Cwmderi Diary 2016: 13 June 2016

They have had an unsettled night

Esther has been awake much of the night and Sheryl has had little sleep; she worries that it is too warm in the baby’s room.

Meilyr's photo is obscured

Hywel suddenly notices that Meilyr’s photo has has another placed in front of it; “I’ve just put Esther’s photo next to her big brother,” Sheryl assures him.

"I'm going to work"

He hurries off to work.

"Your father's arrest not good for business?"

Iolo is loading his van, and complains to Dai that several customers have cancelled with him; “Your father’s arrest not good for business?” enquires Dai. Iolo explains that his Dad has done nothing wrong –

"It's Britt spreading lies!"

it is simply the result of Britt spreading lies. Then he sees Britt sweeping up outside the chippy, so goes to confront her.

Dai comments to Mark that there is no smoke without fire,

"He's up to his eyes in flames!"

and Mark replies, “If what I’ve heard is true, Siôn’s up to his eyes in flames!”

"It's time you stopped this vendetta!"

Iolo approaches Britt; “It’s about time you stopped this vendetta – people have started cancelling jobs!”

"I'm only telling the truth!"

Britt replies that all she has done is tell the truth, and that she does not care what either he or Siôn thinks.

“He’s going down! Just accept it!” she snarls,

"I'll make damn sure he doesn't drag me down!"

“But I’ll make damn sure he doesn’t drag me down too!”

Dani rescues Iolo

Dani has just walked in, and thinks it is advisable to hustle Iolo out into the street as a matter of urgency.

"What does Wil think about his new sister?"

Anita finds Sheryl and Esther in the shop (where Llinos is serving behind the counter). She asks, “What does Wil think about his new sister?” Sheryl replies that she is going to call him via Skype later.

"Have you considered Wil's feelings?"

“Let’s hope he accepts it,” comments Anita, and Sheryl realises that she has doubts. Anita adds, “Have you considered Wil’s feelings on the matter? There is a great age difference.”

"It's the racial and cultural thing, isn't it?"

“You’re concerned about the racial and cultural differences, aren’t you?” demands Sheryl.

"Cwmderi's Angelina Jolie!"

Then Dai comes in, describing Sheryl as, “Cwmderi’s Angelina Jolie!” Sheryl leaves, telling Esther that they are going to talk to her big brother. Anita asks Dai if she is being too critical.

"It's not right somehow"

He replies, “To be honest, I’m with you on this one. It’s not right somehow taking someone from their family – it’s wrong!”

"There's something you need to know"

Back at number 7, Dani makes Iolo a cup of tea, and tells him, “Look, this isn’t easy, but there’s something you need to know.

"He did steal the money"

“It’s true what people are saying – he did steal money from Bethania. When Britt realised what he had done, she persuaded him to pay it back.”

"Is this what Britt's been saying?"

Iolo assumes that Britt has been saying all this.

"I know, because Garry helped him!"

Dani continues, “I know, because Garry helped him. Your father came to him in a panic, admitted what he had done and was afraid Megan and the chapel members would find out.”

Iolo insists that his father would not do such a thing, and even when told that Garry had loaned him over £15,000, will not accept that Siôn has lied to him.

"Insist he tells you the truth!"

“Maybe he didn’t know how how to tell you,” suggests Dani, “He’s not doing himself any favours by keeping the truth a secret. At least, this way you can help him – ask him again, and insist he tells you the truth – for everyone’s sake!”

Megan reads all about it

In the café, Megan reads the Western Post account of Siôn’s arrest.

"I've been sprucing up the old Cymraig!"

Dol calls Ffion’s attention to the fact she has been, “Sprucing up on the old Cymraig.” Ffion is looking forward to the first Clwb Cloncan (Chat Club), but Dol urges her to keep it light;

"We don't want these mutations!"

“We don’t want these mutations – there’s nothing worse than someone tut-tutting over every sentence!”

Siôn stresses the importance of Welsh grammar

Right on cue, Siôn arrives, and cannot resist giving his opinion; “But you should maintain standards – the structure of grammar is a characteristic of the language.”

"Bet you didn't say that to the sergeant last week!"

Dol deflates him with, “I bet you didn’t say that to the sergeant last week!”

"Do the right thing and tell the truth!"

Megan comes over to admonish Siôn; “Perhaps you’re happy to be ridiculed in the village, but I’m not! Do the right thing and tell the truth!”

"Go and see Sheryl"

Dani rushes up to Hywel by the cashpoint, asking if Esther will like the soft toy she has bought; “Go and ask Sheryl – she’ll be glad of the company,” replies Hywel.

"Avoiding going home, are you?"

Ffion emerges from the café and enquires, “Avoiding going home, are you?” He tells her he did not get much sleep, and there is nothing like the crying of a baby to make someone feel uneasy.

"What's wrong with me?"

“But it was not Esther’s cry I heard,” he continues, “I feel like someone has played a cruel trick on me – I can’t pick her up – I can’t touch her. What’s wrong with me?”

Ffion assures him that it will get better, recalling that it was not easy at first for Jinx to accept Arwen, but he did. “You will come to love her, for Sheryl’s sake.”

"You're telling me the truth, aren't you, Dad?"

In the Deri, Iolo asks his father, “You are telling me the truth, aren’t you? About the money from Bethania – I’m giving you one last chance to tell the truth!”

"Quiet – people are listening"

Siôn replies that he thought they had discussed this before and urges him to keep his voice down, as there are listeners close by.

"Tell me the stories are not true!"

Iolo however continues his demands more loudly; “I know what it’s like having to listen to people tearing you to shreds! I’ve defended you – if I mean anything to you, tell me the stories are not true!”

"All right – I'm guilty!"

Siôn finally admits, “I’m guilty!”

That made them sit up and take notice

and as everyone watches, he adds, “I stole the money from Bethania – happy now?”

I think we should be told who is the young lady behind the bar

Dai remarks, “No wonder you didn’t get ordained!” Siôn protests that if he had not bought the Deri, it would have gone bust, and Dai corrects him, “No, it would have been run by co-operative committee!’

"What's going on?"

Anita has just walked in and demands what is going on, and Dai takes great delight in telling her, “Siôn stole money from Bethania to buy the Deri, right under Meic’s nose!” She is amazed that the rumours are in fact true.

"Hours of thankless work – and for what?"

Siôn stands up and announces to the assembled customers, “I’ve done my best for Cwmderi – I’ve embraced Welsh culture and fought for the language. Hours of thankless work – and for what? So you can pass judgment?” Anita considers they have good reason to do so, and is incensed that he lied to Meic.

They listen with interest

“He knew – I told him at the hospice before we arranged the funeral,”answers Siôn, “He found the whole business quite funny!”

"You make me sick!"

Anita’s reaction is that Meic was a good man, but Siôn simply makes her sick.

They do not want to read a Welsh poem

In the Antur, Ffion, Gethin and the two club participants begin; Ffion wants them to read a Welsh poem and then discuss it. This puts Dol off the idea, and she would rather have the informal chat she was promised.

"A little bird told me . . ."

“Now a little bird told me that Hywel was staying with you,” she begins, in a mixture of Welsh and English, “But now he’s back with Sheryl and a little baby.

"Hywel is quite a dish!"

How do you say in Welsh ‘Hywel is quite a dish’? I’d have him any day!”

"He's Ffion's ex-husband"

After sniggering, Gethin points out to her that Hywel is Ffion’s ex-husband, and Dol reckons, “She hasn’t done too bad with you, mind!”

Esther has calmed down a bit

Dani has gone to see Sheryl, who tells her she only did what she thought was right;

"I couldn't wait to bring her home"

“Her grandmother wanted me to adopt her, and once it was agreed, I couldn’t wait to bring her home, to start a new life with us. That’s why I paid for her gran to fly back with us – but she’s back in Uganda now.”

"You did do it legally?"

This puzzles Dani; “You did do it legally?” she asks, and Sheryl replies that Esther is covered by a visitor passport at the moment,

"When the paperwork is completed . . ."

but in a couple of weeks all the paperwork will have been completed, and they will be safe. “What does Hywel think about this?” Dani enquires,

"So Hywel doesn't know?"

and it becomes clear he knows nothing about it;

"Please don't say anything!"

Sheryl pleads with Dani not to say anything.

"We should show some mercy"

Megan maintains that it is time everyone showed mercy and understanding; Anita calls it, ‘sweeping things under the carpet’ and

"Very convenient - washing your hands of it"

Dai says she is very conveniently washing her hands of the matter.

"I want nothing to do with you – or him!"

Iolo makes it very clear to Britt that he wants no more to do with her – or with his father.

When Ffion suggests it is important to understand different dialects,

"A drink is a drink, wherever you are!"

Dol insists, “A drink is a drink wherever you are!” She will be coming again next week, and compliments Gethin on being,

"An inspirational teacher!"

“An inspirational teacher – the best I’ve ever had!” She kisses him and leaves.

"We need to lighten up"

He is happy; “I enjoyed that! You heard what Dol said – we need to lighten up – it’s not a literary circle. And did you hear what she called me – inspirational?”

"I'll go to Esther"

Hywel arrives home, and when Esther cries, he says he will go to her. Sheryl tells him she will not reopen the salon yet,

"You and Esther are most important to me"

as he and Esther are the most important things at the moment.

Siôn announces he has 'come clean' to the police

Siôn pushes his way into number 7 and admits to Iolo, “I’m glad you forced me to tell the truth! It was such a relief – I’ve talked to the police and am now going to plead guilty.”