12 March 2024

Flowers for Maya approaching

As a customer comes out of the pharmacy, a delivery man with a bunch of flowers is approaching;  “Maya Cooper?” he asks and presents her with the flowers.   She informs Dani, who is nearby, that they are from her fiancée, ‘Sweet Dee’.

"Nice to see someone happy in this place!"

Dani remarks that it is nice to see someone happy in this place and then continue along the road, 

Rhys comes round the corner

where she meets Rhys by MFC.   

"Have you told anyone?"

“Are you OK?” she asks and he replies that he is still in shock, to be honest.   She wonders if he has told anyone.

"Still trying to get my head around it"

“Not yet – I’m still trying to get my head around it,” he says;  she advises him to keep it to himself because she was not supposed to tell him.   He insists that she did the right thing, but she points out that she was angry with Jinx and should not have said anything.

Cheryl approaches . . .

Cheryl is the next person to come into view 

. . . and Dani knows what is going to happen

and Dani can imagine what is going to happen next.   

"You'll never  believe what I've got to tell you"

Rhys tells Cheryl, “You’re not going to believe what I’ve got to tell you.”

Diane works on her publicity

At Bryntirion, Dai is attempting to video Diane as she gives a publicity speech about the council leader’s post;  

"Dear people of the county . . ."

he tells her that she needs the practice.   She begins, “Dear people of the county, this is councillor Diane Ashurst with an important announcement.”

'Hang on – you're Diane, not Camilla!"

Dai stops her there;  “Hang on – you’re Diane, not Camilla – try to be a bit less regal.”

"Hiya, everyone, this is Diane from Cwmderi"

She is rather flustered by this, so then attempts a different approach, “Hiya, everyone, this is Diane from Cwmderi – I’m one of your councillors and I’ve got something to tell you.”

"You sound like some ruffian!"

This does not meet with Dai’s approval either;  “Whoa now – you sound like some ruffian [jac y rhacs] from Bonymaen!” [an area of Swansea] he exclaims, “You want a little bit of gravitas.”

"You don't want to give Diane a double chin!"

Kelly, who has been watching this performance advises Dai to lift up the phone, as he does not want to give Diane a double chin.   

"I don't think this is a good idea at all"

By this time Diane is becoming tired of it, commenting, “I don’t think this is a good idea at all.”   

"Just be yourself"

She is told by Kelly to just be herself, as that is who people will be voting for.

The final attempt

They make a final attempt;  “My name is Diane Ashurst, one of your county councillors.”

Hywel watches the finished article 

A little later, at Llwyncelyn, Hywel is watching the finished video on his phone;  “Your county council is about to vote in a new leader.   Councillor Hywel Llywelyn and and I are in the race.   

"Nobody as corrupt as Hywel Llywelyn"

“I want to talk to you today to assure you that my intention is to fight corruption in the council – and there’s nobody as corrupt as Hywel Llywelyn himself.   He intends to give his friends on the cabinet a huge pay rise – an increase of 35%!”   

Hywel is far from happy

Hywel is furious that she has this information.

"You had a busy day yesterday, didn't you?"

At Penrhewl, DJ is finishing his breakfast while Eileen is washing up;  Sioned comes in and is told by DJ that she is late up this morning.   She replies that she was tired;   her mother cannot resist adding, “You had a busy day yesterday, didn’t you?”   

"Right, I have to go"

DJ is in a hurry to get to the deli and leaves the house.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Eileen looks reproachfully at Sioned;  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she demands.

"I've heard a rumour"

Cheryl has gone to Bryntirion, apologising for coming round without warning;  “I’ve heard something – a rumour – and I wanted to give you a heads-up.   Rhys is going round saying you ‘spiked’ us – I told him that that’s ridiculous – there’s no reason why you’d want to hurt us.”

Kelly does not say anything

Kelly remains silent, which Cheryl finds ominous;  

"It's not true, is it?"

“Kelly – it’s not true, is it?   Say something.”

"I'm so sorry"

“I’m so sorry,” Kelly tells her 

Cheryl is perplexed

and Cheryl looks totally confused.

"Did Maya take advantage of you?"

Back at Penrhewl, Eileen continues, “Listen, love, did Maya take advantage of you?   But you didn’t want to kiss her?”   Sioned does not know the answer to that.   “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“I’m a bit confused, Mam,” is the reply, “About the way I feel.”   

"I thought things were all right"

Eileen was under the impression that things between her and DJ were all right;   Sioned confirms that they are and is reminded that they are trying for baby.

"Do you still want to be with him"

“Do you still want to be with him?” her mother demands and Sioned confirms that she loves DJ.   “Well, there we are – this was just a mistake – which will never happen again – forget about it!”

"It's not as easy as that"

Sioned maintains that it is not as easy as that, because she likes Maya – 

"As more than a friend"

as more than a friend.   “But you’ve always liked men!” Eileen exclaims, 

"She's corrupted your mind!"

“She’s corrupted your mind!”

“Is it the fact that I’ve kissed someone else that worries you – 

"Or the fact that she's a woman?"

“or the fact that she’s a woman?” demands Sioned.   

"You've got too much time on your hands"

Eileen says that she is concerned about the whole thing and concludes that Sioned has too much time on her hands;  “Have a baby and then forget all about this!   People have become too experimental – 

"They should use som self-control!"

“they should use some self-control!”

"All you worry about is appearances!"

Sioned accuses her mother of going back to the Middle Ages;  “All you’ve  ever worried about is appearances – if things don’t fit into your way of thinking, they must be wrong.  

"You don't care if your children are happy or not!"

“You don’t care if your children are happy or not – as long as everything appears respectable.”

Eileen flings her cup across the room . . .

In a furious temper, her mother of flings her tea cup across the room, narrowly missing Sioned, and it smashes on the Aga.   

. . . giving Sioned a fright

Sioned is very shocked.

"So Rhys and I were just collateral damage"

Having heard the full story, Cheryl realises that she and Rhys were just collateral damage.   

"The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you"

Kelly assures her, “The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you or Rhys.”

"Was that a guilty conscience?"

“You took me to hospital – was that a guilty conscience?” Cheryl asks and Kelly replies that she was mortified 

"My plan had gone wrong – again!"

when she realised her plan had gone wrong – again.

Cheryl protests, “You knew I was worried that someone was targeting me – you should have told me.”   

"I've had so many awful experiences"

Kelly is well aware of that, but has had so many awful experiences of men treating her badly in the past that she had now had enough.

Cheryl agrees that Kelly is not the first to have done a stupid thing because of what man has done to her.   

"I wouldn't blame you if you went to the cops"

“I wouldn’t blame you if you went to the cops,” says Kelly, with tears in her eyes.   

"I've got no intention of doing that"

However, Cheryl has no intention of going anywhere near the cops, but she cannot promise that Rhys will not do so.

"Hey, I want a word with you!"

Hywel hurries across the road, shouting, “Hey, I want a word with you!” when he sees Griffiths on his way to Tomos ac Ellis.   

He is told that is no way to greet a fellow councillor, 

"A lying, unprincipled councillor!"

and Hywel maintains, “That is the way to greet a lying, unprincipled councillor!   

"Did you tell her?"

“Diane is presenting my policies as her own – did you tell her?”

"Well, I can't deny it"

Griffiths is not going to deny it, but Hywel is convinced that Diane is now going to win;  “Did you have to stab me in the back like that?”

"You have a lot to learn about politics"

“You have a lot to learn about politics,” Griffiths sighs, 

"It doesn't matter which idiot is elected"

“It doesn’t matter which idiot is elected as leader – as long as they don’t have their own ideas.”   

"And they'll have your ideas?"

Hywel assumes that they will have Griffiths’ ideas instead.

Griffiths commends him;  “You’re learning fast – Diane will be elected as leader, but I’ll be feeding the decisions through her 

"Just like a puppet!"

“– just like a puppet!   In six or seven months, I’ll persuade Diane to introduce a new plan to increase the cabinet’s allowance – I always win – politics is a craft, and I’m an expert!”

Hywel looks rather pleased with himself

As Griffiths walks away, Hywel is wearing a smug smile 

Dai and Diane appear

and then notices Dai and Diane emerging from the alley;  he goes across to speak to Diane.   

"I'm pulling out of the race"

“I’d like to congratulate you – I’m pulling out of the race – you’ll be council leader.”

"I told you you'd beat this clown!"

Dai is jubilant about this;  “See – I told you you’d beat this clown!”   Diane simply regards it as a wise decision, but there is something else which Hywel would like to talk to her about.

"How about we discuss it in the Deri?"

They will go to the Deri, while Dai goes for his doctor’s appointment, 

"Watch him, Diane"

although Dai warns her about going for a drink with someone she has just publicly discredited.   Diane insists that she knows what she is doing.

"Kelly does regret it"

Cheryl is speaking to Rhys in the Deri;  “I’m sorry for accusing you, but she regrets it.”

"She'll regret it even more when she's arrested!"

“She’ll regret it even more when she’s arrested for it,” snarls Rhys, 

"I won't be taking it any further"

but Cheryl will not be taking the matter any further as Kelly has been through so much.   

"I nearly drowned!"

“What about what we’ve been through?   I nearly drowned!   We’ll have a stronger case if we go to the police together.”

"I won't be changing my mind"

Cheryl tells him that he can go to the police if he wants, but she will not be changing her mind.

"What are those two doing over there?"

Griffiths comes in and is concerned to see Hywel and Diane talking;  Anita has been waiting for him and he demands, “What are those two doing over there?”   

"I'm not listening to their conversation"

She replies that she does not know, as she is not listening to their conversation.

Then Kelly comes in . . .

The next person in through the door is Kelly;  

. . . and is subjected to a tirade from Rhys . . .

Rhys immediately announces, “Here she is – you’ve come to make a public apology, have you, Kelly?”   

. . . which attracts a lot of attention

All eyes turn in their direction 

"Are you going to tell everyone what you've don?"

as he continues, “Are you going to tell everyone what you’ve done?”

"Don't do this, Rhys"

Cheryl urges him to stop this confrontation, but he will not listen;  “I was publicly accused by many – and she let me take the blame.   I nearly died because of her!   It was Kelly who ‘spiked’ me and Cheryl.”   

Kelly beats a hasty retreat

Kelly turns tail and retreats from the pub.

"I'm sorry for not doing the right thing"

Jinx brings flowers for Dani and says that he is sorry;  “For not doing the right thing, I suppose.   

"It would have ruined Kelly's life"

If I’d gone to the police, I would have ruined Kelly’s life for ever.   I know Cheryl and Rhys deserve to know . . .”

"They do know about the Rohypnol . . ."

Dani informs him, “They do know – Rhys and Cheryl know about the Rohypnol.”   He asks how they found out and 

". . . I told them"

she replies, “I told them.”   

Jinx cannot believe it

Jinx looks at her with incredulity.”

"Kelly?   Who would have thought it?"

Hywel is sitting with Rhys in the Deri;  “Kelly?   Who would have thought it?   I shouldn’t have suspected you – I should have listened.   Do you want another drink?   

"You look as if you need one"

“You look as if you need one.”

Ieuan seizes his opportunity

When Hywel goes to the bar, Griffiths takes the opportunity going over to Rhys 

"Kelly pulled the wool over all our eyes"

and says that he had no idea about the ‘spiking’.   “Kelly pulled the wool over all our eyes,” groans Rhys, “I’m going to the police.”

"Wouldn't it be better to keep things quiet?"

Griffiths suggests that it might be better to keep things quiet – not to make a song and dance about it.   

"It's the last thing Tomos ac Ellis needs"

“It’s the last thing Tomos ac Ellis needs at the moment.”

Rhys is therefore suspicious that the estate agent is in trouble 

"Am I going to lose my job?"

and that he might lose his job, but is assured that is not the case;  

"If we could avoid a scandal . . ."

“If we could avoid a scandal, it would be a good thing.   Anyway, don’t you think you’ve punished her enough?   Shaming her in front of everyone?”

"Don't do anything in haste"

Rhys argues that is exactly what she deserved, but is warned not to do anything in haste, as Griffiths gets up and returns to the bar.

Sioned clears up the debris

At Penrhewl, Sioned is sweeping up the remains of the tea cup from the floor when her mother comes back in;  

"I'm just trying to understand"

“I’m just trying to understand, Sioned,” she says, but Sioned cannot understand it herself.

"I didn't expect to like Maya the way I do"

“I didn’t expect to like Maya the way I do,” she confesses.   Eileen asks if that was the first time the two of them had kissed, and Sioned’s failure to answer 

"So you're having an affair"

leads her to conclude that they are having an affair.

"No – it's not like that"

“No, we’re not having an affair – it’s not like that,” Sioned is quick to point out, 

"How will you explain it to DJ?"

but she is asked how she is going to explain it to DJ.   “I’m not going to,” Sioned is quick to reply.

“He has a right to know if there’s a problem,” insists Eileen;  

"Please don't tell him"

Sioned is adamant that there is no problem and begs her mother not to tell him.

"On condition you don't see her again!"

“I won’t – on the condition that you don’t see her again!” Eileen snarls;  Sioned agrees to this.   “I mean it, Sioned, or I’ll tell DJ – and if you’re serious about your future with DJ and starting a family with him, 

"You have to forget about Maya"

“you have to forget about Maya.”   Sioned does not appear to be ready to do that

"We have some celebrating to do!"

In the Deri, Griffiths brings over a bottle of champagne;  “Well, we have some celebrating to do!” he tells Diane.

"After what's happened"

“After what’s happened?” she answers, and he maintains they cannot let something like that put a dampener on her success.   He says that Rhys was as you would expect, 

"We need to prepare a strategy"

but insists that the two of them need to prepare a strategy to make the most of her time as leader.

“I have a lot of ideas and I’ll be by your side every step of the way,” he goes on, 

"But I shall have a cabinet"

but she points out that she will have a cabinet.   

"You'll need one person you can trust!"

“You’ll need one person that you can trust,” he advises.

"A right-hand man?"

She describes this as, “A right-hand man.”   He is already looking forward to starting the job, 

"It won't be you!"

but then she informs him, “You won’t be my right hand man, Ieuan!   Like you said, I need someone I can trust.   You’ve been deceiving me – trying to influence me – 

"Calling me a 'puppet'!"

“calling me ‘a puppet’!”   

She nods to Hywel

She signals to Hywel, 

Hywel comes across

who comes across with his phone and she continues, “Hywel has told me everything.   The first thing I’m going to do is set up an inquiry into the cabinet’s activities – a detailed one.”

Griffiths is now looking extremely uncomfortable and cautions Hywel, “If I go down . . .”

. . . complete with his voice recording . . .

Hywel turns on the voice recording of his phone, so that Griffiths can hear his own voice, saying, “You have a lot to learn about politics – 

. . . which does not please Griffiths

“it doesn’t matter which idiot’s elected as leader, as long as they don’t have their own ideas.”

"Your shenanigans are over"

Diane tells him that everything is on the phone and that his shenanigans are over.   Griffiths growls, “You’ve crossed the wrong man!” 

"Champagne?   Just the job!"

just as Dai comes in and sees the champagne, which he maintains is just the job.   

Griffiths grabs his bottle . . .

However, Griffiths simply picks up his bottle of champagne 

 . . .and makes off with it 

and walks out of the Deri, 

Diane is triumphant

while Hywel and Diane look victoriously at each other.

"What are Jason and Ifan going to do?"

“What are Jason and Ifan going to do if I go to jail?” Kelly asks, 

"I know I totally deserve it"

but Anita is sure it will not to to come to that.   “It is a possibility – I know I totally deserve it, but it doesn’t make it any easier.   

"I got myself into this mess, like"

“I feel selfish asking for pity, because I got myself into this mess, like.”

Anita tries to reassure her

Anita says that Kelly has been through a lot;  “And I’ve dragged you down with me – and Jason and Ifan – you deserve better than me.”    Anita assures her that whatever happens, she will be there for her niece – she is not going anywhere.

"Still giving me the silent treatment?"

At number 9, Dani comments, “Still giving me the silent treatment?” 

"I don't know what to say"

but Jinx simply does not know what to say.   “If I was Rhys, I’d want to know who ‘spiked’ me,” she continues, but he insists that it is nothing to do with her.

“They shouldn’t have dragged you into it, then!” she insists.   

"Everyone will hate her"

He points out that everyone will know what Kelly did – and will hate her.   

"Why are you so worried about Kelly?"

“Why are you so worried about Kelly?” Dani shouts, 

"Because she's a friend"

and he replies that she is a friend.

“Well, it would be nice if you cared as much for Cheryl and Rhys,” Dani tells him, 

"That's not the same, Dani"

but he replies that it is not the same.   

"You still like her, don't you?"

“Why?   You still like her, don’t you?”

"So that's why you told Rhys"

“OK, so that’s why you told Rhys, then,” he begins, 

"Just answer the question!"

but Dani demands that he answers the question;  whether he still has feelings for Kelly.

"It's you I want to be with, Dani|"

He says, “It’s you I want to be with,” 

"Someone who puts his ex before me"

but she is very reluctant to be with someone who puts his ex before her.   

"I can't be with someone who's so spiteful!"

“And I can’t be with someone who’s so spiteful!” he retaliates.

"I just wanted to check you were OK"

Sioned comes into the pharmacy;  “I just wanted to check you were OK after yesterday,” she tells Maya, “Don’t worry about Mam – she won’t tell a soul.   

"The last thing she wants"

“The last thing she wants is for people to find out her daughter kissed another woman.”

"What does it mean?"

“Look, we kissed – and it’s the second time it’s happened – what does it mean?” Maya wonders.   

"I'd better go"

Sioned is not sure and thinks that she had better leave.

Someone notices her coming out   

Unfortunately, just as she comes out of the pharmacy, her mother is leaving the shop nearby;  

Eileen goes straight to the deli

Eileen walks straight across the road to the deli.   

DJ asks if everything is all right 

"Have you been having problems?"

and she enquires, “Have you and Sioned been having problems?”   He denies this.

“Whatever’s going on between you, you have to sort it out now,” she insists, 

"There's nothing going on"

but again he replies there is nothing going on.   “Have you been arguing?” and he wants to know why she is asking.

"I know things are not fine between you"

“Because I know for a fact things are not fine between you – and you have to do something.   If you’re not careful, you’re going to lose her.”   Eileen turns to leave the shop;  

"You can't say that and then leave"

he protests that she cannot say something like that and then just leave.

"I caught her kissing Maya, the lesbian!"

Eileen announces, “I caught her kissing someone – Maya, the lesbian!”   

"They're friends"

He is sure that she must have misunderstood, as they are friends.

"I saw them with my own eyes"

“No, I saw them with my own eyes,” she stresses, which DJ finds very concerning.