3 September 2024

 

Jason is about to 'do a runner'

Jason’s first instinct is to run, but Howard does not intend to let that happen and chases him through the shop.   

"All right – there's no need to grab me!"

“All right – there’s no need to grab me!” Jason snarls, “Let me go!”

"You've got some explaining to do, good boy!"

“You’ve got some explaining to do, good boy,” Howard informs him.

Ffion is dreading her appointment

Ffion is sitting quietly in the deli when Kelly comes in, 

"Are you ready?"

asking if she is ready to go to the doctor’s.   Ffion thinks so, but would like Kelly to sit down for moment, so Kelly demands, “What’s up?”

"I don't need you to come with me"

“I don’t need you to come with me,” says Ffion, 

"You're trying to wriggle out of it"

so it is naturally assumed that she is trying to wriggle out of the appointment.   

"No – I've asked someone else"

“I am going – it’s just that I’ve asked someone else to come with me.”   

Mathew joins Ffion 

At that moment Mathew approaches, and Ffion asks, “You don’t mind, do you?”

"Mind?   I think it's fab!"

“Mind?” replies Kelly, “I think it’s fab!   

"Keep me posted"

“Keep me posted,” she adds as she leaves.   

Mathew holds Ffion's hand

Mathew takes Ffion’s hand.

"Where are you going?"

Cai is ironing his shirt when Lleucu comes downstairs and is going out;  her father wonders where she is going.   

"Eleri's going to give me some business insight"

“Eleri’s agreed to give me a bit of insight into the business world because I failed the exam – we arranged it just now.   Is it all right if I go?”

"I'll give you a lift"

Cai asks where this business lesson is going to take place, and when he hears that it is in the flat above the Deri, he decides that he will give her a lift there.   

"I can walk"

“That’s not necessary – I can walk,” she tells him, but he is insistent that he just needs two minutes to finish his shirt.   

"OK – I'll wait in the car"

She will wait in the car.

Diane takes Jason's clothes to Apêl Maenan 

Outside Megan’s shop, Diane is unloading the bags of Jason’s clothes.   Kelly comes along the street and comments, “I was talking about you last night – Auntie Neet sends her love.   

"Massive demand for fur coats and leather handbags"

“You should sell all this stuff on Vinted or Depop – you’d make a killing!   You know – websites where you can sell your clothes – there’s a massive demand for vintage fur coats and leather handbags.”

"How about the secondhand clothes of a labourer?"

Diane demands, “Is there a massive demand for the secondhand clothes of a labourer?”   

"I expect you've heard about the remembrance service"

Kelly apologises, and assumes that she already knows that remembrance service is being organised.   

"It's nothing to do with me"

“It’s nothing to do with me,” is Diane’s reply.   

"I'll come with you, if you like"

Kelly offers to go with her, 

"I asked you weeks ago!"

but it is pointed out, “I asked you to come with us to say goodbye to Jason as part of the family weeks ago.   You weren’t interested.”

Kelly explains, “I wasn’t in the best head-space then, Diane – do you want to come to the house for a cup of tea and a chat?”   

"I just want peace"

Diane simply wants peace and closes the boot of the taxi.

She makes a call (presumably to Glenys 'Pop')

Then she gets out her phone and dials a number;  “Hiya, Glen – I’m all right, you know – 

"I want to ask you a favour"

“look, I want to ask you a favour.”

"Does anyone else know you're here?"

Back at the antique shop, Jason takes Howard to his living accommodation, which is full of antiques.   “Does anyone else know you’re here?” he wants to know.

"What then hell are you doing here?"

Howard demands, “What the hell are you doing here?”

"The police sent you, did they?"

“The police sent you, did they?   To persuade me to come back?”   Howard answers that the police and everyone else think he is dead, including his mother and Ifan.   

"The search ended weeks ago"

The search ended a few weeks ago.

Jason starts packing

Jason immediately starts packing his few belongings into a bag;  

"I can't stay here, can I?"

“I can’t stay here any more, can I?”   Howard protests that he cannot run away again and threatens to call the cops.

"And say what, exactly?"

“And say what, exactly?   That you think you’ve seen a ghost?”

"I've found the bloke who stole £20,000 from APD's safe"

“I’ll tell them I’ve found the bloke who stole £20,000 from APD’s safe,” Howard tells him, 

Jason was not expecting that

which causes Jason to register some shock.

Ffion approaches the surgery

As they approach the surgery, Mathew assures Ffion that he will be in the waiting room if she needs him.   

"I just hope I get some answers"

“I just hope I get some answers,” Ffion says.

"We shall face it together, all right?"

“Look, whatever it is, we shall face it together, all right?” he adds, as they go in.

"The business is on its knees because of you"

Howard goes on, “We were all interviewed – me, DJ, Mathew – even Griffiths.   The business is on its knees because of you – we don’t even know if we’ll have a job by the end of the year.”

"I didn't steal that money!"

Jason is adamant that he did not steal that money, 

"Was that the plan from the start?"

but Howard continues, “Was that the plan from start?   Faking your own death so no-one would suspect you?”

"You've got this all wrong, Howard!"

“You’ve got this all wrong, Howard,” Jason begins, but Howard can see that it all makes sense now.   Jason knew that the money was coming in – that Mr Jones was going to pay in cash – he was the one who agreed it with him.

"How could you, ,Jason?"

“And you knew the code – how could you?   You’ve left your friends and family in a hole.   It’s your own business, Jason!”

"I didn't steal the money from APD!"

“Listen to me now, Howard – I didn’t steal the money from APD.”   

"If not you, then whom was it?"

“If it wasn’t you, then who was it?   Why would you run away, letting your own son think his father was dead?”

"That's not something you'd understand!"

Jason points out, “That’s not something that you’d understand anything about, is it, Howard?”

"I'm not leaving here until you tell me the truth"

Howard invites him, “Try me!   I’m not leaving here until you tell me the truth.”

Cassie serves another customer

In the Deri, Cassie has just served a customer when Lleucu and Cai arrive;  

"Lleucu wanted a lift"

Cai says that his daughter wanted a lift, but she reminds him that she was quite happy to walk.   “Yeah, but we don’t know how long you’re going to be – and you’re not walking home after it gets dark,” he improvises.

"Don't want to get into trouble with the teacher"

Lleucu is eager to have this business lesson and thinks that she had better go up, because she does not want to get into trouble with the teacher.

"I'll have a 'zero percent thing', Cassie"

Cai says he will have a ‘zero percent thing’ while he is waiting, “And have a glass of whatever you fancy as well.”   

"You don't have to keep on apologising"

She tells him that he does not need to carry on apologising, but he insists, “It’s not an apology – I’m just offering to buy you a drink.”

Ffion rushes from the surgery . . .

When Ffion emerges from the surgery, she does not want to talk to Mathew, 

. . . and appears to ignore Mathew 

but heads back towards Cysgod y Glyn.   

"What's wrong, Ffi?"

He is anxious that something serious is wrong, 

"Absolutely nothing"

but she tells that there is absolutely nothing;  in any case she does not want to talk about it.

“There’s no need for you to worry, OK?”   

She hastens towards Cysgod y Glyn . . .

She walks off along the back street 

. . . leaving Mathew worried

and Mathew cannot help worrying.

"I couldn't see a way out"

Jason is explaining everything to Howard;  “With everything – the divorce, the financial pressure, I couldn’t see a way out.   I knew for a fact that things would get worse if I stayed.”

"So you did plan all this"

“So you did plan all this,” Howard realises.

"I fell in the river"

Jason takes issue with this;  “No – I wasn’t even supposed to be on that camping trip, but I fell in the river.   The river took me for a while, then I managed to drag myself out, but I didn’t know where I was.   

"I just decided to start walking"

“I decided to just start walking.”

"And to hell with everyone else?"

“And to hell with everyone else?” suggests Howard.   

"They're better off without me"

Jason maintains that they are better off without him;  he has always been a burden on everyone, but now nobody has to worry about him.

"You're the one who doesn't have to worry!"

Howard points out. “You’re the one who doesn’t have to worry – Diane’s grieving – Ifan is without a father – 

"Kelly's still waiting for her money!"

“and Kelly’s still waiting for her money!”

"She'll have to keep waiting, then"

“She’ll have to keep waiting, then, because I haven’t got any money.”

"All you've done is make things easier for yourself!"

Howard stresses that the only thing he has done is to make things easier for himself.   

“Easier?” sneers Jason, “Do you really think I’ve been enjoying myself?   Hiding here?”

Howard says that it looks quite comfortable and he would not mind having some time off;  “But someone has to make up for your disappearing act!   How did you end up here, anyway?”

"Rosa gave me a lift"

“Rosa, the woman downstairs, gave me a lift – she saw me walking along the road.   She’s been a real support, fair play to her – she doesn’t ask too many questions – leaves me alone to get better – and that’s exactly what I need.”

Howard is glad to hear that he got what he wanted, but it is time for him to come home now.   

"I can't come home"

“I can’t,” is Jason’s reply.   

"I'll drag you there if I have to!"

Howard promises to drag him that if he has to, but Jason is determined that he is not going back

"Why are you hiding in your old flat?"

Kelly hurries to Cysgod y Glyn when she receives Ffion’s text;  “What are you doing here – hiding in your old flat?”   Ffion did not know where else to go – 

"I just wanted to hide"

she just wanted to hide.

“Have you had your results?” Kelly demands, “Well, you know what?   We’re all here for you – me, Mathew, Arwen.”

"There's nothing wrong!"

Ffion blurts out, “There’s nothing wrong!   Well, nothing like that – the blood tests and the scan were clear – apart from what we already knew.”

"Well, that's good, isn't it?"

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” says Kelly, 

"I thought I was ill – I thought I was dying . . ."

but Ffion sighs that she feels so ashamed for worrying and making so much fuss.   “I thought I was ill – I thought I was dying – 

" . . .but  it was the menopause!"

“and the whole time . . . it was the menopause!”

"You can't carry on burying your head in the sand"

“You can’t carry on burying your head in the sand,” Howard informs Jason, 

"That's not what I'm doing"

but he argues that is not what he is doing.

“Trust me – I’ve been there myself, thinking that everyone hates me – hating myself, but hiding it like this is no use to anyone,” Howard goes on,   

"You're only making things worse by staying here"

“You’re only making things worse by staying here – once everyone finds out you’re still alive, they’ll be convinced that you stole the money and that you planned the whole thing.”

"Only off you open your mouth . . ."

“Only if you open your mouth and tell them I’m here,” is Jason’s reply.

"Or I shall have to do it"

“Come back with me and explain everything – or I shall have to do it.   Come on, Jason – don’t you want to clear your name, do the right thing – give your son a cwtch again?   You’re lucky, you know – you’ve got people who love you and they want you home.”

"Are you coming?"

Howard opens the door;  “Are you coming?” he demands;  

It does not look like it

Jason simply stares at him.

"I didn't expect it to start so early"

“I knew it was coming, obviously,” Ffion continues, “But I just didn’t expect it to start so early – and I certainly didn’t realise that the symptoms  could be so terrible.   I honestly thought I was ill, Kelly, that it was something to do with my liver!   The menopause never even crossed my mind.”

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Ffion"

Kelly encourages her not to beat herself up about it, but Ffion insists that she should have known.   “Based on what?” Kelly demands, “I didn’t learn about it in school, did you?   Come to think of it, I don’t even know when it’s meant to start!”

"Earlier than you think"

Ffion groans, “Earlier than you think,” handing Kelly an explanatory leaflet, 

"I didn't expect to have to worry about it yet"

“I’ve heard about the perimenopause, but I didn’t expect to have to worry about it, not yet.”

"Can't wait!"

Looking at the leaflet, Kelly reads, “Brain fog, pins and needles, irritable bowel – can’t wait!”   

"I haven't had all of them – yet!"

Ffion tells her not to worry, as she has not had all of them – not yet, anyway.

"What happens now?"

“So what happens now?” Kelly wants to know and is told that the doctor intends to do another test before they discuss it, to check the hormone levels in order to confirm that is what it is.

“I know this isn’t what you were expecting, right, but at least now you know why you’ve been feeling the way you have, yeah?” says Kelly, 

"And it's not life-threatening"

“And it’s not life-threatening.”

"Put my feet up in front of the television"

“What are you going to do with your last night of freedom?” asks Cassie and Cai anticipates putting his feet up in front of the television.

"A couple of years ago . . ."

“A couple of years ago, I would have been out until the early hours, drinking all night without caring about a hangover the next morning.”   

"Things have changed"

She can see that things have changed and he recalls that it has been exactly a year since his ‘episode’;  “Things were a lot darker then – 

"I'm drinking 'zero percent'!"

 “now my shirt is ironed and I’m drinking ‘zero percent’!”

Cassie comments that he looks very smart;  he says, “I try not to look back, you know, but it’s difficult sometimes.”

"It's not possible to throw away the key for ever"

She agrees that it is important to acknowledge what has happened, “So you can put a lid on that box.   Mind you, it’s sometimes not possible to throw away the key for ever.”   

"You're speaking a lot of sense, Cass"

He says that she is speaking a lot of sense, to which she replies, “I only talk sense.”

He apologises for throwing all that at her;  “And anyway, I’m much too old to deal with hangovers at my age – 

"I'll be 50 before long"

“I’ll be 50 before long.”   She points out that she is older than him.   He comments that she does not look a day over 45, 

"Is there some alcohol in that?"

so she wonders if there may be some alcohol in his lager. 

“I’ll take a compliment from someone who means it,” she says and he assures her that he does.

Mathew is in a depressed mood

Mathew comes in, looking very miserable, asking Cassie for a pint as well as salt and vinegar crisps.

"This about your journey, not some bloke's"

“This is about your journey, not some bloke’s,” stresses Kelly, but Ffion is concerned that they have become so close.   

"This isn't going to change your feelings about him"

“And this isn’t going to change your feelings towards him.”

"He wants to have children . . ."

“But he wants to have children,” answers Ffion;  she is reminded that she has already made it absolutely clear that she does not.   “But the option that was there, wasn’t it, if I changed my mind?   

". . . and he's so good with Arwen"

“After seeing how good he is with Arwen and how much he wants to make up for whatever happened with his mother, I started to think, I don’t know, perhaps one day.   But now I can’t – well, that changes things, doesn’t it?”

"I don't think it happens all of a sudden"

“I don’t think it means you can’t have children all of a sudden,” says Kelly, but it is acknowledged that it would be more difficult.

"It has never been easy for me, anyway"

“Not that it has ever been easy for me, anyway – not that it worries me – not much, anyway . . . I don’t think.”   She comes to the conclusion, “I’ll have to tell Mathew, won’t I?”

"You need to concentrate on you"

“Do you know what I think?” asks Kelly, “I think you need to concentrate on you – digest all this – the doc still wants to do another test, anyway – so wait, right?   

"Wait until you're certain"

“Wait until you’re certain – until you come to terms with it – before opening a can of worms with Mathew.”

Now Cassie is rushed off her feet

There has been an influx of customers at the Deri;  “We didn’t get a chance to finish that chat, did we?” says Cassie and Cai agrees that he will have another bottle.

"I'm ready to go, Dad . . ."

However at that moment Lleucu comes downstairs, having had a productive meeting with Eleri;  

". . . Eleri was amazing!"

“She was amazing!”   

"Cancel that drink, Cassie"

Cai will cancel that drink and insists on taking his daughter home, as she has a big day tomorrow.

Kelly hurries in

As they are leaving, Kelly arrives and goes straight across to Mathew;  he asks if she has seen Ffion.   

"The tests were negative – clean bill of health!"

“You don’t need to worry – for real.   The tests were all negative – clean bill of health!”   He demands why she will not talk to him;  “Because she wants a bit of space to digest something the doc said.”

"What did he say?"

Mathew wants to know what that was.   

"She'll talk to you when she's ready"

He is told, “Math, it’s nothing serious – and she’ll talk to you when she’s ready – all in good time – 

"Gin and Tonic, please"

“gin and tonic, please.”

Diane heads to the bus stop

Diane wheels along her case to the bus stop;  on the phone she says, “The bus should be here by half past.   I should be with you around eight – I'm looking forward to seeing you, too.   Thanks, Glen.”   [Surely not long ago Megan was making a lot of fuss about the bus service to Cwmderi being cut.]

Howard's 4x4 arrives . . .

Coming along the High Street is Howard’s 4x4, with Jason in the passenger seat.   

. . . and Jason notices his mother . . .

They reach the corner by Tomos ac Ellis and can see Diane, sitting disconsolately at the bus stop.   

“Are you ready?” asks Howard, 

. . . but cannot face her . . .

but Jason loses his nerve, alleging that he cannot do this.   

. . . so he cowers in his seat

He covers his face and instructs Howard to keep going.   

The car continues past the bus stop . . .

They drive past the bus stop, 

. . . with Jason out of sight from . . .

with Jason doing his best to stay out of sight, 

. . . Diane, his mother

with the result that Diane does not see him.