16 November 2016

"Do you think Angela will turn up?"

As Jim puts on his black tie, he tells Eileen, “I’m on tenterhooks – do you think Angela will turn up?   I don’t trust her!”   

"She wouldn't cause a scene"

Eileen replies that the last thing Angela would want to do is to cause a scene at the funeral.   

"She was quite prepared to spoil her sister's wedding!"

“She was quite prepared to spoil her sister’s wedding!” he protests.

Sioned seeks Ed's opinion

Sioned asks Ed’s opinion of her hat;  

He tries to be diplomatic . . .

he diplomatically answers that she needs something to stop her hair blowing around.   She decides she will have to make sure it is secure, and Ed, rather inadvisably, 

. . . but then spoils it

comments, “Your head’s big enough!”

"I'll be there by your side!"

“I know that today is a big day for you, but I’ll be there by your side!” Sioned assures him, but strangely he does not look in the least relieved.

"Ooh – chocolate brownie!"

Anita brings some chocolate brownies to add to the other food laid on at the Deri, and Kelly snatches one from the plate.   Anita reveals that is the third one she has eaten;  

"They're delicious!"

“The smell from the oven was like a magnet,” Kelly confesses, “They’re delicious!”

Eifion looks sombre

They look across at Eifion, sitting in the corner with Cadno;  Dani remarks, “I would have banned him, but Cadno begged me not to.”

"They will treat me like dirt"

Eifion tells Cadno that it is hard to ignore all the comments;  “They will treat me like dirt as long as I stay in Cwmderi!”   

"They'll be talking about another scandal next month!"

Despite Cadno’s assertion that they will all be talking about another scandal next month, he goes on, “I won’t get a chance to clear my name – no-one will believe me!”

"No, I can't face it, Geth!"

Gethin comes in to announce that the hearse is approaching, and all except Dani troop outside to watch;  she says she cannot face it.   

Eifion watches the hearse . . .

Eifion is close to tears 

. . . containing Courtney's coffin

as the hearse passes;  

The four mourners follow the hearse

Eileen, Jim, Sioned and Ed process behind it down the High Street.

"Double whisky, please!"

Back in the Deri, Eifion orders a double whisky, 

"To Courtney!"

and saying, “To Courtney!” downs it in one gulp, then orders another, 

"Come and sit over here"

which Cadno does not think is a good idea.

Anita tells Kelly, “It is the toughest thing to face, burying your own child.   The hearse was very elegant,” 

Kelly found it quite moving

and Kelly was quite choked to see the flowers spelling out Courtney’s name.   

"What sort of a farewell is that?"

Debbie considers that it is very strange, with only four mourners following, asking what sort of a farewell that is.

Anita had heard a rumour from Colin that Angela had been seen in the village, but Gethin casts doubts upon Colin’s accuracy.   Nevertheless, Anita would not be surprised if she did turn up.

". . . in our suffering and loss"

At the graveside, the minister intones, “O Lord, give our family strength today in their suffering and loss.”

They are in tears . . .

The four mourners are all in tears, 

. . . and Ed sobs uncontrollably

especially Ed, who sobs loudly, 

Courtney Probert, 1999 – 2016

interrupting the proceedings.

"We are all here for the same reason"

In the Deri, Debbie offers her own eulogy, “I know this is not an official funeral, but we are all here for the same reason – to remember Courtney and bid her farewell.   I was fortunate to know her well, as she was a close friend of Ricky.”

Gethin's phone plays a loud, discordant tune

Gethin’s phone sounds loudly, and he tells Ffion that he is still at the Deri.   Eifion urges him, “Show some respect!”

Debbie continues that as Courtney did not have her own mother in the village recently, she looked upon Debbie as a mother figure.   

"That's what she'd like to think!"

“She’d like to think so, but it’s not true!” comments Anita.   

"I'm going to the toilet"

As Debbie goes on, Eifion gets up, saying he is going to the toilet.

A welcome interruption to Debbie's speech

“She was so popular, and I shall miss her terribly,” drones on Debbie, but Dani loudly interrupts, inviting them all to drink a toast to Courtney.   Various people query Debbie’s statements about being a mother to Courtney, so she snarls, “OK, if Angela is such a mother to her – where is she today?”

As Eifion approaches . . .

In the cemetery, Courtney’s favourite music is playing when Jim sees Eifion approaching;  he immediately gives the instruction to turn off the music, 

. . . Jim declares the service is over

stating grimly, “The service is over!”   

"I only want to say goodbye"

Eifion explains that he has not come to cause trouble but wants to say goodbye, and adds that he has not done anything wrong.

"If her mother can stay away, so can you!"

All the four mourners tell him to leave, with Jim adding, “If her mother can stay away, so can you!”   

Jim has to be restrained

Jim lunges towards Eifion and he is restrained by Eileen and the minister.

Devastated, Eifion walks away

Eifion sadly turns and makes his way out of the cemetery.

Gethin has checked, and found that Eifion is not in the toilet;  

"He should decide what to do"

Cadno says he should be allowed to decide what to do.   Kelly argues that he cannot ignore the funeral, as he was close to Courtney.   “And maybe more, from what they’re all saying,” Debbie adds.   

"That's why I keep it zipped!"

Kelly stresses that she does not know what happened, and that is why she is keeping her mouth zipped.

Ffion knows all about false accusation

From personal experience, Ffion confirms, “The people of Cwmderi like to pass judgment without knowing the facts,” and Cadno appreciates the support.

"Eat these and behave yourselves!"

Dani reminds everyone, “We are supposed to be remembering Courtney, not holding a Kangaroo Court for Eifion!   Now, eat these and behave yourselves!”

"I shouldn't have gone"

Eifion is walking back along the street, and tells Cadno he should not have gone, but wanted to pay his last respects.   

"Jim decides who is allowed to grieve!"

“Jim wouldn’t let me!   It’s his decision who is allowed to grieve – who has the right to feel a sense of loss!   I’m going home, out of everyone’s way!”

"What happened to you there?"

At the cemetery, Sioned is very scathing;  “What happened to you there?   

"A man doesn't behave like that!

“You made a real fool of yourself!   Why did you cry like that?   A man doesn’t behave like that!”   

"I'm very stressed"

He replies that his emotions overcame him, but she protests, “Everyone else is stressed, but no-one else cried like a baby though the service!   What are Mam and Jim going to think?   

"All the attention has to be on you!"

“Even at a funeral, all the attention has to be on you!   Come on, we’re leaving.”

They are home from the funeral

Back home, Jim is ranting about Eifion spoiling the funeral.   

"It would have been better to have a public funeral"

Eileen points out that if it had been public, he would not have been noticed in a large crowd.

"He even walked up to the grave!"

“He even walked up to the grave as well!   

"I could have strangled him!"

“I could have strangled him, thrown him in the grave and buried him alive!” Jim shouts.   Then he checks himself;  “No, I could never have done that – because my little girl’s body is in that grave – and I don’t want him to go near her ever again!   But I should have given him a thrashing!”

"You have to deal with your emotions!"

Eileen tells him that he needs to deal with his emotions, reminding him that she has lost a child too, and now a grand-daughter.   He answers that she still has Sioned – and Angela;  “But Courtney was my only child – now I don’t have anyone left!”

A cup of coffee for Eifion

Eifion sits at home, and Cadno brings him a cup of coffee;  

"I felt I had to be there!"

“Something forced me to go over there – I felt I had to be there!” he tells her.   Then DJ arrives, having been to the Deri to find Cadno;  

"Bobi and Arthur are waiting in the car"

he has Bobi and Arthur in the car.   

Cadno and DJ leave for Penrhewl

Cadno goes home with him.

Ed remembers Courtney

When Sioned comes in, she finds Ed looking at a photo of Courtney on Eileen’s and Jim’s wedding day.   

"Your track record with young girls"

She interrogates him, “What did she mean to you?   I know you were like a father to her when you were with Angela – but nothing more?   Thinking of your track record with young girls, I want a straight answer!   There’s an age gap between us – and there’s that business with Vicky – she’s younger than you.”

"Stop it, Sioned!"

He implores her to stop, but of course she will not;  “When Courtney died, she was having a fling with someone – the father, somewhere in Cwmderi, who is trying to keep it a secret!   

"I'm with a man who chases young girls!"

“And I’m with a man who likes living a double life and who chases young girls!”

"I think you should listen!"

Ed has had enough and refuses to listen to any more of this.   “I think you should!” she advises ominously, “I don’t trust you, Ed, and no-one would blame me, would they?”

Cadno explains to DJ

DJ seems to be quite accepting of the fact that Eifion was upset and Cadno merely made him some coffee;  

"I'll call the boys for their pizzas"

“I’ll call the boys before their pizzas burn,” he tells her.

"You'll give yourself a heart attack!"

Eileen worries that Jim will give himself a heart attack;  

"My heart's in pieces anyway!"

“I can’t eat or sleep – I don’t care what happens any more!” he replies, “My heart is in pieces anyway!   Sometimes I don’t want to live any more – I’ve had enough!   Why am I being like this?   

"Why am I angry all the time?"

“Why am I angry all the time – not just with Eifion, but with myself?”

"Angela is at fault"

Eileen calls him to come and sit down;  “Angela is at fault, leaving a gaping hole in our life,” he complains, “But I should have stepped in – she needed someone strong to fill the gap.”

"Teenage girls need their independence"

Eileen reminds him that Courtney would not accept his interference, as girls of her age need their independence.   She emphasises that what happened was an accident.

"It doesn't make sense!"

He laments, “Why Courtney?   She had her whole life ahead of her!   It doesn’t make sense – nothing does!”

"Sometimes there is no sense – that's life!"

Eileen concludes, “Sometimes there is no sense – no rhyme or reason – that’s life!”