Cwmderi Diary 2016: 11 April 2016

"She's gone – we have to deal with it!"

As Courtney prepares for school, Eifion wonders if she is going back too soon. “She’s gone – we have to deal with it!” Courtney tells him, “I’m looking forward to seeing my friends again.”

Courtney does not want to know

She receives a text, realises it is from her Mam, and ignores it.

Siôn leaves a message for Carwyn Pritchard

Siôn leaves a message for Carwyn Pritchard, an officer at ‘the denomination’; “I’m hoping there is a way to dispute the decision about my ordination – perhaps there is a precedent for that. Please call me back.”

"I'm glad you're going to appeal!"

Gwyneth is pleased that he has decided to appeal; she is confident that they will be successful and that Siôn will be the chapel minister in no time. Then she leaves for work.

"I wonder who paid for that holiday"

Mark is still puzzling over who paid for the holiday; Stacey is going for an interview, and expects that thousands have applied. Mark tells her that she has had more experience than all of them.

Oh no! Dol is back!

Then Mark is horrified to hear Dol’s voice, singing, “This year I’m off to sunny Spain!” She tells them, “The cruise was lovely, but there’s no place like home!”

"I want a word with you!"

Mark wants to talk to her about that, but then Dol sees Stacey and introduces herself; “Oh, you’re the family’s Lord Sugar!” she remarks to Stacey.

Dol continues enthusing, “That was the best month I’ve ever had – all you can eat and drink, Mediterranean sun – and topless waiters!”

"Ooh – can't wait – I've got to squeeze the lemon!"

Mark attempts to talk to her again, but this time she has to rush upstairs, “To squeeze the lemon!” she says.

"Will Siôn be at the committee meeting?"

Megan sees Gwyneth passing and asks if Siôn will be at the CwmNi committee meeting, as she needs the latest draft for the publisher. Gwyneth replies, “He’s working from home – why don’t you ask him? He might have some news for you.

"He's going to appeal!"

“Did you think he’d accept you didn’t want him ordained? He’s going to appeal!”

"What do you want?"

Britt is cleaning the chippy windows when Dani approaches; “What do you want? I’m busy,” she demands, irritably as usual, “Do you want me to clean the windows at the Deri? Mop the floor? Maybe clean the toilets?”

"That Gwyneth is so pleased with herself!"

Megan joins them, moaning about Gwyneth, and the fact she is so pleased with herself. “Are you surprised?” asks Britt, “She landed on her feet after taking my husband and my home!” Dani explains that it is a hard week for Britt, with the Disciplinary Panel on Wednesday.

"How about if I babysit for you?"

When Megan has gone, Dani offers to babysit for her, so she could go out; Britt laughs, “Go out? With whom?”

"Goldilocks has stolen my bed!"

Dol is rather aggrieved; “Some Goldilocks has stolen my bed!”

"There's no room for you!"

Mark replies that he has been wanting to talk to her about that, and points out that Stacey is now living there, which means there is no room for Dol.

"I'll be homeless!"

“You can’t just kick me out without notice – I’ve got nowhere to go! I’ll be homeless!” Mark suggests that she will have to find somewhere. “My sister is more important to me than you are. It’s not my responsibility to look after you.”

Dol goes on about Ricky being upset if she is thrown out, but Mark is unmoved.

"I want you and your stuff gone!"

“You’ve lived here long enough as it is, and I’ve enjoyed the peace while you’ve been away,” he tells her, “By the time I come back from work, I want you and your stuff gone!”

Microsoft seems to have problems with the Welsh language

Siôn is doing translation work on his computer, with a Welsh hymn tune playing in the background; his phone emits a text tone, he sees it is Megan and ignores it.

Siôn appears to be not happy

Then, in exasperation, he turns off the music and deletes everything on the screen.

"It's not for me, you understand!"

Mark delivers to the café, and sees Dani looking at a dating website on her iPad, at pains to stress that it is for someone else.

Eifion comes in for coffee

Eifion comes in, and Dani rather pointedly leaves; he xpects Mark to behave in the same way.

"I know what it's like to be falsely accused"

“No, I know what it’s like to be falsely accused,” Mark tells him, “So Angela has upped and left, and you have to sort everything out. Ricky said that Courtney seemed to be all right at school.”

"Courtney's coping remarkably well"

Eifion agrees that she is coping remarkably well, bearing in mind that Jim promised to be at the wedding, but did not turn up. Mark would not like to be in his shoes, having to care for a girl her age, after all she has been through.

"What's this meetanddate.com?

Britt goes to the salon, where she informs Dani that she has just received an e-mail inviting her to join some website called meetanddate.com. “Some bloke wants to meet me! You’re responsible for this, aren’t you?” she asks, “You had no right! Do you think I’m desperate or what?”

"You said you had no-one to go out with"

Dani replies that she said she had no-one to go out with, but Britt insists,

"My personal life is nothing to do with you!"

“I don’t want to go out with anyone! Why did you do it – feeling guilty? You drove me out of the Deri flat! Listen, my personal life is nothing to do with you!” Dani merely sympathises that Siôn has not treated her fairly.

"They won't budge when it comes to adultery"

Siôn has been told that there is no prospect of an appeal; “They won’t budge when it comes to adultery,” he tells Gwyneth,

"What century are they living in?"

who wonders which century they are living in. “It is one of the ten commandments – Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

"There are other denominations"

Gwyneth suggests that there are other denominations, but Siôn has lost hope; “I gave everything, preparing for this ministry. I don’t have the strength to start again. The translation is my bread and butter work, but the chapel gave me enjoyment and purpose. I felt I had a contribution to make – and now it’s all in tatters!”

"I miss your mother too"

Courtney is becoming stressed with her school work. Eifion is sympathetic; “I hate to admit it, but I miss your mother too, despite what she did.”

"I don't miss her at all!"

Courtney insists that she does not miss her mother at all, but is concerned about falling behind with her revision.

"I'll never finish it!"

She has coursework which has to be done by Wednesday, and will never finish it.

"Two cream horns, please Gwen"

Dani buys cakes from Gwen at the café, and Dol comes in, looking for Debbie. Gwen informs her that Debbie is out all day,

"Debbie's never here when I want her!"

prompting Dol to complain, “She’s never here when I want her! There’s not much welcome at home after my cruise.” She asks Dani what gossip she has missed.

Dani fills her in on the latest village news

Dani summarises Siôn’s sacking for adultery, and the revelation that Angela was not ill, simply after attention – and money.

"Siôn, I must have that draft!"

Outside Maenan, Megan leaves another message for Siôn, that she must have the CwmNi draft.

"Can you deliver all Bethania's mail to me?"

Then Mark passes, and she requests that all the post for Bethania be redirected to her;

"I heard you'd kicked him out!"

“Yes, I heard that you’d kicked him out!” replies Mark, “Do you think you’ll find a replacement? I thought ministers were dying out.” Megan is sure something will turn up.

"Humble pie, is it?"

Dani takes the cakes to Britt, who snaps, “Humble pie, is it?” Dani tells her they are cream horns, and that she was only trying to help. Britt admits,

"I have no interest in going on dates!"

“Well I had a look at some of the profiles – some looked quite nice, but I have no interest in going on dates – nor the energy! Maybe I want a woman! I’m happy enough looking after the children.”

Dani agrees to remove the profile from the website, and Britt muses,

"He's always paid a lot of attention to Gwyneth"

“I don’t understand how Siôn can move on so quickly – he paid a lot of attention to Gwyneth when she came out of jail –something might have been going on then.”

Dani urges her not to waste time worrying about it, as it will not make any difference, reminding her that she and Garry are always there for her.

Stacey is surprised to find Dol still there

Stacey arrives back from the unsuccessful interview to find dinner cooking, but is surprised that Dol is cooking it. “It’s a Paella recipé off one of the chefs on the cruise liner,” she says. Stacey enquires whether Mark has told her she can stay;

"He will do, after tasting this!"

Dol replies, “He will do – after tasting this, and I got his favourite pudding, Black Forest Gateau. I really have tried to find somewhere else, but it’s hopeless. I’d pay my way if I could get a job – “you wouldn’t happen to have a job for me, would you?”

"No jobs at the moment"

Stacey regrets that she does not at the moment, and asks how Dol could afford the cruise. “I won it – the first bit of luck I’ve had in years!” Dol tells her, “The bailiffs took everything!”

"Have a word with Mark for me"

When Mark returns, Dol pleads for Stacey to put in a good word for her.

"No, I was overqualified!"

Stacey tells him that she was overqualified for the job, but then he turns round and sees Dol still there.

"Haven't you packed your stuff yet?"

“I can’t believe this! Haven’t you packed your stuff yet?” Stacey urges him to reconsider, and Dol can share her bedroom, pointing out that she has nowhere else to go.

"That'll put hairs on your chest!"

Mark’s resolve to get rid of her once more gradually evaporates, as Dol promises to behave; “I’ve got a nice Paella for you, and this bottle – 40% proof – that’ll put hairs on your chest!”

"You're responsible for her!"

He reluctantly agrees, but warns Stacey, “You’re responsible for her!”

Gwyneth finds that Siôn has not eaten his lunch,

"E-mail it to me and I'll finish it"

and then Megan turns up again, demanding the draft of the CwmNi magazine. When he says he has not finished it, she wants him to e-mail it to her and she will do so.

"Taking over everything!"

“Typical!” comments Gwyneth, “Taking over CwmNi exactly as you took over the chapel!”

"Sorry, Megan, I'm too busy!"

Megan insists that the paper must be published tomorrow, but Siôn responds that he is too busy. In order to prove that the chapel can go on without him, Megan boasts, “I’ve filled every Sunday until the summer break, and some weeks in the winter,” then she walks out.

"I won't have any rôle in the village at all!"

Siôn is angry with Gwyneth; “I lost the Deri and Bethania – and now CwmNi as well! At this rate I won’t have any rôle in the village at all!”

Courtney is becoming disheartened

It is much later, and Courtney is still working on the laptop; “All I’ve done is move things around – I can’t do this any more, Eifion! It’s all Mam’s fault! It’s crap! It’s rubbish!”