Cwmderi Diary 2016: 13 January 2016

Kelly goes on and on

Kelly storms downstairs, protesting that the shower is blocked and the tray is full of water.

Lack of a toilet affects her like this

“I can’t stay here with no shower or toilet!” she rants, but Iolo is already on the job, and advises that the manhole is blocked. “Then clear it! That’s what you’re paid for!” orders Kelly.

He explains that as it is a main drain he has to contact the water board, but as a favour, he will see what he can do.

Angela is thoughtful

As Angela looks pensively in the mirror, Jim arrives with drinks for the party;

"Your mother's driving me up the wall!"

he immediately opens a bottle, reporting, “Your mother is driving me up the wall! She has the daft idea of going with you to Las Vegas – you have to persuade her to stop this silly nonsense!”

"She can come if she wants"

Angela replies that she really would not mind if her mother accompanied them, but Jim insists he wants to bury the idea. “You never change – it’s the cost that bothers you!” diagnoses Angela.

"What's wrong with a caravan at Rhyl?"

Jim is of the opinion, “If she wants bright lights and slot machines, I’ll take her to stay in a caravan at Rhyl. Just tell her you don’t want her to come.”

"I cannot tell a lie" — Yeah, right!

Angela argues that she cannot do that – as it would be a lie.

Sioned then arrives, wanting to put up decorations for the party,

"I don't want any fuss"

but Angela protests that she does not want any fuss. “Well, there’s no turning back now!” Sioned tells her, “I’d never have put you two together, but I’m happy for you – and remember, he’s got a bit of money.

"At least, you'll be well-off!"

“So if things don’t work out, at least you’ll be well-off!”

Jim reminisces about historic toilets

Iolo starts to clear the drain in the middle of the road, with Jim offering advice. “They must be mad, flushing all this down the toilet – it looks like junk mail!” says Iolo.

Jim comments, “Toilet paper is expensive – I remember that Granny England used to cut newspaper up into little squares.” When Iolo asks for some help with the rodding, Jim points out that he is wearing his ‘ball-gown’ and on the way to a party, for Angela and Eifion.

"The foul pipe runs from Bethania"

Before he goes, Jim advises that the foul pipe runs from Bethania, where APD did some work on the toilets a while ago. “I’ve got a snorkel you can borrow if you have trouble!” Iolo makes his way to the chapel, accompanied by Anita.

Eileen want to go to Las Vegas

When Jim gets back to the shop flat, Eileen is looking at pictures of Las Vegas online; “It looks fantastic – like Disneyland for adults,” she tells him.

"Mickey Mouse holiday!"

“You’re right there – a Mickey Mouse holiday,” he mutters, as she describes it as a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity, and reminds him they do not know how long Angela has left.

"She doesn't want us to go with them"

Jim tells her, “She doesn’t want us to go with them – well, she suggested it.”

This upsets Eileen, who decides that she is not going to the party after all, if she is not wanted at her daughter’s wedding.

"It could be a setback for her health"

“Don’t sulk,” entreats Jim, “If you don’t go, it could be a setback for her health. Sioned will be there, and Courtney after school.” Eileen relents, but is not happy about it.

Yes, Siôn did make rather a mess!

Iolo discovers the toilet at Bethania, stuffed full of books and papers, broken and leaking water all over the floor. He tells Anita that kids are probably to blame.

"I blame irresponsible parents!"

Anita is furious; “I blame irresponsible parents! They dump children on the Sunday School, as if it’s a crèche.” Iolo thinks it strange that the caretaker did not notice. “There’s no caretaker,” Anita tells him, “The sisterhood clean the chapel on a monthly rota,” and then she has the dreadful realisation,

"Ooh–er! I have to clean up!"

“Oh, hang on – it’s my month!” Iolo attempts to suppress a snigger.

Siôn is sitting on the floor

Meanwhile, Megan finds Siôn sitting on the floor of the chapel and remarks that the door was open.

He poses a philosophical question

“What is the point of faith, if it’s locked away?” asks Siôn, philosophically.

Megan is not happy about his presence

Megan is rather worried by his presence, after what happened.

They blame the kids

Then Iolo comes in to report that the sewage system is blocked – “Kids have shoved the chapel accounts down the toilet!”

"I did it"

Siôn opens his eyes and quietly informs them, “I did it. We don’t need to publish how much people contribute to the world. It’s private.”

Anita is enraged; “You trashed the Deri and caused damage here – what sort of religion are you preaching?” Siôn calmly replies that it is the parable of the widow’s two mites.

Iolo promises that he will fix the problems,

Megan swears them to secrecy

and Megan insists, “Not a word to anyone – or we’ll be scorned again!”

"Go and apologise to your mother"

At the party, Jim asks Angela to apologise to her mother, as she is disappointed she cannot come to Vegas, but Angela protests, “You stopped her, not me!”

Sioned is being her customary abrasive self;

"He hasn't turned up for his own party"

“Where’s Eifion – not turned up for his own party?” Jim replies that he hopes Eifion will turn up for his wedding.

"We can have a proper reception later"

Angela says to Eileen, “I know all of this has come as a shock to you – not just the illness, but the wedding and Vegas. When we come back we can have a proper reception.”

"I'm very disappointed"

Eileen does not want to spoil the party, but is very disappointed that she cannot come with the happy couple, as Jim said they did not want her there.

"You can book a flight now!"

Angela replies that she has not stopped anyone; “You can book a flight now!”

However, now Eileen thinks Jim may be right, and that it will be Angela’s chance to spend time with Eifion. Then he walks in, after his shift; hearing a Tom Jones CD playing in the background, turns up the volume and sings along with it.

Eifion gets rather carried away with his karaoke

“She was my woman,

As she deceived me I watched and went out of my mind.”

Inviting the others to join him, he continues singing, lustily, “My, my, my Delilah!” The significance of this is not lost on Angela.

"It's only bricks and mortar"

Outside the chapel, Siôn dismisses the place as only bricks and mortar;

"You should resign"

Anita tells him, “If you don’t want to be leader, you should resign and let us find someone else!”

Megan's passion is the continuation of Bethania

But Megan is insistent, “All that matters now is that we show the members that Bethania can still offer comfort and hope – and Siôn as leader can put that message across. Anita, your support is vital – I can’t shoulder the burden on my own.”

Siôn resolves to go and get himself a cup of tea, but Megan has more to say;

"We must stop any speculation"

“What we need is a family service to reopen the chapel, to stop any speculation.” When he has gone,

"He's not in a fit state to lead a service"

Anita concludes he is not in a fit state to lead a service, as there is no telling what he might say.

Sioned irritably remarks to Angela, “He hasn’t even changed out of his work clothes!”

"You're jealous!"

Angela gets the impression that her sister is jealous she is getting married, but she replies,

"I'm just showing concern"

“I’m just showing concern that you’re doing the right thing, and not rushing into it.”

"What's this about Las Vegas?"

As Sioned is about to leave, she hears Jim telling Eileen that she can go to Las Vegas if she wants; as Sioned starts to remonstrate with her mother,

Angela comes close to admitting everything — but . . .

Angela tells them to stop it and looks as if she is about to tell the truth, but then she turns and walks into the kitchen.

"Penrhewl's slurry tanker is off the road"

In the café, Iolo has found that the slurry tanker at Penrhewl is broken, and when he has dissuaded Kelly from phoning the water board,

"You've got a pump? Great!"

he manages to find a pump. The pair of them rush off to get it.

"I shall write the service – you will read it!"

Meanwhile, Megan comes in and instructs Siôn, “As soon as we get the green light from the Diocese to re-open the chapel, I shall write the service myself, and all you will have to do is read what is in front of you. That’s what we agreed”

"Yes, Megan"

Siôn nods his assent.

Kelly offers to help Iolo with the rodding of the drains; “Have you got any overalls for me?” Iolo suspects that she just wants a story for the Western Post, but she tells him that it would not be very interesting.

Kelly dons her blue overalls

He finds overalls; “This might not be your style,” he warns, “Colin was my last assistant – you can’t be worse than him!”

"Ignore Sioned – she's only jealous"

Jim has a quiet chat with Angela, telling her to ignore Sioned, who is only jealous; He hopes that she is not getting cold feet, and says that Eifion can be a real wally sometimes.