4 December 2024 (2nd)

Sioned is very flustered

Next morning, Siôn arrives at Penrhewl to collect Huwi and Sioned seems to have mislaid his water bottle;  “Ignore the mess,” she says, 

She has been up much of the night . . .

“I decided to start the hampers last night and then I sorted out the clothes the twins have received.”

Siôn ask her if she slept last night, 

. . . maintaining that she does not need much sleep

and she replies that she does not need much sleep these days.   Then he notices on the table some of the gadgets that she has been buying (and which have already been delivered).   “Just a few things for Jac and Lili,” she tells him.

"What's this 'Sleep Safe'?"

He wonders what the ‘Sleep Safe’ is, so she explains that it is a sleep monitor.   

"I'm a bit worried about you"

“I’m a bit worried about you, Sioned,” says Siôn, “Are you sure you’re coping?”

"Us women are used to multi-tasking!"

“Perfectly sure – us women are used to multi-tasking!” she snaps, then as one of the babies starts crying, she thanks him for taking Huwi and hurries upstairs.   

He looks at the state of the place

Siôn looks around with concern at the scene of disorganisation.

"Happy birthday"

Lleucu meets two of her school friends and wishes one of them happy birthday;  “Do you want to celebrate in school?” she asks, 

She has bottles of Gwern's beer

revealing several bottles of Gwern’s latest brew in her bag.   

He comes over . . .

Then she sees Gwern coming out of number 9 and says that she will see them later.

. . . and off they go to school

Gwern comes across the road and they leave together for school.

"I haven't had time to tidy up"

Colin visits Bryntirion and Jason apologises that he has not had time to tidy up, with all this chaos with APD and now Fflamingos.

"Talking of Fflamingos . . .

“Talking of Fflamingos, that’s why I’m here – Sioned, poor thing, she’s got a lot on her plate with the shop and Tamed and the two little ones.   

Does sugar actually carry a date?

“She’s got a heap of sugar bags that are going out of date in seven weeks.   Perhaps you’d be interested in buying them – for a fair price, for your churros.”

"I shall have to speak to DJ"

Jason replies that he will have to speak to DJ, who is responsible for the ingredients.   

A book catches Colin's eye

Then Colin notices a book on the table;  “‘The Power of Understanding and Embracing Self-mastery’,” he reads, 

"That must be DJ's"

but Jason insists that it is DJ’s book.

"There's no shame in reading self-help books"

“There’s no shame in reading self-help books,” Colin emphasises, 

"I don't need help"

but Jason is adamant that he is not ashamed and does not need help.   “I’ve benefited from reading the odd one – ‘The Jubilation and Joys of Manifestation’, Colin goes on – that’s the name of the book I’m reading now,” he says, 

Colin sits down to explain

as he sits down on the sofa.

"You have to believe in yourself"

“All you have to do, you see, is to believe in yourself – imagine the life you want and live it as if it’s already real,” Colin continues, 

"And then – pwff!"

“And then – pwff!   Your life is complete – well, from day to day, anyway.”

"Yeah – how, exactly?"

Jason looks cynically at him;  “Right, but how exactly is your day to day life complete?”

"My mug is full to the brim!"

Colin simply replies that he has got Britt and little Kylie;  “My mug is full to the brim!”

"So if I want a Ferrari . . ."

“So what you’re saying is, if I want a Ferrari, all I have to do is live like I’ve got a Ferrari in the garage – and a Ferrari will appear?”

“Perhaps,” Colin answers, “The question is why do you want a Ferrari?   What exactly is stopping you from having it?” 

"About £200,000, to start with"

and Jason laughs as he answers that there is about £200,000, to start with.

"Before you can say . . . Fflamingos!"

“If you can believe in the ability to be in possession of £200,000, the Ferrari will be in the garage before you can say . . . Fflamingos!”   Jason does still not look totally convinced by the argument.

Sioned has a surprise visitor

Siôn returns to Penrhewl and calls to Sioned;  as she comes into the room, she is complaining, “I’m covered in poo and sick!”   Siôn introduces her to Carys, the health visitor, who she already knows.

"How are you, Sioned?"

“How are you, Sioned?” says Carys 

"What's going on?"

and Sioned wants to know what is going on.   “I just want to see how you’re doing,” is the reply, “Check that you’re coping with stuff, that’s all.”

"There's nothing better than jam sandwiches"

Kath brings some sustenance to Cheryl, apologising that there is nothing better than jam sandwiches, but on opening night, they want something big;  “A big showstopper!”   

"What's the budget?"

Cheryl asks what the budget is, 

"You don't look well, love"

and Kath is concerned that she does not look well;  she explains it as simply being tired.

Kath points out that they have to make savings and Cheryl enquires who is going to be behind the bar;  when told that it will just be her, she asks where Kath and Cassie will be.   “We can’t be behind the bar on opening night – we’ll be entertaining.

"I can't manage on my own"

Cheryl complains that she cannot manage behind the bar on her own, 

Tom has brought some lunch

then Tom turns up, again, this time bringing them some lunch;  

"I thought you'd like a treat"

“I heard you were working hard so I thought you’d like a treat.”   

"I've got no appetite today"

Cheryl has no appetite today, so points out that it is important that she eats, especially if she is tired.

"She's working round the clock, Kath"

“She’s working around the clock, Kath – and helping Gaynor.”   Kath agrees that she is looking a bit pale today.   Tom insists, “You need to stay healthy for the opening,” 

"Oh, all right, then"

so she succumbs to the pressure and will go back home.   

"Do you want a lift?"

“Do you want a lift?   I’m going to work that way,” Tom offers.

Gwern is not at school – again 

Gwern is sitting gloomily on the bench by the alley when he receives a text from Lleucu;  

He is disturbed by Lleucu's message

‘What did you put in the beer?   It’s bonkers!’   

"No, no, no!"

He jumps up from the seat, muttering, “No, no, no!” and tries to ring her, but it goes straight to answerphone.

"Make sure you're not trying to do too much"

“Make sure that you’re not trying to do too much,” Carys tells Sioned as she prepares to leave, “You’ve got a lot on your plate – and it’s totally OK to accept help.”   

Sioned tries to smile sweetly

Sioned does her best to smile and agree with her.   

"Your life totally changes when you have a child"

“Your life totally changes when you have a child – especially two!   Just take one day at a time.”

"What on earth was that about?"

As soon as the health visitor is out of the door, Sioned snarls, “What on earth was that about?   I know what I’m doing – I don’t want extra lessons.”   

"Do you feel better, Sioned?"

Siôn wonders if she feels better after what Carys said.

Why are you so interested in Mam?"

“I didn’t ask for the help!”   Siôn replies that her mother did – and she is right.   “And why are you so interested in Mam, all of a sudden?”   

"She asked me to protect her business"

He replies that Eileen asked him to protect her business.

"Work your way into her fortune!"

“This was your plan all along, wasn’t it?   Get your feet under the table and work your way into her fortune.”

"It's a good thing I am interested"

This angers Siôn;  “It’s a good thing I am interested – the way money is flowing out of this house.”

"So your'e saying I'm a bad mother and businesswoman?"

“So you’re saying I’m a bad mother and businesswoman?” Sioned demands;  

"I raised three boys without all this nonsense"

Siôn says that he raised three boys without all this nonsense – she has spent a fortune on those stupid gadgets.

“And you’re father of the year, are you?   Wales’ best entrepreneur?   

"How many sons did you successfully raise?"

“How many books did you sell in Y Winllan, Siôn?   And how many sons did you successfully raise?”

She thinks she may have overdone it

She realises that she may have gone too far this time, as Siôn picks up his coat and walks out without another word.

Ffion waits anxiously

Ffion is at Y Felin, waiting for Cai to come downstairs and report on Lleucu’s condition;  “Are you sure you should leave her on her own?”   

"She's been sick three times"

He reports that she has been sick three times and does not think there is any more to come up, but he has left a bowl by her bed.

"How on earth has this happened?"

“How on earth has this happened?” says Ffion, “I can understand wanting to mess around with alcohol in their own time, but whose stupid idea was it to bring it to school?”

"I know you're angry, Ffion"

Cai appreciates that she is angry, and she shouts, “Gwenllian’s father is a governor!”   

"Alcohol poisoning!"

Her phone sounds and she gasps, “It’s him now!   He’s taken her to hospital to check for alcohol poisoning!”

"No way this was Lleucu's idea"

Cai makes it quite clear that there is no way that this was Lleucu’s idea.   

"That's what every parent says"

“That’s what every parent says – what am I supposed to do, then?” snarls Ffion.   

"I wanted to see if Lleucu's all right"

There is a knock at the door and Gwern arrives.   Cai demands what he is doing there and Ffion wants to know why he is not at school.   “I wanted to see if Lleucu’s all right.”   Ffion and Cai look at each other.

"We're going to be all right, Jac, aren't we?"

At Penrhewl, Sioned is cradling Jac and tells him, “We’re going to be all right, aren’t we, Jac?   Mami doesn’t need help, does she?   No, we’re going to be all right – just you, me, Lili and Huwi.”

Or perhaps not

However, then Lili starts crying and Sioned looks slightly less confident.

"Did you take the alcohol to school?"

“So did you take the alcohol to school?” asks Cai, “It’s a simple question – yes or no?”   

"Yes, I did it"

 a valiant effort to take the blame from Lleucu, Gwern confesses to it.

"Was it from Ceffyl Du?"

Ffion demands if he understands what he has done;  “These three were not just drunk, they’re sick and one is in hospital!”   Gwern does not reply, so she goes on, “Was it from Ceffyl Du?”

"I was trying to make my own"

He answers that it was his beer;  “I was trying to make my own – and something went wrong.”   

"Yes – very wrong!"

Cai shouts that it was very wrong 

"I have no choice but to expel you!"

and Ffion does not have any choice but to temporarily expel him from the school.

“I can’t let this happen without huge implications for the one responsible!”

Cai remarks that it is obvious his time in jail taught him nothing, so Gwern gets up and storms out of the house.   

There's no welcome for pupils like that!"

“There’s no welcome for pupils who behave like that!” declares Cai.

"Right, I'll go to let you sleep"

Cheryl and Tom arrive back at Maes-y-Deri, where he says he will go to let her sleep;  

"I never want you interfering like that again!"

“I never want you interfering like that again, all right?” she tells him, “I’ve just split up from Mark – I don’t want Kath to think . . .”

"It won't happen again"

Tom agrees that she is right and apologises, assuring her it will not happen again, but as he turns to go, she calls him back to thank him for the lift 

"Do you want a cup of tea?"

and asks if he wants a cup of tea.   “Go on, then,” he says.

"Look – this thing between you and me . . ."

“Look – this thing between you and me – I’m scared of it,” she continues 

"There's no reason to be scared"

and he replies that she has no reason to be scared.   “Yes, I do – and you know that.   

"We're not good for each other"

“We’re not good for each other.”

"We used to be at the start"

“We used to be at the start,” he reminds her, but she knows that things went really wrong after that.   Once more he comes up with the story that they are different people now, something which she cannot accept.

"You know how much you mean to me"

“Look, you know how much you mean to me,” says Tom, 

"But you're the one who decides now"

“But you’re the one who decides what goes on between us now, OK?   You can take as long as you want.   I’m sorry about everything I did to you – I was going through a lot, and I took it out on you – and that’s not OK.   I promise it will never happen again.”

Once more he has manipulated her . . .

She appears to be taken in by this 

. . . and she gives him a hug

and gives him a hug, exactly as he had intended.

"Hallelujah!"

Still at Y Felin, Ffion discovers, “Hallelujah!   Gwenllian doesn’t have alcohol poisoning – I’ll have to phone the governors later to apologise and explain who did it.”

"I've just spoken to Rhys"

Cai has just spoken to Rhys;  “It’s only right he knows how irresponsible his staff are.”   Then they are surprised by Lleucu coming downstairs;  

Then Lleucu appears

she says that she is not really better and has just been sick again.   Ffion is in a hurry to get back to school 

"I'm sorry, Dad"

and Lleucu apologises to her father.

"I've told you to stay away from Gwern"

“I’ve told you to stay away from Gwern – I know you had no idea the beer he gave you was dangerous.”   

"Gwern didn't give it to me"

She informs him that Gwern did not give it to her, but is told that he admitted it a few minutes ago and he has been expelled from school.

“I know you’re not innocent – and we shall have to think of a punishment for the three of you,” he goes on.   

"I took the beer to school, Dad!"

Lleucu is insistent that she took the beer to school, not Gwern.

"You don't have to save his skin"

“Lleucu, you don’t have to save his skin – he’s already admitted it.”   She is adamant that Gwern is lying and that she went to Ceffyl Du this morning to get it.

"If you want to expel someone, expel me!"

She stresses that Gwern is nothing to do with it;  “If you want to expel someone – expel me!   Ask the girls – it’s my fault!”

"There's no need for anyone else to know"

Cai does not want to listen to this;  “Hang on, now – you’re an intelligent pupil and Gwern has confessed, he has accepted the punishment, so there’s no need for anyone else to know about this.   He doesn’t want to go to school anyway.   

"This could destroy your future"

This could destroy your future – going to university – you understand that, don’t you?   At this point you can choose any career you want, but if this goes on the record . . .”

Lleucu storms out

He gets no further, as Lleucu has picked up her coat and rushes out of the door, maintaining that she needs some fresh air.

"You keep this place tidy, Col"

Jason has now come to the MFC flat, where he compliments Colin on the tidiness of the place.   “You know what they say – 

"A tidy house, a tidy mind"

“a tidy house, a tidy mind,” is Colin’s reply.

"I wish I had a tidy conscience"

Jason wishes that he had a tidy conscience;  “The things I’ve done over the years have hurt people and I don’t want . . . I wanted to talk to you about what you said earlier, about this ‘manifestation’ – but I don’t want anyone else in the village to know about it.   So if we could possibly keep it . . .”

"You'll have to tell them when you've got that Ferrari!"

Colin says that he understands perfectly, adding, “But perhaps you’ll have to tell them once you’ve got that Ferrari!   The truth is, Jason, ‘manifestation’ is deeper than that – it’s about what you really, really want in your life.”

"What if I don't know what I really, really want?"

Jason is rather confused;  “What if I don’t know what I really, really want?”   

"I've got a book . . ."

Colin has a book and they can start with that.

Tom has made a meal

At Maes-y-Deri, Tom has made Cheryl a meal, which she says is exactly what she needed.   

"Chips, eggs and beans always put a smile on your face"

“Chips, eggs and beans always put a smile on your face,” he tells her, “I’ll go now, so you can get some sleep.”   But before he goes, he puts a small bag of sweets on the table;  “I saw them in the shop and thought of you – 

"I hope you sleep"

“I hope you sleep.”   

She has been taken in again

Cheryl is smiling now. 

"What did you put in that beer?"

Gwern is sitting on the bench when Lleucu joins him;  “Thanks for the hangover,” she groans, “What did you put in that beer?”

He answers that he saw a video online and thought that it would impress Rhys;  

"It failed, like everything else in my life"

“But it obviously failed – just like everything in my life!”   

"It was my beer"

Then she asks why he took the blame;  “It was my beer,” he replies.

"I was the one who took it to school"

She points out that she was the one who took it to school and shared it around;  “I’m going to tell Ffion the truth.” 

"I hate school, anyway"

He wonders why she would do that;  “I hate school anyway – and you’re the teachers pet.”   

Lleucu argues that he deserves the opportunity;  she was the one who did the stupid thing and spoiled her chances of going to college.

"I'll have to live with my Dad for ever!"

She adds, “And I’ll have to live with my dad for ever now!”   He points out that he is not going to university anyway, so she should let him take the blame.   After all, it is nothing compared with his criminal record.

"When you're a millionaire doctor or something . . ."

“I’m serious – say it was me and when you’re a millionaire doctor or whatever, buy me something nice to say thank you!” he suggests.   She reluctantly agrees to this and he proposes that they could have a little drink to celebrate, which she does not fancy at all.

"I'm glad we agree on that"

Cai is at school, talking to Gwenllian’s father and has apparently come to an understanding with him.   When Ffion comes in, he says that he thinks Lleucu is a lot better;  “She went out for some fresh air just before I came back.   I’ve just spoken to Gwenllian’s father – he appreciates that it was an irresponsible mistake and will not take matters further.   He is glad that Gwern is going to be expelled.”

"Am I overreacting?"

Now Ffion is wondering whether she is overreacting by expelling him.   

"You have to set an example"

Cai is adamant that it is important for her to set an example and he supports her 100%.   

"What a day!"

“What a day!” she sighs as she leaves the office, 

Is Cai having second thoughts?

but Cai appears uncertain.