3 March 2016

Angela has really 'tarted herself up'

Eifion is polishing his shoes as Angela comes downstairs;  he exclaims, “Wow!   You look great!   Will you be all right today?   The funeral could be hard on you.   

"People would understand if you stayed away"

“People would understand if you stayed away.”   

Angela is quite adamant

She insists that as a part of the family she will go.

"Marian thought of everything"

Cadno is looking exhausted at Penrhewl;  she tells DJ, “Marian thought of everything – she even froze enough butter for the Bara Brith and scones.   Could she have known that she was about to die?   

"Perhaps she had a premonition"

“Perhaps she had a premonition, but didn’t say anything.”   

DJ remarks that animals know when their time is up, but she asks, 

"Watch it!   She could be listening!"

“Are you comparing Auntie Marian with an old cat or dog?   Watch it!   She could be listening.”   

DJ fancies one of the scones

“Don’t say that – I don’t want her seeing me do this,” he says, snaffling a scone from under its wrapping.   Immediately they are startled by a metal tin falling on the floor.   DJ looks up and apologises, “Sorry, Marian – I won’t do it again.”

So Gwyneth has spent the night at Y Felin

Siôn is smartly dressed for the funeral as Gwyneth comes downstairs in a dressing gown;  

But their peace is shattered by . . .

she tells Siôn he will be fine at the funeral and kisses him.   They are interrupted by a knock at the door, and Gwyneth hides, as Megan enters, 

. . . Megan, who has come to check up on Siôn

coming to check that Siôn is ready.   “I’ve been dressing myself for years!” he tells her.

“Every appearance at the chapel is important for your ordination,” says Megan, but then Gwyneth’s phone rings, and in her haste to silence it she knocks something down.   

Whoops, Gwyneth reveals her presence

Thinking quickly, she pretends to have left her phone there;  “Oh, I’ve found it!” she says, and explains the dressing gown by stating, “I spilled coffee over myself!”   

"Lucky she didn't scald herself!"

Siôn is quick off the mark, confirming that she is lucky she was not scalded.

Siôn receives his instructions

Megan appears unconvinced, but stresses, “I hope today’s service will be a dignified one – we don’t want anything to affect your ordination, do we?”

Eileen has made some more Welsh Cakes

Eileen has made some more Welsh Cakes, as she says they do not freeze well.   Then Angela arrives, and is hugged by Sioned, who is glad to see her, 

She is not pleased to see Angela arrive

but this feeling is not shared by their mother.

"Didn't I tell you to stay away?"

“Didn’t I tell you to stay away!” demands Eileen, but Angela is adamant she had a right to be here.   “And you look as if you’re going to a party!” Eileen accuses her.

Three pall-bearers

In the Deri, the three pall-bearers are having a pre-funeral drink;  Jim asks Dol if she knew Marian well, and she replies, 

"The funeral tea should be good!"

“No, not at all, but it’s something to do.   She lived on a farm, so the funeral tea should be good!”

Hywel is not looking forward to the funeral

Hywel is looking rather doleful, and Anita tries to persuade him not to attend as it is so soon after Meilyr’s, 

"I can't avoid funerals for ever"

but he replies that he cannot avoid funerals for ever.

Mourners, reflected in the hearse window

The villagers watch 

The coffin is taken into the chapel

as the coffin is taken from the hearse and into the chapel.   

That chap in the balaclava is at it again

Meanwhile at Penrhewl, a black-clad figure is searching through drawers in the kitchen.

The first hymn

The service begins with a hymn, and then Siôn addresses the congregation;  

I did not realise that Llinos was the chapel's organist

“We are gathered to celebrate and remember the life of our dear sister, Marian Rees, or Auntie Marian as we all knew her.   I’d like to invite Angela Rowlands to start the eulogies.”   

Eileen is not happy . . .

This does not go down at all well with Eileen.

. . . and as Angela does her bit of self-promotion . . .

Angela enjoys her position in the limelight, and begins, “I like to think the people I’ve helped through Angel Hands become angels themselves when their time ends.   But Auntie Marian was an angel during her lifetime too.   We’re all going to miss her – she was very kind to me.   When she learned that I was related to Eileen and Sioned, she made me feel completely at ease, and accepted me as part of the family.   She knew how important that was to me, who had been an outcast for so long.”

. . . Eileen's anger grows

By this time Eileen’s anger has reached simmering point, but the performance continues, “In the midst of life, we are in death!   I know that better than anyone.   Marian knew that too, and taught me to appreciate every minute we have, because things can change in a second.   Maybe I’ll be the first to see her again.”

"Angela – that's enough!"

This is too much for Eileen, who jumps up and shouts, “Angela – that’s enough!” then strides out of Bethania, 

Angela faints . . .

as Angela appears to faint.   

. . . while Eileen cools down outside

Eileen is furious as she leans upon the wall outside, to regain her equilibrium.

"Someone's been here!"

Later, Cadno and DJ arrive back at Penrhewl to find they have had an intruder;  

"Nothing appears to be missing"

however, nothing seems to have been stolen, and they decide to say nothing to the others, as it is Marian’s day.

"Where there is no pain, illness, sadness or mourning"

At the graveside, Siôn intones, “O Christ, let Your maiden’s soul rest where there is no pain, illness, sadness or mourning, but eternal life, Amen.”   

"So long, Auntie Marian"

Sioned throws a white rose on to the coffin and whispers, “So long, Auntie Marian.”

Megan has her beady eye on you two

As they walk away from the grave, Siôn tells Gwyneth he is glad that she came, but Megan is close behind, watching them.   

Hywel geos over to Meilyr's grave

Hywel goes to Meilyr’s grave, and Anita follows.

"Marian was looking after the mart money"

Cadno suggests that Marian was looking after the mart money which miraculously was not stolen;  “Here we go again,” replies DJ, “I can’t misbehave in case Marian is watching everything we do!”   They begin unwrapping all the cakes.

Sioned wonders what she is doing here

When Sioned sees that Dol has joined the gathering, she asks Cadno what she is doing there, 

"Don't make a fuss, Sioned"

but Eileen urges her not to say anything.   Cadno announces, “Auntie Marian prepared most of the food.”

"When will Siôn be reading the will?"

Sioned wonders when Siôn will be reading the will;  Hywel hears this and is incensed.   

"Is that all you care about?"

“Is that all you care about – how much she left you?   Don’t you care that Marian’s dead?   I don’t care either – an old woman’s dead – she had her time and got to live!   

"Meilyr didn't!"

“Meilyr didn’t!”   Anita leads him away.

Siôn gravitates toward Gwyneth, but again Megan is not far away;  

"There's only one reason you were at Y Felin!"

“I think we all should be able to control our feelings,” she tells them, Perhaps you two should remember that!   I’m not a fool, Gwyneth – there is only one reason you were at Y Felin!   It’s improper!   Siôn is about to be ordained and he doesn’t have the time.”

"You're so lonely and bitter!"

Gwyneth objects to this;  “You’re so lonely and bitter – you can’t stand anyone being happy!”   

"About time someone put her in her place!"

As Megan leaves them, Siôn says that someone needed to put her in her place.

Hywel is very embarrassed at his outburst

Hywel has a stiff drink at the Deri, and tells Anita, “I’m so ashamed of myself!   I didn’t mean it like that,” despite Anita’s insistence that everyone will understand how difficult the loss of Meilyr has been for him.   

"Well, she didn't have a boring funeral!"

She adds that no-one can say that Marian had a boring funeral.

Siôn reads Marian's bequests

Siôn announces the contents of the will to the gathered family members, telling them that these are Marian’s own words;  “I hope you’re not too upset – I’ve had a wonderful life with good friends and family. I’ve been luckier than many elderly people, but the time has come to say goodbye.   I’m with Bob now – but I’ll still be keeping an eye on you all, don’t worry!   

"See, she is keeping an eye on us"

DJ and Cadno exchange glances.

“Now the money – I leave £15,000 to Bethania.   The chapel has given me great comfort over the years.   

Sioned cannot wait until it gets round to her

“To Catherine I leave £30,000 to look after Bobi, Arthur and Penrhewl, and all my possessions in Penrhewl, except for Mam-Gu’s teaset, which is to go to Sioned, and the one Staffordshire pottery dog to go to Eileen Probert.   Eileen also receives the family recipé book – I’m sure it will be of use to her.   My clothes and books go to the Maenan Appeal.”

Eileen tells Sioned that she will have to give the ring to Cadno, as she owns all the jewellery, but Cadno tells her to keep it.   

"I know she had more than that!"

Then comes the part for which Sioned has been impatiently waiting.

“The rest of the money goes to Sioned, to give her continued success in life.”   Siôn finds the bank statement detailing the amount;  “The total left is . . . £733.”   A look of horror comes over Sioned’s face as she emphatically states that she knows Marian had more money than that.   

Siôn consults the bank statement

Siôn enlightens her that £50,000 was withdrawn two weeks ago, 

"I took Marian to the bank a couple of weeks ago"

and DJ confirms that he did drive Marian to the bank at that time, but does not know where the money went.

"It went to Angela!"

Eileen speaks out;  “It went to Angela!” who explains that it arrived anonymously for her aneurysm treatment.   

"You didn't tell me!"

Eifion is concerned that she did not tell him, but Sioned’s concern is that Marian was ‘not of sound mind’ when she did this, and she walks out.

"To Marilyn – rest in peace!"

In the Deri, Dol lifts her pint and says, “To Marilyn – rest in peace!”   Gwyneth points out it is ‘Marian’, and Dol continues, 

"If the funeral tea is anything to go by"

“I didn’t know her, but she must have been a lovely person, if the funeral tea is anything to go by.   Anyway, good luck with the vicar!”

"I can't believe you've sunk so low!"

Eileen, full of fury, goes to Angela’s;  “I can’t believe that you’ve sunk so low as to cheat an old woman out of £50,000!”   

"It was a gift"

Angela insists that it was a gift, and that she cared for Marian for years.   “And were paid for it!” her mother reminds her.

Angela says that Sioned would only have wasted the money anyway;  

"That makes up for you putting me up for adoption!"

“That £50,000 is my security for the future, security that I lost when you put me up for adoption – it’s my money!”

"You pay that money back!"

Eileen threatens to tell Sioned the truth if she does not pay back the money into Marian’s estate;  “I can’t believe you’re doing this!”

Angela takes on a threatening demeanour;  

"Don't do anything stupid – or you'll regret it!"

“Perhaps you’re right – even I don’t know how far I’m willing to go – so don’t do anything stupid, OK?   Or you’ll regret it!   Goodnight, Mam.”