Cwmderi Diary 2016: 20 May 2016

"I'll wait outside for you"

Preparing for the visit to the therapist, Britt says she will wait outside for Chester, but he insists he will come home on the bus. “There’s no need to worry – this will be a chance to talk to someone,” she assures him,

"It will be a waste of time"

but he expects it to be a waste of time.

"More toast, Sam?"

Anita is in her dressing gown, serving toast to Sam, who is pleased they will be seeing more of each other, now that he is working at Awyr Iach. Anita answers the door to find it is Megan,

Megan was not expecting to see him there

who is surprised to see Sam there, so he concocts a tale about losing his key, and Anita having a spare room available.

"About that meeting at 6:00pm . . ."

Megan is attempting to find out how many are coming to her important meeting at Bethania this evening;

"Sorry, Megan, I can't come"

Anita regrets that she is working tonight and cannot come. “Putting work before chapel! I thought I could rely on you, Anita!” scolds Megan, as she leaves.

"You've got to tell Dol about us!"

Then Anita tells Sam, “I want you to inform Dol about us – she’s living in hope of having you as a boyfriend!”

"It's a bit of banter that means nothing"

Sam dismisses Dol’s behaviour as ‘a bit of banter’ which means nothing. “As long as she knows that!” stresses Anita.

Chester in the therapist's office

The therapist asks Chester what he would like to talk about – school, perhaps? His reaction is, “Mam has put you up to this, hasn’t she?” She suggests perhaps they could talk about home,

Initially, he feels uneasy

and he demands, “What’s the point of all these questions? What are you writing? I don’t want you to write anything about me!”

"Any brothers or sisters?"

The therapist reminds him that no-one is forcing him to be here, and asks about his siblings and his parents.

"There's nothing more to say"

He replies, “Dad is dead, and Mam’s just had a divorce! There’s nothing more to say.”

"Any chance of borrowing a Gorsedd robe?"

Siôn is disappointed when he rings the Eisteddfod officials and they will not allow him to borrow a blue robe for the Western Post publicity photo. He complains to Gwyneth, “They didn’t even know who I was!

"Any secondhand Gorsedd robes on eBay?"

“Perhaps I can buy one online.”

"Could you pick up Aaron from school?"

Britt comes to see if Siôn will pick up Aaron from school, as she is working at the Deri. He agrees, and mentions his problem obtaining the robe;

"If that's all you have to worry about!"

“You’re lucky, if a blue robe is all you have to worry about,” she answers.

Sam is shown around

Sara shows Sam around Awyr Iach on his first day;

"Welcome to the madhouse!"

Dol interrupts to say, “I’ll show him the ropes. Welcome to the madhouse!” Sara instructs him to unpack boxes, and Dol adds, “You don’t know what you’ve let yourself in for with all us women!”

"She had everything and threw it away"

Chester is by now feeling more relaxed; “Mam is always shouting and losing the plot. She doesn’t know how to be happy – she had everything and threw it away. I had everything too, but she spoiled that for me, without a thought for my feelings!”

The therapist asks if he spends time with Siôn;

"I was never Siôn's number one fan"

“No, Mam won’t let us. I was never Siôn’s number one fan, but at least he wanted the best for us. I sometimes wonder why Mam was so stupid as to leave him – he’s loaded and lives in a really nice house.”

Chester is asked if the separation was not for the best, and he replies with feeling,

Chester is not satisfied with his lot

“She should have tried harder for our sakes. I didn’t have a good relationship with Siôn, but then we wouldn’t have had to live in a tiny flat that stinks of fish and chips! Although he used to drive me bonkers, Siôn wasn’t all bad! He was there for us more than Mam ever was.”

The clock appears to be faulty on Sam's battered phone

Sam receives a message on his cracked phone from Anita, on the other side of the room; “This is unbearable!” referring to Dol’s constant comments. Sara reminds him that there is to be no texting in work’s time,

"Take that lot to the tip"

and instructs him to take empty boxes to the tip.

“Make use of those long, strong arms of yours!” Dol says, “What I’d do to get them round me!”

"Do you have to?"

Anita irritably mutters, “Leave him alone!” and Sara tells Dol to get back to work. Dol answers that she does not mind sharing Sam.

Sara unveils the workplace regulations

By this time, Sara has written out some workplace rules, which she shows to the staff, and warn that any infraction could lead to dismissal;

"No breathing!"

she urges, “More work – less nonsense!”

Colin questions the legality of amateur boxing

In the Deri, Colin thinks it is illegal to hold an amateur boxing contest, but Iolo explains there are forms to fill in.

Megan tries to encourage people to her meeting

Megan comes in to remind everyone about the meeting in Bethania at 6:00pm, and when told that they are busy organising a boxing tournament, remarks,

"What an irresponsible idea!"

“What an irresponsible idea! Aren’t there easier ways of fundraising? It’s up to you and your conscience!” before walking out.

Chester faces a barrage of questions

Chester returns from his appointment; Britt immediately questions him about what he said, and he urges her to stop fussing.

"We're fine, aren't we, Chester?"

Colin comes over to ask how she is, and she tells him, “We’re fine, aren’t we, Chester?” as she hugs him, and he looks anything but fine.

Megan is most evidently alone . . .

Bethania is deserted, except for Megan;

. . . but there is still half an hour to go

the clock shows 5:30pm.

"I haven't been happy for ages"

Chester tells his mother, “She asked me to talk about my home life; at first I said I was happy, but then I realised I haven’t been happy for ages –

"And it's your fault!

“and it’s your fault!” When Siôn and Gwyneth arrive, Chester asserts that he regrets he did not go to the therapist sooner.

At a quarter past six, Megan is still alone . . .

By now it is 6:15, and Megan is still alone;

. . . and someone has left the electric piano turned on

she walks across to the electric piano, which has been left turned on, and plays a few notes,

She resumes her former seat

then returns to sit in a pew.

"Interested in a boxing tournament, Dad?"

Iolo asks Siôn if he is interested in a boxing tournament; Siôn describes that as irresponsible. “You sound just like Megan!” laughs Iolo, “She was in just now to try and persuade us to go to a chapel meeting.”

Siôn rejects the boxing idea,

"You're too young!"

but Chester offers to join in; “You’re too young!” he is told.

"Let the children come to Y Felin for dinner"

At the bar, Siôn offers to have the children to dinner, and when Britt tells him that will not be necessary, he answers, “You should accept help when it’s offered.”

"You want to look good in front of others"

She growls, “You want to look good in front of others – poor Britt – I’ll look after Britt’s children – Britt’s useless!” As Siôn protests that he has done a lot for the children, she shouts, “What a joke!”

"You drove me off the rails!"

Chester has joined them and interrupts, “Siôn has done a lot for us – he was there for us when you were in a mess. You drove me off the rails! You’re the one behind everything bad that’s happened!”

"It's all your fault – you're so messed up!"

As Britt’s anger grows, he continues, “Look at us now! Four of us in a cramped flat above the chip shop. It’s all your fault – you’re so messed up!

"Why can't you be a normal mother?"

“Why can’t you be a normal mother?”

The noise attracts some attention

As all the pub customers turn to watch the altercation,

Britt barks the orders

Britt explodes, “Don’t say another word – understand? Go home!” Chester is adamant that he will not go back to the flat, and asks Siôn if he can live at Y Felin. “But you hate Siôn – you always have!” Britt snarls; Chester informs her that, on the contrary, it is her that he hates.

"You don't know the half of it!"

“All right – turn to Siôn, Cwmderi’s saint! You don’t know the half of it about him!” roars Britt. Gwyneth considers it is time she and Siôn left, but Chester encourages his mother to tell everyone there exactly what she means.

"Honesty is always the best policy!"

She turns to face Siôn; “Honesty is always the best policy, isn’t it!”

Siôn knows exactly what is coming

Then, as he grimaces, she adds, “He’s a thief! Listen to this, everybody – he stole money from Bethania’s coffers to pay for this place!”

Iolo is devastated, and demands whether this allegation is true; “She doesn’t know what she’s saying!” insists Siôn.

"I was married to him!"

Britt will not be stopped; “I was married to him! I had to suffer his guilty conscience for months! He’s lucky I didn’t tell anyone sooner!”

"The stress is too much for you"

Siôn recommends that she should take a few days off, as she cannot cope with all the stress.

Garry will not be happy about Britt throwing customers out

“Go away, will you?” she bawls, “And you, Gwyneth – all of you, get out!” All the pub customers silently troop out, leaving only Colin, who enquires if she is all right.

Even poor old Colin is given his marching orders

“Get out, Colin!” is her reply.

A nice bowl of soup for Sam

Sam arrives at Anita’s just in time for their meal; as she serves the soup, she moans, “Dol is the cause of all these rules – it’s like being back at school!