2 January 2025

"How about a run, Iol?"

Cai comes downstairs at Y Felin and asks Iolo whether he will come running;  “No way – it’s still Christmas!”   He is reminded that they are into the new year now, 

"The school's closed, so it's still the holidays"

but Iolo is adamant, “The school’s closed, so it’s still the holidays.   I’m going to sit here, eat what I want and relax.”

"You're not going to believe this!"

Siôn comes into the room, complaining, “You’re not going to believe this!   There’s another ‘meme’ – about me, Cai and Jinx.”

Cai looks at it

He shows the phone to Cai, 

"Who's the biggest weirdo?"

who reads, “Who’s the biggest weirdo?   Jinx the player, Siôn the nerd or Cai the murderer?”   

"Gwern has gone too far this time"

Siôn maintains that Gwern has gone too far this time, but Iolo intervenes to point out that they do not know if it is Gwern.

“Come on, Iolo, of course it’s Gwern!” he exclaims.   

"This is just childish"

Cai is off for a run and describes the whole thing as childish;  now Iolo has decided that he will go too, but is told by Cai  to enjoy his holiday.

"I'm going to sort this out!"

“Right, I’m going to sort this out once and for all!” snarls Siôn, as he puts on his jacket.   

"Dani has enough on her plate as it is"

Iolo tries to dissuade him, pointing out that Dani has enough on her plate as it is.   

"It's Britt I'm going to see!"

“It’s Britt that I’m going to see!” growls his father, but is warned that he will only make things worse.

“We’re going to talk like adults,” Siôn replies, “I just hope Britt behaves in the same way.”

"Do your think she'll notice?"

At Bryntirion, DJ, asks rather naïvely, “Hey, listen, do you think she’ll notice that there’s money missing – after those antics with Jinx?”

"You're not thinking straight"

Jason answers, if you really think that Eleri will forget that we owe her money because she’s been caught messing around with Jinx, you’re not thinking straight!”   DJ wonders how short they are and is told that it is £150.

"No point – we made a loss last night"

“We could open the van tonight,” he suggests, but Jason insists that there is no point, as they made a loss last night.   Then his phone sounds and he discovers a message from Eleri.   

"We could sell our Christmas presents"

“Well, we could sell our Christmas presents,” DJ vainly proposes.

"What presents of value did you get?"

“What presents, DJ, did you get of value for Christmas?” demands Jason, 

An ominous sound rings out

just as they hear an ominous knock at the door.   

"I don't want to go to find out"

“I don’t know whether it is her – and I don’t want to go to find out, either, do you?”   However, the knocking continues.

Cai leaves the shop

Cai comes out of the shop and encounters Gwern with a couple of his mates, who are passing;  

"All three are as weird as each other"

“It’s hard to decide, isn’t it?   All three are as weird as each other,” comments Gwern as they continue along the road.

"Are you all right?"

Also approaching is Siôn, who asks if Cai is all right;  

"We're better than this, Siôn"

“Don’t make a fuss, Siôn – we’re better than this – we’re the adults,” Cai tells him.

"Is there anything I can do here?"

In the MFC flat, Colin asks BT if there is anything he can do before going to the shop;  

"Nothing I can do until the delivery arrives"

“No, love, there’s nothing I can do until the delivery arrives,” she replies.   The buzzer sounds and Colin discovers that Siôn is outside;  

"You should have told him where to go"

“You should have told him where to go,” Britt snarls, but Colin tells her to behave herself.

"I think we should talk"

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I think we should talk – I’ve been thinking a lot over Christmas and it’s time to stop all this quarrelling,” says Siôn, “A fresh start in the New Year.”   Colin invites him to sit down.

"But it's not all my fault"

Siôn continues, “I’m the first to admit that things have got a bit out of hand recently – and I have played a rôle in that – but it is not all my fault.”   Britt does not say a word, 

"Especially Gwern"

so he goes on, “I think we all need to take responsibility for the mess, including Gwern.”   

"What does Gwern have to do with this?"

She wants to know what Gwern has to do with this.   

"Another 'meme' has been created"

“Another ‘meme’ has been created from an anonymous account,” Siôn moans.

“And Gwern is getting the blame, is he?” enquires Britt.   It is pointed out that the comment attacks Cai, Jinx and Siôn, 

"It doesn't take a genius to work out . . ."

so it does not take a genius to work out who would want to stick the knife into the three of them.

"I know a lot of people who can't stand you"

“I know a lot of people who can’t stand you,” says Britt, 

"So do I"

with Colin agreeing on this point.   Siôn emphasises that he has come there to talk sensibly, but Britt thinks otherwise;  “No, you’ve come here to make accusations against Gwern!”

“I’ve just seen him taunting Cai!” Siôn exclaims.

"Did he admit creating the 'meme'?"

“Did he admit creating the ‘meme’?”asks Britt;  

"Why don't we ask him to come over?"

Colin suggests that they could contact Gwern to come over, so they can ask him straight instead of arguing like this.

"Siôn will have a chance to apologise to him!"

“Good idea, Colin – Siôn will have a chance to apologise to him then!” says Britt.   

Siôn is getting nowhere here

Siôn feels like giving up now.

"He's had a lot of problems"

As Cai is coming downstairs, he is speaking on the phone;  “Well, he’s had a lot of problems since returning to school.   His father has escaped from prison, he’s lost his sister – on top of losing his mother a few years ago.   

"That's why I'm worried about him"

That’s why I’m worried about him and questioning whether a school environment is appropriate for him.”

Iolo is listening

Iolo has just returned to the house and is listening to this, as Cai stresses that this is a unique situation – he will be in touch later.   

"Who were you talking to?"

Iolo wants to know who he was talking to;  he is informed that it was work and that he was talking about Gwern.

“Why were you explaining Gwern’s situation to someone at work?   They know him.”

"Things are not working for anyone"

Cai admits that he is looking for an alternative educational opportunity for Gwern;  “Things are not working for anyone as they are,” 

"You're moving him to another school?"

so Iolo assumes that he is being moved to another school.   

"I'm looking at an apprenticeship scheme"

“No, I’m looking at an apprenticeship scheme.”

"He hasn't sat his GCSEs yet"

Iolo points out that Gwern is only 15 and has not even sat his GCSEs yet;  “I know things like this don’t usually happen, but this is a unique case.   

"I think this is the best solution"

“I think this is the best solution,” Cai insists.

"For Gwern – or for you?"

Iolo asked whether it is the best solution for Gwern or for Cai.   “For everyone – we can’t carry on as things are at school,” he is told.

“And you think Dani will agree to this?” asks Iolo;  

"It's just an option"

at this stage it is an option and nothing has been decided.   

"You need to be careful"

“Cai, you need to be careful, because it could look as you are using his grief to make things easier for yourself – is that what you want?”

DJ is doing some minor repairs . . . 

DJ and Jason are doing some odd jobs to make some money, at present in another pub somewhere, [believed to be ‘The Black’] as Jason moans, “I know you don’t want to phone Dic, but we don’t have much choice.”   DJ is sure that they must be another option, but neither of them know what it is.   

. . . apparently involving a door closer

Meanwhile DJ seems to be spending an inordinate length of time, lubricating a door closing mechanism, as he is reminded that they need to raise £150 by tonight.

"Will you be long?"

The landlord [Ioan, the father of Tegwen’s son Ken, who turned up at Christmas-time in 2022, after being released from prison and wanting to get back together with Tegwen, for Ken’s sake] comes to ask whether they will be long 

"We're just finishing now"

and Jason replies that they are just finishing now.   “Think of us if you have any more jobs,” says DJ, “I’ll give you my number, rather than going through the company – 

"I get a discount, do I?"

“so you’ll get a discount.”

“Blimey, did you see the size of his watch?” remarks DJ, after the barman has gone.

"What's he doing here?"

The three of them sit in the MFC flat, awaiting the arrival of Gwern, whose first reaction is, “What’s he doing here?”

"Come to accuse you of creating 'memes'"

“He has come here to accuse you of creating ‘memes’ on social media,” Britt informs him, “I told him you’d never do something like that, would you?”

"It's quite funny actually!"

“Oh yes – I saw that – it's really quite funny, actually!” he laughs.

"If I report it to the police . . ."

Siôn points out that if he reported it to the police, it would be easy for them to find out who did it.   

"I'm sure the 'pigs' have better things to do, Siôn"

Britt is sure that the ‘pigs’ have better things to do and when Gwern shows the ‘meme’ to her, she agrees that it is funny.

"It makes me look a fool!"

“It made me look like a fool!” snorts Siôn, another statement with which Britt wholeheartedly agrees.

"Gwern, did you create it?"

Colin asks Gwern whether he created it;  

"Oh, come on, as if!"

“Oh, come on, as if!” is the reply, so Colin tells Siôn that he has had his answer.

"Sen them to MFC for a free burger!"

“If you find out who it was, send them to MFC – they’ll get a free burger!” gloats Britt.   Colin is sorry that this has happened to Siôn, but stresses it is nothing to do with them;  Britt, of course, makes it clear that she is decidedly not sorry.

"You can't treat people like this!"

“You can’t treat people like this,”grumbles Siôn, “I’ll make sure of that!” as he gets up and leaves the flat.

"I'm quaking in my boots, Siôn!"

Gwern grins as Britt shouts, “I’m quaking in my boots, Siôn!” 

"We can't carry on like this"

but Colin advises that they cannot carry on like this.   

"He started it – not us"

“He started it - not us!” she scowls.

Hasn't he finished that job yet?

DJ is still tinkering with that door closer, then notices that the ceiling tiles also need some attention;  

"What's that?"

lifting one, he sees something which catches his interest just above one of the tiles – a small bag containing some sort of powder.   

"What on earth?"

“What on earth?” he mutters.

"What have you got there?"

Jason is now ready to go and wonders what DJ has there;  “What do you think it is?” is the reply, 

"It's worth thousands!

“It’s worth thousands!”

Siôn loiters outside MFC . . .

Siôn is standing outside MFC when a delivery arrives for the shop;  a rather childish idea occurs to Siôn.   

. . . signs for their delivery . . .

He accepts, and signs for, the delivery, then, 

. . . checks that no-one is watching . . .

checking to make sure no-one is watching from inside the shop, 

. . . and makes off with it

he walks off along the street, carrying the box.

"Please don't say you're serious!"

Jason begs DJ, “Please don’t say you’re serious!”   In DJ’s opinion, this could answer a lot of their problems.   

"We have no idea what it is"

“We have no idea what it is,” Jason points out, but DJ does not think that matters.   

"There's no CCTV"

The place has no CCTV, so they will not know who took it.

“What?   We’re going to start selling drugs now, are we?”   DJ reassures him that it will just be this packet.   

"How would you even know where to go?"

“How would you even know where to go to sell drugs?” demands Jason.

"We could do some research in Swansea"

“We could go to Swansea to do some research,” replies DJ, which Jason believes says it all, but they are not discussing it now – they are builders, not drug dealers.

"Put it back and give me the keys"

Jason instructs him to put the bag back and give him the keys for the van so that they can go.   

"Back to living on bread and water"

DJ looks up towards the ceiling tile and groans, “Back to living on bread and water.”

"Can I sit with you?"

Gwern is sitting on a bench outside The Pizza Place when Cai passes;  “Can I sit with you?” he asks.

"It's nothing to do with me"

“Right, if you’re going to accuse me of creating the ‘meme’, it’s nothing to do with me,” Gwern asserts.   

"We can't carry on like this"

Cai says that they cannot carry on like this, as it is not fair to any of them.

"I'm worried about your education"

“And I’m worried about your education,” he continues, “I want all my pupils to succeed – that’s why I’m looking at a scheme that could work a lot better for you than school.”

"Are you trying to expel me again?"

“Are you trying to expel me again?” suspects Gwern, and is told that school life obviously does not suit him – he has not settled in since coming back – Cai believes an apprenticeship would suit him much better.

"What would that involve?"

Gwern wants to know more;  “It would be an opportunity to learn a trade – college for three days and working the other two.”   

Gwern cannot understand why Cai would organise that for him.

"You've been through a very difficult time"

“You’ve been through a very difficult time – I just want to help.   

'"Think about it and talk to Dani"

“I’m not expecting an answer today – think about it, talk to Dani.   I just wanted to say that it might be an option for you.   

"Come and talk to me"

“Look, if you want more information, come and talk to me – it could change everything.”

"I'm still waiting!"

At MFC, Britt is on the phone, loudly complaining, “Chips and burgers – you said you’d be here by lunch and I’m still waiting!   I’ve got a business to run here!”   

"Have you accepted a delivery?"

When Colin comes in, she demands whether he has accepted a delivery and he confirms that he has not.   

"I haven't received anything at all"

“They say they’ve delivered, but I haven’t received anything.” 

Colin reminds her that he has been with her all morning, then he went to the shop;  “Whoever it was, signed in Garry’s name!” she rages 

"You don't think he's escaped again?"

and Colin is concerned that he might have escaped again.   

"Someone has stolen my stock!"

“No – but someone has stolen my stock!” she snarls.

"Who would want to steal cheap chicken wings?"

“Who would want to steal cheap chicken wings and frozen chips?” Colin demands, but she is adamant that her chicken wings are not cheap.   

"Your batter is very nice!"

“Oh, no, of course not – and your batter is very nice – special – home-made batter!   There must be an explanation.”

"Siôn's been trying to steal my customers"

She walks over to the door of the shop and continues, “Siôn’s been trying to steal my customers all morning – he’s been over here, saying that there’s a lot of food at Tamed – he’s looking after the place for Eileen!”

"You don't have any evidence, Britt"

Colin points out that she does not have an ounce of evidence for what she is suggesting, 

"I don't need any!"

but she maintains, “I don’t need any!”   As she marches out of the door, she challenges Colin, “Try and stop me!” so he rushes after her.

"Look, I'm not agreeing to anything"

Gwern has gone to Y Felin, where he stresses that he is not agreeing to anything, but Cai can see that he wants to know more.   “I don’t want Dani  to know I’m here,” he stipulates.   

Iolo is surprised to see him

Iolo comes in and is surprised to see Gwern there.

Cai explains that he wants to know more about the apprenticeship scheme, which Iolo is quick to point out is only an option and he does not have to do it, especially if he is happy at school.

"What would the apprenticeship be, then?"

“I’m not – what would the apprenticeship be, then?” Gwern wants to know.   He is told that there are lots of options, but from what Cai has seen at school, he believes that something vocational or physical would suit Gwern.

"Construction, electrician, plumber"

“Construction, electrician, plumber,” so Gwern enquires whether he could work with Iolo, who does not know quite what to say in response to this.   

"I wouldn't be any trouble"

Gwern promises that he would not be any trouble.

"We don't know if this is going to happen"

“We don’t even know if this is going to happen,” protests Iolo, “We haven’t spoken to Dani.”   

"There would be more chance of Dani agreeing . . ."

Gwern predicts that there would be more chance of her agreeing if he was working with Iolo.   He stresses that he really hates school 

"All right – I'll take a look at it"

and Iolo agrees that he will take a look at the idea.

"This doesn't mean I forgive you!"

“This doesn’t mean I forgive you!” Gwern is quick to tell Cai, 

"This is about your future"

but is assured that this is about his future and nothing more.

"You had no right, Cai!"

Gwern walks out of the house and Iolo complains, “You had no right to put me in that position!”   

"Gwern was the one who chose you"

Cai reminds Iolo that Gwern chose him.   “I feel as if we’re going behind Dani’s back – if she finds out . . .”

"We're not going behind her back"

Cai is adamant they are not going behind Dani’s back;  they are just looking into things and seeing how the land lies.   He cannot understand what Iolo’s problem is;  “You were worried about him this morning – you saw how keen he was.”

"Giving a 15-year-old the chance to leave school"

“That was because you’re giving a 15-year-old boy a chance to leave school,” says Iolo.   

"That's all it is – a chance"

Cai agrees, but stresses that is all it is – only a chance.

Britt storms in

Siôn is working at Tamed, wearing his apron, when he is dismayed to see that Britt is on the warpath.   

"Where's my stock?"

“Where’s my stock?” she demands, “Someone has taken a delivery for MFC!”   

Siôn is affronted that she should accuse him, 

"As if!"

commenting, “As if!”   

"Don't play games with me, Siôn!"

She warns him not to play games with her and Colin adds that they just want their chicken wings back.

“As I said, it wasn’t me,” says Siôn, “If you find out who it was, send them over here – 

"They can have a free cappuchino!

“they can have a free cappuccino!”

"I hope you're this cocky when I phone the police!"

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?   Well, I hope you’re this cocky when I phone the police,” she cautions him.

"I think the 'pigs' have better things to do"

Recalling the earlier conversation, Siôn comments, “I think the ‘pigs’ have better things to do than look for your chicken burgers!”

“Britt turns threatening:  “If you want a war – that’s what you’re going to get!”   

"I'm quaking in my boots!"

He casually answers that he is quaking in his boots.

"Why have you got your toolbox?"

Jason and DJ arrive back at Bryntirion;  Jason finds it strange that DJ has brought his toolbox back with him and he says there are a few things to repair upstairs.   He wonders if he needs to phone Dic this evening.

"Yes, we've been through this!"

“Yes, we’ve been through this!” moans Jason.   

"Look, I'll talk to Eleri"

DJ volunteers to talk to Eleri if she comes over this evening, to say that they can pay her in a couple of days.   

"Don't expect my help"

“Don’t expect my help,” says Jason, “I’m going to have a shower.”

DJ takes the unknown powder from his toolbox . . .

As soon as he is out of the way, DJ opens the toolbox and takes out the bag of white powder, which he did not replace where he found it.   

. . . and hope that his troubles are over

He naïvely hopes that this may be the answer to their financial problem.