Cwmderi Diary 2016: 17 October 2016

Ffion is sure she heard a noise

In the early hours, Ffion hears a noise and goes to investigate, followed by Gethin.

"I'm certain I shut this door!"

“I’m certain I shut this door when we went to bed,” she says,

Gethin finds a handy weapon

and Gethin arms himself with a heavy object; he stealthily creeps towards the sofa,

Arwen plays, oblivious of the panic she has caused

only to discover Arwen, playing with her doll. She jumps up and runs to her mother.

Britt is vacuuming in the Deri when the post arrives,

New licensee details

and she opens a package containing a new licensee plate to go above the pub door.

"How is Chester?"

Dani is surprised to see her back in the village; “I haven’t seen you since Chester went to the detention centre. How is he?”

"He's probably all right"

Britt reveals that she does not know, adding, “Life must go on.”

Then she sees a letter from the council, which Dani opens, discovering that the road can be closed for the wedding.

"Have you measured the road?"

“Have you measured the road? We shall need extra tables, as there are not enough here!” says Britt.

"No, I haven't got time for a chat"

Dani wants her to go upstairs for a chat, but she insists that she has to finish what she is doing.

Siôn hears a cry from the bathroom

At Y Felin, Siôn hears an anguished cry from upstairs,

"There's no hot water!" (But there now is something up those stairs!)

“There’s no hot water!”

Siôn is not a lot of use in this situation

He can see that the boiler is not working, but has no idea what to do about it.

"I've got some kind of bug"

Ffion phones the school, telling them she has a bug, then advises Gethin that she is not going anywhere, and neither is Arwen; “I’m not going to let her out of my sight, just in case!”

Gethin doubts he can protect them

Gethin admits that he was really scared this morning; “I almost couldn’t move – I’m not sure that I can take care of us. What if someone had broken in? I can’t do anything if I’m going to freeze!”

"Who is going to protect us, then?"

“Who is going to protect us, then?” demands Ffion, “I’m going to take Arwen to Elinor’s – she’ll be safer there, if you can’t take care of us!”

Iolo sorts out the pilot tube

Iolo quickly sorts out the boiler problem, caused by a dirty pilot tube. Siôn tells him that Britt always dealt with that kind of thing, but it ought to be his responsibility. “I should be able to take care of simple practical tasks – would you give me some lessons? Just simple boiler maintenance – I don’t want to have to rely on someone else.”

"First lesson – cup of tea!"

If they are going to start right away, the first essential thing is a cup of tea, according to Iolo. “I can work a kettle,” Siôn assures him.

"What will you do if it rains?"

Britt mutters about something being wrong with the till, and asks, “What are you going to do if it rains on the wedding day?”

"It's not the weather troubling you – it's Chester!"

Dani replies that she is not really worried about the weather, but about Chester, and that Garry will want to know how he is.

"Garry's only concerned about himself!"

Britt however snarls, “He’s only concerned about himself – why didn’t he see me before going to Greece? I’m his sister and Chester is his nephew – I’d like to forget him right now! Chester is my son, and it’s up to me how I deal with it!”

Dani is losing her cool

When Dani tries to reason with her, Britt continues, “Stop your psychology, Dani! Your husband left you here on your own. Chester had to go away – Garry didn’t! He could have stayed here!”

Boiler components in Welsh

Siôn looks at the boiler and recites, “Pilot tube, igniter, gas control valve and burners.” Iolo congratulates him on being able to name them

"And you translated them as well!"

and translate them into Welsh. Gwyneth interrupts to tell Siôn he needs to do some translation work, or it will not matter if the boiler is working, as they will not be able to afford to pay the gas bill.

"You have to make an effort and look for work!"

“You haven’t had a contract since the court case – you have to make an effort and look for work,” Gwyneth goes on,

"I've got no motivation, Iolo"

but Siôn tells Iolo that he does not have any motivation, as translation is lonely work, but it is time he got a grip.

"You could do something else"

Iolo points out that he does not have to return to translation just because Gwyneth says so, but could do something else. “What, like a plumber?” suggests Siôn, “But I’m too old to change over.”

"His hair is not as white as yours, but he's the same age"

Iolo counters this with, “There’s a plumber in Llandeilo, and two years ago he was teaching history. His hair is not as white as yours, but he’s the same age, and now he has a successful business.”

Not another full breakfast for DJ?

While DJ demolishes another full breakfast in the café, Gethin phones DS Davies;

Gethin does not like what he hears

“Is there any way we could have police protection? You’re meant to protect witnesses,” but is disappointed with the response.

Desperate attempts to extract tomato ketchup

As DJ vainly attempts to extract more tomato ketchup,

"What would you do?"

Gethin joins him and asks, “If anyone threatened Cadno and the boys, and the police didn’t take you seriously, what would you do?”

“Look after them myself, I suppose,” is the answer,

"Is someone threatening Ffion?"

“Why? Is someone threatening Ffion or what?” Gethin explains that a dangerous thug is threatening them, they cannot sleep, and Ffion will not leave the flat.

"How difficult is it to get a gun?"

He asks how difficult it would be to get hold of a gun.

DJ does not want to know

DJ is shocked; “You wouldn’t know what to do with a gun! I’m not getting involved – it’s illegal and you don’t have a licence – look what happened to me!”

The Cwmderi Dragon bellows at Gwyneth

Gwyneth gets an earful from Diane over the phone for not being at Awyr Iach; “That was the Cwmderi Dragon!” she tells Siôn.

"I feel like a change of direction"

Siôn has changed his mind and asks Iolo if he needs some help, as he does feel like a change of direction, if Iolo shows him the ropes.

This does not seem to accord with Gwyneth's plans

This displeases Gwyneth; “Its all right having a hobby, like learning basic plumbing, but there’s work to be done here and you’ll have to pay for it.” Siôn protests that this is not a hobby, but he sees it as a chance to try something new. She replies, scathingly, “You ran away to the Rhondda to look for change, and it didn’t work – now you’re trying to reinvent yourself!”

"There's nothing wrong with that!"

When Iolo says that there is nothing wrong with the idea, as people are doing it all the time, but Gwyneth is becoming increasingly angry;

"It's a stupid idea!"

“It’s a stupid idea! You don’t think Siôn has any chance of success, do you? You’re not at all practical!”

Siôn informs her, “You don’t have much faith in me, do you? I’m going to prove to you that I can do it!”

"You'll do well, Dad!"

Iolo confirms that he could do with the help, and is confident that his father can do well.

Gethin continues the pressure on DJ; “If Garry were around, I’d go to see him, but he’s not.”

"I'm not the local gun-runner!"

DJ answers, “So I’m the local gun-runner when Garry’s not around! I’m not helping anyone make the same mistake as I did – just forget it!”

Proudly displayed above the door

Iolo has just fitted the new sign above the Deri’s door, and Dani tells him that Britt says she is never going to visit Chester;

"That doesn't sound like Britt"

he replies that it does not sound like the Britt he knows.

"You have the right to intervene"

DJ goes straight round to Y Felin and tells Siôn, “As you’re Arwen’s grandfather, you have the right to intervene. Gethin said he had been threatened by thugs – something has certainly scared him!

"I don't have to remind you about what happens"

“Gethin does not know anything about using a gun – I don’t have to remind you about what can happen if things go wrong.”

Gethin searches Garry's address book

At the garage, Gethin goes through Garry’s address book, and dials a number; in English he says,

"I'm Garry's associate"

“This is Gethin Thomas, Garry’s associate – I’m hoping you could help me with something.

"I need a gun"

“I need a gun.” At this, the line goes dead.

Britt is not pleased to see Dani

Dani visits Britt in her flat, and is accompanied by Iolo;

"What's stopping you?"

he says, “Dani tells me you’re not going to visit Chester – why not? What’s stopping you?”

"I can't face seeing Chester locked up"

“I’m scared that it will break my heart – I can’t face seeing Chester locked up!” she wails, “He’ll beg me to help him, and I can’t. I won’t be able to take that – I’ve never faced anything like this!”

Iolo enquires whether she is strong enough to live with the guilt of not going to see Chester.

"Someone is more scared than you!"

“I know you’re scared, but someone is more scared than you! If I were him, I’d be desperate to see my mother. When I was his age, I missed my Mam terribly, but it was impossible to see her – it’s not impossible for Chester.”

Britt realises what she has to do . . .

Britt is in tears as she looks at Iolo

. . . as she looks at Chester's photo

and across to the photo of Chester. “Dani, there’s an envelope in the kitchen with a number on it – phone it and book a visit!” she says.

"What's going on, Ffion?"

Siôn goes to Cysgod y Glyn, and asks Ffion what is going on.

Ffion tells him the whole story

She tells him the whole story, and how the police want them to give evidence. Siôn asks the name of the thug,

"Craig Aubrey? He's dangerous!"

and when he hears it is Craig Aubrey, he stresses that it is important that he goes to prison.

"Gethin is after a gun!"

Gethin arrives home, and Siôn tells him of the visit from DJ; “Gethin asked DJ to find him a gun – what would happen if Arwen got hold of it – like Gwern did last Christmas? Remember what happened to Britt?”