Cwmderi Diary 2016: 1 September 2016

Gwyneth makes small talk

Siôn is standing in the garden when Gwyneth joins him; “Did you sleep well?” she asks, “There’s not room to turn in that single bed. Was it your old bedroom?” He replies that it was his brother David’s room.

"I'm trying to imagine what it was like"

“I’m trying to imagine what it was like when all the Whites lived here,” she goes on, and he remembers that they were happy, like all the families who lived there. He has fitted back in now very quickly, but remarks that Gwyneth would not understand, as she is not one of them.

Siôn does not seem receptive to her arguments

When she starts taking about what lies ahead for him, Siôn tries to shut her up. “You still think you’ll be sent to prison, that’s your problem – but it’s not likely,” she tells him, “Life won’t seem so bleak when it’s all over, and we’ll be able to settle in Y Felin. We’ll show the people in Cwmderi we can be happy together.”

"You're wasting your time!"

She has been moving closer to him, but as she leans forward to kiss him, he warns, “You’re wasting your time.” She urges him not to throw away all his hard work over the years.

"Go back to Cwmderi!"

Going back into the house, he hands her the crash helmet and tells her to go back to Cwmderi. “And leave you alone with the woman next door?” says Gwyneth, “I know there’s something going on – I saw you arriving home the other night!”

Siôn is becoming angry

He protests that Jackie is simply a good neighbour, but Gwyneth’s reaction is, “Let’s see what she has to say about it!” and bangs violently on the wall.

"Forget about her!"

Despite Tyler’s insistence that he should forget about her, Iolo is still looking at photos of Meleri;

"What made her so violent?"

“It’s hard to believe such a jolly girl could do that! What made her so violent?” Tyler dismisses her as a psycho, but Iolo continues, “I’m trying to remember whether she was drunk or on drugs . . . I don’t think she was – it doesn’t make sense.”

Kelly is sent that same photo

He sends a photo of Meleri to Kelly.

Siôn alleges he was running away from Gwyneth . . .

Jackie has come round from next door, and Siôn alleges, “Gwyneth has been chasing me for a while – that’s one reason why I moved back here.”

. . . and Jackie is puzzled

Jackie cannot understand why Gwyneth is saying that they are in a relationship. “But if you are who you say you are, I’m not sure what you want me to do,” she says, puzzled.

"You're taking advantage of him!"

Gwyneth maintains, “Siôn is going through a difficult time, and you’re taking advantage of him – trying to get off with him!” Jackie protests that they hardly know each other.

Gwyneth then explains that Siôn is going through a divorce, which has been stressful for him, and she does not want to turn her back on him.

"Leave us alone!"

She forcefully tells Jackie, “Leave us alone to sort this out!”

Jackie knows when she is not wanted

When Jackie has taken the hint and gone,

"I think I dealt with that quite well"

Gwyneth congratulates herself, “I think I dealt with that quite well – you don’t have to live a lie any more.”

"Just leave, will you?"

Siôn does not agree with her; “Leave, will you? You’ve ruined everything I had here – I can’t forgive you for that!” Gwyneth boasts that she did not mention the court case,

"We're both going back home!"

and instructs him that they are both going home to Cwmderi, to prepare for the sentencing.

"Get out before I throw you out!"

He answers explosively, “How many more times? I’m not going! Get out before I throw you out!” She does so.

Tyler is engaged in painstaking work . . .

Dani and Tyler are placing stickers over the names

. . . before . . .

‘Joanne and Peter” on the invitations,

. . . and after

while Iolo is, predictably, studying his phone; he suddenly announces, “You two can do that – I have to go and price a job. Not sure when I’ll be back.”

"He has that Meleri Dafydd on the brain!"

Tyler muses, “He has that Meleri Dafydd on the brain. I feel sorry for Joanne and Peter, having to cancel – maybe our wedding is jinxed too!”

"Is it safe to come in now?"

In Tylorstown, Jackie has seen Gwyneth leaving and comes back to see Siôn; he says,

"That must have given you a shock"

“Hearing all that must have given you a shock,” and confirms that it was the truth.

“You said there was no-one else after losing Gwen,” she admonishes him, and after he has expressed his shame at what he has done over the years,

"I'm here if you want to talk"

assures him that she is there, if he wants to talk.

"I've always been a man of principles"

“I’ve always been a man of principles – I fought for the language and the Welsh way of life. That’s why I became chapel leader and bought the local pub to give the village a community centre,” he tells her.

"I used the chapel money to buy the pub"

“I loved being at the forefront, but started to think I had the right to do whatever I wanted - I used chapel money to buy the pub, persuading myself that it was a loan. But it was theft, and I got caught – I’m supposed to be in court tomorrow.

"I want to start over again with a clean slate"

“I might get sent to prison – that’s why I escaped back here! I have no intention of going to court – I want to start over again with a clean slate. I regret leaving this place and trying to be someone I wasn’t!”

"Don't be too hard on yourself"

Jackie urges him not to be too hard on himself.

Kelly finds Meleri's photographic website

Kelly finds the website of ‘Meleri Frames’, an artistic photographer,

"Yes, that's her address!"

and Iolo confirms that her address proves she is the same girl. “How can someone who makes photos like that assault someone so viciously?” he wonders,

"I have to meet her!"

“I have to meet her – I can’t wait for the court to find answers!”

Despite Kelly’s loud protests that this is not a good idea, he rushes from the house, with her in hot pursuit;

"You're not going on your own!"

“You’re not going on your own!” she shouts,

They look at each other . . .

joins him in the van,

. . . and leave Cwmderi

and they drive off.

"You have to deal with what you've done"

In the garden, Jackie tells Siôn, “We’re here to help each other, whatever the circumstances. You have to deal with what you’ve done – not run away, or you’ll end up in even more trouble. You can’t carry on with these lies.”

"I've let Simon down as well!"

Siôn fears that Simon will feel let down when he hears the truth, but she assures him that he has had some hard knocks,

"Don't let your past hold you back"

like losing his son, Alan, in a road accident a few years ago; “But not everyone lets their past hold them back!” she advises.

"I should have brought coffee and sarnies!"

Sitting outside Meleri’s address, Kelly comments, “If I knew we would be waiting, I would have brought coffee and sarnies – I’m starving!”

"Look – there she is!"

Then Iolo catches sight of their quarry, and resolves that he has to talk to her. He jumps out of the van, and Kelly follows.

Kelly look seriously mean here

Meleri answers the door, but as soon as she sees Iolo, she tries to shut it again.

"We're not going to hurt you"

Iolo assures her they will not hurt her; however she just wants them to leave, saying she has broken her bail conditions by seeing him.

But Kelly sounds as if she might!

Kelly is angry; “What about Iolo? What about the hell you’ve put him through? He deserves an explanation!”

"I'll call the police!"

When Meleri threatens to call the police, Kelly beats a retreat, dragging Iolo with her.

She is glad that is over . . .

“Leave it, or we’ll be arrested,” she warns, and from the window,

. . . and watches them go

Meleri watches them return to the van.

"I shall be on the allotment this weekend"

Siôn arrives at the Cash and Carry, where Simon tells him he will be spending the weekend on the allotment, and invites Siôn to Sunday lunch.

"Sorry to hear about your son"

Siôn advises him that he has resigned from the job, and commiserates with Simon over the loss of his son.

"We were determined not to lose the plot"

“Carys and I were determined not to lose the plot – being bitter would only make his short life meaningless,” he says.

A farewell hug

They shake hands, then hug, and Siôn leaves the warehouse.

"You need to knock some sense into your father's head!"

As soon as Iolo’s van arrives back in the village, Gwyneth is haranguing him, “You need to knock some sense into your father’s head – he needs to be in court tomorrow. It’s you who will have to tell the police where he is – I don’t want anyone pointing the finger at me.”