Cwmderi Diary 2016: 18 November 2016

"This won't be any good to us now"

Jason intends to take the toy bicycle to Maenan, as he does not consider it will be suitable for their baby; “I expect that from your mother, but not from you!” scolds Sara, “We should challenge a child with Downs Syndrome with all kinds of activities – and it has stabilisers.

"Are you getting cold feet?"

“Are you getting cold feet after what your Mam said? What did she say yesterday? Did she try to persuade you to get rid of it? I know your Mam’s tactics – thinks she can twist you round her little finger – but I won’t let her!”

"Am I doing the right thing?"

Eileen sadly opens the shop and asks Colin if she is doing the right thing; “It’s only two days after the funeral.” He assures her he can take care of the shop; “I don’t want to go back upstairs,” she tells him, “Jim is lying awake, and doesn’t want to get up or talk!”

"Can you do a shift at the chippy?"

Britt comes into the shop, asking Colin if he can do a shift at the chippy at lunchtime.

Colin has promised to look after the shop

He regrets that he cannot, as he has promised Eileen to look after the shop. Britt is put out by this,

"I can always rely on Madge!"

and snarls, “I shall ask Madge then – I can always rely on her!” and storms out of the shop.

"As you're here, looking after me!"

At Y Felin, Gwyneth comes downstairs, announcing, “I’m feeling better – especially as you’re here, looking after me.”

She gives the impression of dreading being alone

She is rather dismayed when Siôn tells her he has to go to the Deri for an hour, as there is a meeting to discuss the way forward after Courtney’s funeral. “I don’t want to be on my own,” she whines,

"Well, why not come wirth me?"

so Siôn suggests that she comes with him.

She calculates how best to progress with her plan

After weighing up the situation, she agrees that she would feel safer there with him.

Jason snaffles Esthers crisps

In the Deri, Jason is pretending to steal Esther’s crisps;

"You were lucky to escape injury'

Sheryl tells Sara she is lucky to have escaped unscathed by the accident.

"Our baby is called 'Bumps'!"

Jason reveals they are temporarily calling their baby, ‘Bumps’. Sheryl laughs, “In a year or two, Bumps and Esther will be getting up to mischief together – you’d like a friend, wouldn’t you?”

There are plans for a permanent memorial

A deputation, Hywel and Iolo, inform Eileen of the plan to erect a permanent memorial where the flowers are now,

"Perhaps a plaque on the wall"

a plaque on the wall, perhaps. CwmFM is eager to have a tribute programme, or Carol service,

Eileen is in favour of these ideas

which Eileen says will an opportunity for everyone, as they had a private funeral.

She also insists that the Christmas decorations in the village and the rugby club grotto should go ahead as usual; “Courtney was full of life – she would want everything to carry on as normal,” she maintains.

"We're having a meeting at the Deri"

Hywel informs her that there is a meeting to discuss what would be appropriate.

"I didn't want to be away from Siôn"

In the Deri, Gwyneth explains to Jason and Sara that she is only there as she did not want to be away from Siôn. Sara tells her not to come back to work at Awyr Iach until she feels ready. “I had a funny turn yesterday,” says Gwyneth, “Thank goodness Siôn was there!”

"Courtney would want everything to go on as normal"

Eileen comes in to tell them that the best way to remember Courtney is to continue with Christmas as usual. Colin is very proud of her, and buys her a drink.

"We need to start planning"

Hywel suggests to Siôn they should start arranging a Memorial concert, and has to take Esther home, so Siôn accompanies him there,

"You'll be all right here – I'll come and fetch you"

first being careful to assure Gwyneth that she will be all right without him, as she is surrounded by friends.

She still whimpers, “Are you leaving me?”

Iolo knows exactly what she is playing at

and Iolo is watching her closely.

"We made a decision, didn't we, Eileen?"

At the bar, Colin tells Britt, “We made a decision, didn’t we, Eileen – life must go on!” Britt strongly objects to the ‘we’; Eileen confirms that Colin has been a great support to her.

"You're a saint, aren't you?"

Britt protests, “You’re a saint, aren’t you, Colin? At the shop at least. I needed help at the chip shop, but you promised to be with Eileen! And here you are, buying her drinks!

"I'm struggling here!"

“You’re lucky, Eileen, because I’m struggling – here and at the chippy, looking after Catrin and Aaron, while my other son is locked up. I’m without any help – especially from Colin!”

Colin strongly disapproves

Colin reprimands her that this is neither the time nor the place, and she ensures she has the last word; “You’re not my partner these days – you’re her poodle!” Eileen decides that she no longer wants that drink, and leaves, as Colin glowers at Britt.

Britt is very flustered and short-staffed

Later, Britt is panicking in the chippy; apparently Madge had to leave early, as her brother fell and broke his wrist. She is not pleased when Colin walks in and demands that she go and apologise to Eileen for her outburst; he sternly advises, “After all she’s been through, she went to the Deri and you turned on her like that! That was a very nasty thing to do.”

"I wanted you to know I'm fed up!"

Britt argues that she just wanted him to know she is fed up,

"There's no excuse for that!"

but he is unmoved; “Yes, but Eileen got hurt and there’s no excuse for that!”

"Wil was a handful at times"

Sheryl waxes lyrical about the joys of motherhood; “Wil was a handful at times, but I love him to bits – and Esther is different again.

"Even now, people take a second glance"

“A few people in the village thought I was wrong to bring her here, even now people take a second glance – a Mam and daughter so different, but I don’t care now, because Esther is a precious gem, and no-one can change that!”

"You're an inspiration to us, Sheryl"

Sara declares that it is time they went home, and Gwyneth follows their lead.

"He said he was coming back for you"

“I thought that Dad was coming back for you,” comments Iolo, but she assures him that she feels better after being there,

"Yesterday was simply a one-off!"

and is sure that what happened yesterday was simply a one-off.

"I wanted to tell Sheryl"

When they arrive home at number 9, Sara admits, “When Sheryl was talking about Esther, I wanted to tell her about our child. I was nervous – I’m a coward –

"I'm angry with myself!"

“yesterday I was cursing your mother, and today in the Deri I found it difficult to tell friends. I’m angry with myself!”

"It was not the time or place"

Jason tries to reassure her, “Perhaps it was not the right time, and the Deri not the right place. Sara continues her fretting, wondering if Esther and her friends would treat their child differently, and what if he or she had no friends.

"Together we're strong, aren't we?"

Jason emphasises, “We’ve talked about this – there’s no way of telling until it happens. We can’t force other children to play with Bumps – but together we’re strong, aren’t we?”

Sheryl receives an anguished phone call

Sheryl is about to leave the Deri when she receives a phone call; “Where are you? Stay there, I’m coming!” she says and urges Iolo to come with her.

Gwyneth puts on another panic attack

Gwyneth is leaning on the wall by the salon, feigning a panic attack once more. Sheryl is of the opinion they should take her to the surgery,

"No, we'll take her home"

but Iolo says, “No, we’ll take her home to catch her breath.”

There is obviously something wrong with her

As Gwyneth puts on her best agonised expressions,

We have not seen him before!

they lead her along the street.

"I had a lot on my mind"

Eileen is not very receptive when Britt visits the flat, allegedly to apologise for her earlier comments. “I am sorry,” she insists, “I had a lot on my mind,”

"But very small, compared to your problems"

and Colin points out that she means that her problems are very small, compared to Eileen’s.

"I'm concerned about Chester"

As Colin makes a cup of tea, Britt returns to her usual subject, “I’m concerned about Chester in prison –

"Do I look concerned?"

“he’s never been away from home before – and Garry’s not here!” Then she arrives at the real reason she is there; “Colin, can you make tea for Catrin and Aaron?”

"No, I can't leave the shop!"

Colin explains that he cannot do that, or there would be no-one in the shop. “Yeah, right, OK!” says Britt and flounces off.

"Thank you for trying!"

Eileen smiles at Colin; “You told her to come, didn’t you? Thank you for trying!”

Gwyneth arrives back at Y Felin

Siôn is concerned when Gwyneth is escorted home to Y Felin; “She’s worse than yesterday!” he says.

"What a stupid thing to do!"

Iolo comments, “What a stupid thing to do – walking home, when you said you were coming to get her! I told her not to leave the Deri, but she insisted – that’s a bit weird, isnt it?”

"I'm keeping my beady eye on you, Gwyneth!"

Siôn only replies that she is in a terrible state.

Jason must be in a black spot – no service on his phone

Sara assumes that Jason is texting someone, but actually he he is putting a new photo on his phone; as he shows her, he remarks, “Bumps, a work in progress.