5 March 2024

Jinx has bought a loaf in the shop . . .

Jinx comes out of the shop with a loaf 

. . .and is about to go into the house 

and crosses the road to number 9;  Gaynor catches sight of him and is not happy.   

Gaynor complains bitterly

“I know you gave me ‘mate’s rates’ for our session, but I didn’t know that excused confidentiality!” she complains, 

"People know I had a session with you"

“People know I had a session with you.”

She looks across at her sister . . . 

She indicates her sister, 

. . . who is passing

who is passing on the other side of the road 

"There's mo shame in having counselling"

and Jinx assures her, “I haven’t told anyone of the contents of the sessions, I promise.   There’s no shame in having counselling.”

"It's easy for you to say that!"

She grumbles that it is easy for him to say that and walks away in disgust.

Iolo checks Greta's temperature

At Y Felin, Iolo is taking Greta’s temperature and asks if she is feeling better;  “Your temperature’s gone down, love.   

"Do you want to see something really exciting?"

“Do you want to see something really exciting?”

"Do you know what that is?"

He shows her on his phone a photograph of Aberystwyth seafront and asks if she knows what is in the foreground.   

"Aberystwyth is by the seaside . . ."

“The sea,” answers Greta and he explains that Aberystwyth is by the seaside.

". . . with a really special little train"

“There’s a castle there and a really special train that goes all the way to the top of the mountain,” he says, 

"We're going to live there"

“Listen, you and me are going to live in Aberystwyth – and you’ll be able to see the sea and the castle – and that train – every day.”

Siôn is listening . . .

He is unaware that his father is listening to this 

. . . and does not like what he hears

with considerable concern.

Anita is in a very bad mood

In APD, where apparently the laundry business is still going, although it has not been mentioned for months, Anita is sorting the laundry on the counter, while moaning loudly, “I can’t believe they listened to Megan!”

"The machine in the flat is one the blink"

Mathew has found that Rhys is without a clean pair of pants so asks if she can do a load for him as well, as their machine is on the blink.   

She is offended at being questioned

She continues ranting on, “And they asked me if I’d been near the back of the chapel – and who bought the goods.   And I didn’t know this – if you put something in someone else’s rubbish bin, that’s a crime!   

"They call it 'fly-tipping'!"

“They call it ‘fly-tipping’!   But I don’t care, because I didn’t do it!”

"That's in the wrong pile, Anita"

Matthew simply responds that she has got something white mixed in with the colours;  

"Do you see what this is doing to me?"

she grabs it from him, demanding, “Do you see?   Do you see what all this is doing to me?”

Cai is busy at Cysgod y Glyn

At Cysgod y Glyn, Cai is marking some school work when Siôn comes in;  

"I need your help"

“Ffion said you’d be here.   I need your help – Iolo’s decided that he and Greta should move to Aberystwyth.   

"Iolo wants to make a fresh start"

“He said the memories here are too painful for him and he wants to make a fresh start.”

"I came understand that"

Cai can understand that, but Siôn insists, “He can’t move to Aber – he’ll be alone in a strange place – he’s being totally impulsive.”   

"Is he back on the tablets?"

Cai enquires if he is back on the tablets.   

"What if he relapses?"

“No – but that’s another thing – what if he relapses and goes back on the tablets?   There’ll be no one there to help him – he needs his family around him.   He won’t listen to me – do you could talk to him?   Perhaps he’ll listen to you.”

"It's not my place, Siôn"

Cai makes it plain that it is not his place to tell Iolo what to do, and he will not do this for Siôn.   “The last thing I want is to be dragged into your problems again – sorry.”   

Siôn is disheartened

Very disappointed, Siôn gets up and leaves.

"Gaynor just gave me a mouthful!"

At number 9, Dani is doing the washing up when Jinx walks in;  “Gaynor just gave me a mouthful!” he says, “It seems that people know about her counselling session with me – but only you know.   

"Have you told anyone else?"

“Have you told anyone else?”

Dani is rather hesitant to reply, 

"Perhaps it might have slipped out"

but admits, “Perhaps it might have slipped out when I was talking to Mark – and perhaps he told Cheryl.   

"Mark was worried about her"

“I’m sorry, but he was worried about her and I thought they would be glad to know she’s getting help and stuff.”

Jinx replies that at least he will not have to do any more sessions with her;  “In any case, it’s obvious that she isn’t ready to change.”   

"So I've actually done you a favour"

Dani takes this to mean that she has actually done Jinx a favour, 

"Don't push your luck!"

but he warns, “Don’t you push your luck!”

Note the number 22 on the door

Mathew cautiously goes into Megan’s shop, which seems to have acquired a number 22 on the door.   “I wanted a word with you about Anita,” he begins, 

"Phoning the police was a bit unnecessary"

“Don’t you think that phoning the police last week was a bit unnecessary?”

Megan does not agree

Her immediate answer is, “No!   I have definite evidence that those goods were Anita’s.”   

"She's under a lot of stress"

He tries to point out that Anita is under a lot of stress, with the failure of the business and Ieuan busy with the council, 

"That's no reason to break the law"

but Megan reminds him, “That’s no reason to break the law.”

"Couldn't it be sorted out without the police?"

He agrees there, but maintains perhaps it is a reason to sort this out without involving the police;  

"It's too late now"

her only comment is, “It’s too late now,” so he gives up and leaves the shop.

"Oh, is that tea for me?"

There is another informal meeting of the local men in Yr Antur, and Rhys has just made a cup of tea which Jinx assumes is for him.   Mathew arrives, complaining of the hassle with Megan and Anita;  

"Let them have a scrap outside the Deri!"

“I’m sure it would be easier letting them have a scrap outside the Deri!” he sighs.

"What's all this about?"

Jinx wonders what this is all about;  “Megan is determined that Anita should be punished for this fly-tipping nonsense.”   

"Forgive those who trespass against us"

Jinx suggests that he could appeal to the Christian in her;  “Forgive those who trespass against us,” 

"Yeah, that's an idea"

and Mathew considers that possibility, helping himself to the cup of tea Rhys has just put down the table.   Cai smiles wryly.

“Why are you so worried about those two?” asks Rhys and Mathew replies that he does not want to see people falling out.   

"Is there something going on?"

“You have been helping Anita a lot recently – is there something going on?” Rhys sarcastically  suggests.

“Don’t be stupid – she’s like my grandmother!” sneers Mathew 

"Don't let Anita hear you saying that"

and is cautioned by Cai not to let her hear him saying that, 

"All right – more like my mother"

so he changes it to, “She’s more like my mother.”   

"If everyone looked after each other . . ."

Jinx is pleased to see him worrying about her;  “If everyone looked after each other like you do, the world would be a better place.”   

This seems to have made Cai think

This comment seems to have struck a chord with Cai.

Rhys regards Matthew as brave, trying to sort out things between those two, but does not want to be part of his problem with women.

"Sorry I upset you"

In the Deri, Cheryl greets her sister and apologises for upsetting her by talking about the counselling;  “I should have kept my mouth shut.”

"It's not your fault"

Gaynor says that it is not her fault, but Cheryl still maintains that it is a good idea, so that Gaynor has somewhere to turn to.

She asks if it helped, but Gaynor answers, “Well, it doesn’t matter, because I’m not going back – I don’t trust Jinx any more.”   It is suggested that she could find another counsellor, but Gaynor is not very keen on that idea.

"I've heard that it does a lot of good"

“I’ve heard that counselling does a lot of good for people and if you’ve only had one session, then you’ve only scratched the surface,” her sister points out, “Why is it such an issue if people know?”

"It's not anyone else's business"

Gaynor says that it is not anyone else’s business, but Cheryl calls it a very brave thing to do;  “I can’t think of anything more empowering than understanding yourself better.”

"Probably one of those 24-hour things"

Siôn comes downstairs to find Iolo doing some ironing;  “Greta’s better, then,” he comments, and Iolo replies that it was probably one of those 24-hour things.

Siôn has to have a dig at Aberystwyth

“Well it will be difficult for you to work if she’s ill after you’ve moved to Aberystwyth,” he is told;  then there is a knock at the door.   It is Cai, who would like to have a word with Iolo.

"I hear you're thinking of moving"

“I hear that you’re thinking of moving,” he begins, 

"You asked him to come, didn't you?"

and Iolo immediately realises that his father asked him to come and try to persuade Iolo.   

"Listen to what he has to say"

He is urged to listen to what Cai has to say.

"When will you accept I can think for myself?"

“When will you accept that I can think for myself?” demands Iolo.   

"When you make the right decision"

His father replies that will happen when he is sure that his son has made the right decision.   

"The decision you agree with"

“The decision you agree with, you mean!” snaps Iolo

“I just want you to consider every . . .” Siôn angrily begins, 

"Stop it, you two . . ."

but Cai calls a halt to this, maintaining that the two of them care about no-one but themselves.

". . . have you asked the most important person?""

“I bet neither of you have asked the most important person in all this what she wants?”   

Iolo looks guilty

Iolo and his father look at each other.” 

"Arguing like children"

As they sit on a bench outside the pizza shop, Jinx growls, “Just think of it – two women of their age arguing like children, with poor Mathew stuck in the middle.”

"She won't let anyone treat her like a doormat!"

Dani tends to sympathise with Megan;  “She won’t let anyone treat her like a doormat!”   Jinx wonders what she means by that;  Dani explains, “She’s phoned the cops about the fly-tipping – 

"But you won't phone the police"

“but you won’t phone them after Jason try to frame you for Rhys’ attempted murder!”

Jinx regards that expression as rather excessive, but she insists that Rhys is lucky to be alive.   He points out that they have already talked about this and is adamant that he will not be going to the police.   

"Can we just forget about it now?"

“Can we just forget about it now?”

Gannor approaches . . .

Then they see Gaynor approaching, 

. . . so Dani makes herself scarce

so Dani thinks it prudent to go into the shop to prepare the next order.   

"I'd like another session"

Gaynor is now in a rather more conciliatory mood;  “Look, I’ve been thinking and I’d like another session if that’s possible.”

"But you said earlier . . ."

He reminds her of what she said earlier, 

"It's worth trying again, isn't it?"

but she insists, “It’s worth trying again, isn’t it?   And I don’t want to have to start from scratch with another counsellor.”   Jinx enquires when would be convenient 

"The least you can do is give me a session"

and is rather surprised when she suggests, “Now?   Come on, after what you did, the least you can do is to give me a session when I need it.”

“He tells her to give him five minutes and he will see her at the house;  

"You can go round the back if you like"

“You can go round the back if you like,” 

"No need for that"

but now it seems that she has no compunction about going through the front door.

Mathew is doing some peace-making

Mathew has called both Anita and Megan to meet him in the Deri.   He thanks them for coming and Megan insists that she did not have much choice;  “It’s not every day someone quotes the Lord’s Prayer.”

"Leave it, Rhys"

Rhys comes in and looks amused, greeting the ladies, but Mathew wants him to leave them alone;  he agrees that he does not want to disturb them, going to the bar and ordering a pint.

"Come on – I've got work to so!"

Anita snaps, “Come on, Mathew – I’ve got work to do!”

"More rubbish to be illegally dumped?"

“More rubbish to be illegally dumped?” Megan demands;  Anita describes her as childish, a charge which she denies.

"Arguing will not help!"

Mathew would like them to talk about this sensibly, stressing that arguing will not help.   

"Well, she started it!"

Each of them accuses the other one of starting it, so he insists that is enough.

"Anita will clear the rubbish . . ."

“Megan, if you’re willing to drop your police complaint, Anita will clear the rubbish.”   

"You're not serious?"

This brings an immediate protest from Anita, but Mathew snarls, “I haven’t finished yet!   

". . . and joint the 'Keep Cwmderi Tidy' group"

“Anita will clear the rubbish and join the ‘Keep Cwmderi Tidy’ group for six months.”

“Six months!   You’re joking!” shouts Anita.   

Rhys chuckles to himself

As Rhys, by the bar, smiles as he listens to this, Mathew continues that the law says companies have to dispose of their rubbish responsibly.

“Even if you didn’t put the rubbish in the bin, you were still responsible –  what do you say?   Clear the waste and six months with ‘Keep Cwmderi Tidy’.”

"All right, then"

Anita has little choice but to reluctantly agree to the arrangement, 

"One one condition!"

but she adds one proviso; “On the condition Megan doesn’t blacken my good name!”

"What do you say, Megan?"

Then Mathew turns to Megan for her reaction;  

"We meet next Thursday . . ."

she thinks for a moment then says, “‘Keep Cwmderi Tidy’ meet in front of the chapel next Thursday – 

". . . see you there!"

“see you there!”   She picks up her bag and walks out of the Deri, followed by Anita, who is not at all happy about the outcome.   Mathew, on the other hand, is looking quite pleased with himself.

"It's hard work being a toyboy!"

Rhys remarks, “It’s hard work being a toyboy!”

Gaynor is pounding the dough

At number 9, Gaynor is manipulating some Pizza dough, and as she kneads it, 

"I do stupid things when I'm drunk"

she tells Jinx, “I know I do stupid things when I’m drunk – and then I drink to forget what I’ve done – then I get angry with myself and I drink again.”

"You use alcohol as a way of dealing with things"

It appears to Jinx that she is using alcohol as a way of dealing with things;  

"This is quite therapeutic"

she is in agreement with that and is actually enjoying kneading the dough, which she finds rather therapeutic.

“What I want to do is to be able to accept myself as I am – all my faults and weaknesses,” she continues, 

"Have you thought about cutting down on the drinking?"

with Jinx wondering whether she has thought about cutting down on the drinking.

She has not done that, so he suggests that there are groups, ‘Sober Curious’, for people who are thinking about stopping drinking.   

"It helps me relax"

She does not particularly like the sound of that;  “I don’t think I could give up drinking entirely – having a glass of wine at the end of day helps me relax.”   

"But is it worth it?"

Jinx questions if it is worth it if it makes her feel like this.

"I want to feel better about myself"

“But I want to feel better about myself,” she insists.   He is attempting to encourage her to be objective about her relationship with alcohol – to understand why she uses it to deal with events in her life.

“Do you think I have a problem?” she asks 

"Do you think you have a problem?"

and he enquires whether she thinks she has a problem.   “No, I don’t,” she answers.

"Do you have a healthy relationship with alcohol?"

“Let me ask you this – would you say you have a healthy relationship with alcohol?”   She does not answer this question.

"I decide, not her!"

At Y Felin, Iolo stresses, “I decide what’s best for Greta, all right?   Not her!”   

"She has the right to express her opinion"

Cai maintains that even though she is young, she has the right to express her opinion.   

"Does she wants sweets for dinner?"

“So should I ask her if she wants sweets for dinner?” Iolo demands.

Siôn interrupts to point out that is not what Cai is saying;  

"You children didn't have a choice!

“Your children didn’t have a choice when you walked out!” Iolo snarls 

"No, you're quite right . . ."

and Cai admits that he is right;  they had no choice.

". . . I don't want you to make the same mistakes"

“I’d hate to see you make the same mistakes that I made,” he goes on, “Make the decision together – you and Greta.”

"I'm not afraid – I don't want to"

Jinx understands that Gaynor is afraid of considering quitting drinking, but she argues that she is not afraid;  she just does not want to.   “I’m not an alcoholic,” she emphasises.   

"That's not what I said"

Jinx had not accused her of being one, but she says that is what he was suggesting.

"I want to help you break the cycle"

“No – I’m just saying drinking causes problems for you – then you drink to deal with those problems.   I want to help you break that cycle.”   

"I'm no different to anyone else"

Gaynor does not think of herself as being any different from anyone else who enjoys a glass of wine with food.

He goes to fetch some tomato topping to go on the pizza and asks, “Do you remember when you started using alcohol to deal with things?   Was it your break-up with Colin or Hywel?”

She confesses that she has not had it easy over the years, however one thing stands out;  

"Losing Izzy"

“Losing Izzy – I’ve had some painful things happen to me and now you’re asking me to give up one of the things I enjoy.”   He says he is only asking her to consider it.

"No – this isn't going to work"

“No – this isn’t going to work,” she sighs, “What I need is for you to help me be more moderate.”   She takes off her apron and walks out of the house.

"You know I was talking about Aberystwyth?"

Iolo sits down on the sofa with Greta;  “You know I was talking about Aberystwyth, with the castle, the sea and the train?   And I said we were going to live there – 

"Are you happy to move there?"

“I just wanted to check with you, are you happy to move to Aberystwyth?   Or would you prefer to stay here?”

"Where will you be?"

“Where will you be?” she asks, and he assures her that he will always be with her.   Her next question is, “Where will Grandad be?”

"Grandad and Uncle Cai will stay here"

After a pause, he informs her, “Grandad and Uncle Cai will stay here – what do you say?”

"Stay here"

Without hesitation she tells him, “Stay here.”   He points out that she does not have to answer now, but can think about it.   Greta’s mind is made up;  “I don’t want to go,” she informs him and goes upstairs.

Jinx watches Gaynor walking away

Jinx comes out of his front door and watches Gaynor walking towards the Deri with a feeling of failure.   

"What's wrong, Gaynor?"

Cheryl comes out as she passes and asks if she is OK, then can see that something is wrong.   “Oh, I don’t know – everything!” Gaynor groans, 

"I just feel I'm doing everything wrong!"

“I just feel that I’m doing everything wrong!”

Cheryl invites her to come back to Maes-y-Deri, which comes as a surprise;  

"Move back in with you?"

“Move back in with you?” Gaynor asks.

“Until you feel better,” her sister insists, but Gaynor simply says that she is pathetic.   

"That's what sisters are for"

“You’re not – now, come on – that’s what sisters are for.”   

Off they go, arm in arm

Gaynor takes her arm and they head towards Maes-y-Deri.