls, “Well, there is something wrong – Cai’s out there – dead!”   

"That's not true, Iolo"

When his father is adamant that is not true, he protests, “How do you know?   We haven’t heard from him since Christmas – if he’s fine, why hasn’t he come back?”

He is advised that he needs to keep some perspective, but Iolo is experiencing severe stomach pains, 

He will try to get some sleep

so he is told to go back to bed and catch up with some sleep;  he follows his father’s instructions.

"Is Brynmor OK?"

Mark reaches the Deri and asks his mother when she got back;  “Is Brynmor OK?”   When she enquires how things are with him, he groans, “Oh, so-so,” so she realises that he is still in the doghouse with Cheryl.

"What have you been doing about it?"

“What have you been doing about it?” she wants to know, 

"I asked her to forgive me"

and he replies that he has asked her to forgive him.   

"Well, not hard enough, obviously"

“Well, not hard enough, obviously,” is Kath’s evaluation.

He recalls that the last time he asked her for forgiveness, he made things worse;  

"Balloons  - with 'sorry' on them"

“Music, balloons – at least it said ‘I’m sorry’ on them!”

His mother instructs him that he needs to do something that shows Cheryl how precious she is to him;  “Spoil her – jewels, perhaps.”   He points out that he cannot afford jewels, so the answer is, “You don’t have to spend a fortune, do you?   You just buy ones that look expensive.”

"Women like cakes with icing and stuff, don't they?"

Mark wonders if a sponge will do;  “Women like cakes with icing and stuff – you never know.”

"You're lovely – but you're stupid!"

“Well, I know one – or rather, two things, love – you’re incredibly lovely – but you’re stupid!” his mother tells him.

Jason is eating his breakfast

Jason is eating his breakfast at Bryntirion when Kelly comes in;  “Are you going to work?’ she asks, and he has not made up his mind yet.   

"We're not going to get over this, are we?"

She sighs, “We’re not going to get over this, are we?”   

"You're not making it very easy"

He points out that she is not making it very easy.

"When you live in Cwmderi . . ."

“Right, I should have made more of an effort to avoid Jinx, you’re right, OK.   But when you live somewhere like Cwmderi . . .”

"Yes, I know – you said"

“You’re going to bump into people – I know – you said,” Jason continues her sentence, “You don’t think of anyone but yourself – you missed Christmas with us – again.   

"You missed Ifan's Christmas show!"

“You missed Ifan’s Christmas show.   You didn’t see the expression on his face when he realised you weren’t there.”

"I would have wrecked Christmas if I had been here"

Kelly is adamant that she would have wrecked Christmas if she had been there;  “OK, seriously!”   Jason appreciates that she has had a hard time, 

"A normal couple would deal with this together"

but a normal couple would have dealt with the Rohypnol business together.

"I didn't want to burden you, Jase!"

“I didn’t want to burden you, Jase!” she protests, so he reminds her that she is more than ready to turn to Jinx.   

"Oh, here we go!"

“Oh, here we go!” she exclaims.

"I've never felt good enough for you"

“You have no idea how that makes me feel – I feel like a second choice for Jinx, since he’s come back – I’ve never felt good enough for you.”   Jason leaves for APD.

"Put those 'Meddal' things away!"

At the bar of the Deri, Kath is ordering Anita, “Put those ‘Meddal’ things away – I’ve told you time and time again.”   

"I'll go back to Llanarthur"

Anita will go back to Llanarthur to see if she can sell to Merched y Wawr.   She wonders if Kath can think of anywhere else where she can sell.

"With all those detectives in Jinx's garden . . ."

Meanwhile, Mark is looking at his phone and suggests, “With all those detectives in Jinx’s garden, perhaps you should concentrate on aftershave.   

"Yes, 'Eau de Moch'!"

Kath proposes, with a cackling laugh, that it should be called, ‘Eau de Moch!’ [Eau de Pig] 

"Porko Rabane!"

while Mark’s offering is ‘Porko Rabanne’, 

Anita does not even smile

neither of which Anita finds amusing.

"How about this, Mam?"

He has been working on a present for Cheryl and shows his mother several items on his phone, which she dismisses as rather tacky;  

"Not something out of a cracker!"

“I said jewellery, not something out of a cracker!”   

"That costs £100!"

He points out that the one he was looking at costs £100.

"Is Cai back?"

Ffion arrives at Y Felin, asking whether Cai is back;  

"He's not answering his phone"

“He hasn’t turned up for work and will not answer my calls.”   Iolo comes downstairs, not looking any better, although he insists that he is fine, and she asks if he has heard anything from Cai.

“I expected him back on the first day of term,” she says, 

Siôn sticks to the old 'Thailand' story

and Siôn comments that perhaps he is enjoying himself too much out in Thailand.   

“Aren’t you worried – after everything he’s been through recently?” she goes on 

"He sounded fine on Christmas Day"

and Siôn replies that he sounded fine when he called on Christmas Day.   He adds that Cai also texted a few days ago, 

"Let's see the text, then"

so she demands to see the text;  “I want to see what he said.”

"Cai is an adult!"

Siôn angrily points out that Cai is a adult;  

"Who's been through a hard time"

Ffion declares, “Who’s been through a hard time and nobody seems to care!   The police should know he’s missing!”

"No, not that"

Iolo objects to that and Ffion wants to know why;  “I know you’re hiding something – will one of you tell me where Cai is?” she shouts.

"You put yourself first all the time . . ."

Jason continues, “You put yourself first all the time – 

". . . protesting against the chicken sheds"

“protesting against the chicken sheds when I asked you not to.   But unlike you, Kelly, I always try to put you first – you have no idea what I do just to keep you happy!   I almost went back to gambling so that you could have that house.”

"I didn't ask you to go back to gambling!"

Kelly has had enough of this;  “I didn’t ask you to go back to gambling for a house, Jason!”

"I've been like a doormat!"

He reminds her that he is under pressure;  “I’m sorry, this isn’t all your fault – I’m to blame as well.   I’ve been like a doormat!”

"Don't be like that, Jase"

She tells him not to be like that, as he continues, “I’ve let you walk all over me.”   Kelly admits that she was naïve to think he was OK after everything that has happened.

"I thought things would improve"

“I’ve forced myself to think that things would improve!” he goes on and Kelly confirms that she is hearing him loud and clear.

"I know you deserve better – OK?"

“Yes, I have been selfish – I know you deserve better – OK?   

"I promise I won't go near Jinx"

I promise from now, hand on heart, I won’t go near Jinx.”   

"I've heard that one before!"

Jason reminds her that she has already said the same thing and regards it as a bit late now.

"We're not good for each other, Kelly!"

“We’re not good for each other!” he tells her, 

"No, Jase, please don't say that"

and she, in tears, begs him not to say that.

"I can't do this any more"

“I’m really sorry,” she sobs, but Jason, also in tears, is thinking that perhaps it is time – he cannot do this any more.   

He picks up two of Ifan's toys 

He picks up two of Ifan’s toys and puts them away 

Kelly cries inconsolably

while Kelly weeps uncontrollably.

"You left him there unconscious?"

“You left him there unconscious?” Ffion gasps in disbelief and Iolo nods his head.   

"He didn't intend to hurt Cai"

Siôn points out that he did not intend to hurt Cai.   “Why didn’t you phone an ambulance?” Ffion demands and Iolo whines that it all happened so fast.   

"Poor Cai"

“Poor Cai!” she exclaims.

"When we went back, he had gone"

Iolo goes on to explain that they went back to check on him and take him to the hospital if it was needed, but he had gone and they have not seen him since.

"Has he really been in touch with you?"

“Has he really been in touch with you?” she asks and is told that the phone call on Christmas Day was the last they heard from him.

"Nothing about this must come out – for Iolo's sake"

“But it’s important that nothing about this comes out, Ffion,” insists Siôn, “For Iolo’s sake.”

"Every young couple quarrels"

Anita has come round to talk to Kelly;  “Every young couple quarrels,” she says, but Kelly is convinced it is more than that.   

"My marriage is over, Auntie Neet"

She believes that her marriage is over, but Anita tells her not to talk like that.   

"Do you want me to have a word – or Ieuan?"

“Do you want me to have a word with him – or Ieuan?”

"Oh, yeah cos that should fix it!"

“Oh, yeah – cos that should fix it!” says Kelly, sarcastically, “I genuinely don’t think he loves me any more.”   Anita protests that she can see that Jason loves her – for instance the way he tried to get her that house.

“Yes, the house that nearly drove him back to gambling!”   

Anita maintains that he tried everything because he knew it would make her happy.   

"He prioritised me over him"

“I know – and that’s what makes it worse,” Kelly groans, “He’s prioritised me over him – and now he’s at breaking point.”

"Just show him that you love him"

“Unless you’re ready to let him go, you have to fight for him!” is Auntie Anita’s advice, “Just show him that you love him.”

"You have to tell the police!"

Furiously, Ffion insists, “You have no choice – you have to tell the police!”   

"They wouldn't understand"

Siôn maintains that they would not understand, but she continues, “Look, if he’s out there in the state he was in, he’s still vulnerable – there’s nothing to say that Cai is OK!   

"He could be back as he was last year!"

“Even if he’s all right physically, he could be back as he was last year!    You have to tell the police everything, so that they can find him.”

Iolo is on the verge of tears

As Iolo looks as if he is about to burst into tears, she adds, 

"If you won't contact them,  I will!"

“If you won’t contact them, I will, OK?”   With that she marches out of the house, leaving Siôn and Iolo looking at each other.

"Sorry – I'm £50 short"

Cheryl hands an envelope to Kath;  “Rent – I’m £50 short, but you’ll have it by the end of the week.”   

"Gaynor's already paid"

She is told that there is no need, as Gaynor has already paid.   “Gaynor doesn’t live there any more,” Cheryl protests, 

"She paid two months, yesterday"

but it is confirmed that she paid two months’ rent yesterday.

"Who does she think she is?"

“Who does she think she is?” she snarls and when Kath remarks that she should be glad someone has paid, Cheryl adds, “I’m not!   And why on earth did you take it?”

"It's not my fault you've got problem with your sister"

“Hey, Cheryl – it’s not my fault you’ve got a problem with your sister,” Kath reminds her and receives an apology, but Cheryl is just annoyed that Gaynor thinks she can buy her sister back after what she did.   Kath suggests that perhaps it is coming from a good place.

"I want you to know how sorry I am . . ."

Just then Mark comes in and addresses Cheryl;  “I know nothing can make up for what I did, but I want you to know how sorry I am and how precious you are to me.”

He opens a box containing a gift for her, 

". . . and I've got myself a Wrexham shirt"

adding, “I’ve got myself a Wrexham shirt to wear at the next match – because I’ve got tickets for both of us.”

"You've spent a fortune"

Cheryl appreciates that he has spent a fortune and he admits that he looked everywhere for the tickets, 

"Like I've looked for the perfect woman"

adding, “Just like I’ve looked everywhere for the perfect woman.”   Meanwhile his mother is frantically signalling to him to stop.

"You can't buy me, Mark

“You’re no different to her – you can’t buy me, Mark!” Cheryl snarls.   He points out that he just wants her to know how sorry he is, but she instructs him,

"That bucket you call a head!?

 “Go away, before I make a hole in that bucket you call a head!”   

Mark retreats, humiliated

He sadly turns and walks out of the pub.

"I don't want to go to jail, Dad!"

Iolo is now in a full-scale panic;  “I don’t want to go to jail!   What about Greta?” he wails, 

"You're worrying about nothing"

but his father tells him he is worrying about nothing.   

"What are we going to do?"

“You heard what Ffion said – what are we going to do?”

"I have to phone the police"

Siôn comes to the conclusion that they have no choice;  “I’m phoning the police – there’s no other option.”   Iolo says that Greta cannot lose another father, but his father is adamant, “I’m going to get us out of this hole and make sure you’re not going anywhere – trust me!”   

Iolo is suffering considerable pain

Iolo is now doubled up with pain.

Kelly comes in

Kelly comes into the kitchen where Jason is sitting;  

"I don't want to lose you, Jase"

“I don’t want to lose you, Jase – or Ifan.   

"If you want space, I'll give you space"

“You’re my life, so, if you want space, I’ll give you space – whatever.”

"I want you to leave, please"

Jason, who has remained silent, then speaks;  “I want you to leave, please.”

She asks if this will be for good, but he does not answer.   

"Will you please look at me for a second?"

“Jase, I don’t want . . . will you please look at me for a second?”   

Jason looks at her

He does so 

"I want to fight for our relationship"

and she goes on, “I want to fight for our relationship.”

"All I've done over the past year is fight"

He whispers that all he has done over the last year is to fight.   Kelly promises that if he wants her to go, she will go, 

"You've always been good enough – more than good enough"

“But I want you to know one thing – you’ve always been good enough for me – more than good enough.”

Anita struggles with two bags

Anita is carrying two large bags along the street when she meets Cheryl, 

"Where are you going?"

who remarks, “You’ve got a lot of stuff there – where are you going?”

"Llanarthur, if you must know"

“To see Llanarthur’s Merched y Wawr, if you must know – there’s a lot of demand for ‘Meddal’ products there – unlike your cheap stuff!”   

"I'm no longer selling the 'cheap stuff'"

Cheryl gives her the good news that she is no longer selling the ‘cheap stuff’.

“To be honest with you, Anita, I only started selling it to spite you.”   

"I knew it would be a failure"

Anita smugly boasts that she knew Cheryl’s business would be a failure and maintains that ‘Meddal’ trade is booming.

"Mathew trying to flog your stuff for a discount"

“Is that why Mathew’s trying to flog your stuff for a discount?” Cheryl smiles, 

"He's doing it out of the goodness of his heart"

and is informed that Mathew is helping out of the goodness of his heart.   “‘Meddal’ is yesterday’s news, Anita – people have moved on,” Cheryl tells her, “If I were you, I’d just give it all up now.”

"I should have listened to Maya"

Iolo is in increasing pain;  “I should have listened to Maya about coming off the tablets.”   Despite Siôn’s insistence that the pain will pass, 

"I need help, Dad!"

he begs, “I need help, Dad!   Coming off those tablets entirely – it’s not right!’

"You have to beat this dependency"

He is told that he has to beat this dependency, but argues that this is not the way;  “We haven’t had any medical advice.”   Siôn merely insists that he is doing his best.   

"Look, I've found this website, Dad"

“Look, I’ve found a website where I can get some more by tomorrow – please, Dad!”

Kelly has the obligatory single bag

Jason is still sitting at the table, in the semi-darkness, when Kelly comes in with her coat and single bag.   

Without a word she turns to leave . . .

She looks across at him, then, without a single word being spoken, she leaves the house 

. . . and Jason is reduced to tears

while Jason bows his head and cries.