Cwmderi Diary 2018: 12 February 2018

Dani is very tired

As Dani is about to go for a lie-down after settling Carol, Garry reports that the deliveryman needs a signature.

"I was up most of the night"

She argues that she was up most of the night, but he sneers, “That’s not my fault, is it?

"The bloke isn't going to wait all day!"

“The bloke isn’t going to wait all day!” so she goes to sign.

"You're Dadi's sweetheart"

Meanwhile he looks at Carol and tells her, “You’re Dadi’s sweetheart, aren’t you?”

Chester is given comprehensive instructions

Before his next driving lesson with DJ, Chester is instructed not to visit the chip shop and to come straight back this time. DJ remarks that he drove very well last time, but Britt points out, “Young men have more accidents than anyone else!”

"I'm a class driver"

Chester maintains that he is a ‘class’ driver,

"You reckon?"

an allegation which Catrin strongly disputes.

Jim thinks about driving lessons

Inside the café, Diane, who is watching them, tells Jim, “It’s a big step for them, learning to drive.” He recalls his last experience of giving a driving lesson.

"You're supposed to be working!"

Dai comes in and demands what he is doing there, as he is supposed to be working.

Jim protests that he is allowed a break; “Workers’ rights? You won’t have those once we leave the EU!” Dai blusters,

"You should employ more workers"

and Diane tells him he should employ more workers. “If we don’t finish this job on time, we won’t be able to afford Jim, let alone more workers,” he replies.

Diane encourages Jim to take as much time as he likes and not to listen to Dai.

"The milk in this tea has turned sour!"

Jim grumbles to her that the milk in his tea has suddenly turned sour.

"Don't carry those boxes"

In the Deri, Garry reproves Dani for carrying heavy boxes, as Britt is listening; “You’ve been up all night!” he says.

"What is going on, Garry?"

Britt demands that he tell her what is going on. “Where did you go? Gwern couldn’t understand what was going on.” Garry replies that he came back because he did not want to hurt the boy,

"I have a business to run"

and that he is going to stay, as he has a business to run.

"Forgiven her, have you?"

Britt asks, “Is she staying as well? Forgiven her, have you?” His reply is that life is too short to bear a grudge.

Catrin does some online research

In the chip shop flat, Catrin is looking at the laptop, and then studies a needle from a sewing kit; Hannah comes visiting,

"Home-made tattoos?"

and sees that Catrin was looking at tattoos online, but expresses doubts when she sees that they are home-made tattoos.

Hannah gives a graphic warning

“One of my friends gave herself one of those,” Hannah remembers, “It was supposed to be a rifle, but looked more like a caterpillar! It was so infected, she had to have it removed by laser in the end – and it cost him a fortune!”

"How about a piercing?"

She advises Catrin that if she wants to look different, she could have a piercing; “I saw a really cool one the other day,” she says, looking it up on her phone,

"This would really suit you"

“That would really suit you – and if you don’t like it, you can just pull it out – easier than a laser!”

Gwen gives Mathew his coffee

Mathew comes into the café and asks Gwen for a coffee; now Dai is there, reading the Western Post.

"I'm surprised you're still around"

Britt arrives, and is surprised that Mathew is still around. “I’ve got every right – I haven’t done anything wrong – I didn’t start it!” he maintains.

"It's getting more like Mafia Wives here!"

“Nefi wen!” comments Dai, “It’s getting more like Mafia Wives here every day!”

Mathew is job-seeking . . .

Mathew looks at the job adverts in the paper and tells Dai that he is staying around,

. . . poring through the job adverts

if he can find a job.

No customers are in the Deri, so Garry complains, “Haven’t you cleared these cases of bottles yet? The customers will trip over them!”

Diane has a gift for the baby

Before he can say anything else, Diane comes in with a little gift for the baby, and remarks that Dani looks tired.

"When the baby sleeps, so should the mother!"

“When the baby sleeps, the mother should sleep – that’s the rule!” she advises, and Garry agrees,

"Yes, you go and see her, Diane"

but stresses that Dani will not listen to him. Diane would like to go and see Carol, and Garry thinks that would be a good idea.

Two-faced Garry smiles sweetly

“I’ve been trying to get Dani to have a cuppa for a while,” he says, and so Diane and Dani go upstairs.

Diane insists she will make the tea

Diane insists that Dani should sit down and she will make the tea; “You should be in bed, you know.”

"Garry's very good with Carol"

Dani maintains that Garry is very good with Carol, but Diane asks, “And how is he with you?” When Dani remains silent,

"Garry doesn't forgive easily"

Diane continues, “I know it’s none of my business, but Garry doesn’t forgive easily, does he?” Dani insists that she and Garry are fine and there is nothing wrong; that is how it is with a new baby. Diane is not convinced by this for a moment.

"Pull in over here, Chester"

On their driving lesson, DJ asks Chester to pull in for a moment, as he drank too much tea this morning; the manoeuvre is completed seamlessly and DJ compliments him.

"I'm going to get my own car"

Chester says is very eager to get his own car, but DJ points out it costs a fortune to run a car, and he will need a job.

DJ hurries for his comfort break . . .

DJ alights, and goes behind a hedge to attend to his call of nature,

. . . but then has an unpleasant surprise

but is distressed to see Chester start up the car and drive away, leaving him stranded in the layby.

Jim is hard at work

Jim is wheeling some concrete blocks from the building that they are working on,

"I've got a helping hand for you"

when Dai informs him that there is a helping hand for him, in the form of Mathew; Jim is quite adamant he does not want any help from him. Dai points out that Mathew is young and experienced.

"Yes, experienced at home-wrecking!"

“Yes, experienced at home-wrecking!” snarls Jim, but Dai insists that Jim needs help, and has not yet cleared half the stuff, while Mathew wants a job.

"He can do the heavy work"

“He’s young and strong – he can do the heavy work – we’ll finish the job in half the time, which means people will be able to enjoy their Patatas Fritas and Spanish omelettes earlier.”

"Well, just stay out of my sight!"

Jim simply warns Mathew to stay out of his sight.

DJ, somewhat disgruntled . . .

DJ marches angrily along the road

. . . finds Chester waiting for him

until he sees Chester in a car park, leaning on the front of the car, waiting for him. He does not regard it as a joke;

"You can't drive off on your own!"

“You can’t just drive off on your own – what if the police had stopped you? That’s the end of your driving lessons! Hand over the keys!”

"You know I wouldn't do anything dangerous"

Chester protests, “You know that I wouldn’t do anything dangerous – you said yourself I was a careful driver.”

He finds himself locked out of the car

He is perturbed that DJ leans across and locks the passenger door. “You’re walking home – it will give you time to think,” is his parting comment before speeding away.

Catrin is now sporting a nose-ring

Catrin now has a ring in her nose, which Hannah describes as looking ‘great’; she is pleased that Catrin did not try to give herself a tattoo.

She comments that Catrin did not seem her normal self this morning,

"Everything is about Chester these days"

and the reply is that everything seems to be about Chester these days.

"He loves being the centre of attention"

“Yes, he does love being the centre of attention,” Hannah agrees.

Catrin says that it is really nice having Hannah around;

"You're like a big sister to me"

“You’re like a big sister to me,” she confides.

She is advised, “The next time he gets on your nerves, come to me – and we can scream together!”

Valentine's day in the Deri

Garry is working on an invitation to a Valentines date night at the Deri; Britt is rather incredulous and describes it as a bit awkward, in the circumstances. He, however, regards it as a good chance to make a profit.

"Carol has a family to help her"

Dani and Diane come downstairs, as Britt hails the idea. Diane assures Dani that she will give any help she can with the baby, but of course, Britt points out that she has a family to help her, and Diane leaves.

"Dani and I make a good team"

Gary assures Britt that he and Dani make a good team,

"Get these printed and distributed"

then takes the memory stick from the laptop, instructing Dani to take it to the printers, and then distribute the leaflets round the village.

"What on earth is that noise?"

He suddenly hears the sound of breaking glass, and goes outside to investigate.

A slight mishap with a couple of glasses

It appears that a wheelbarrow, propelled by Mathew, has knocked over one of the outside tables and has smashed a couple of glasses.

Garry wants Mathew out of here

Garry points out that he does not want to see Mathew around, and warns Dai, “Get him out of here before I finish the job I started in Y Felin!”

Dai is equally intransigent;

"Don't tell me who to employ!"

“Listen, I don’t tell you who to employ in there, so don’t tell me who to employ!” Garry insists that Mathew is kept out of his sight – or Dai will regret it.

"I don't know if you're worth the bother!"

Dai wonders if Mathew is worth the bother, but Jim springs to his defence, maintaining that they have done a lot of work today. Dai wants no more nonsense from Mathew, or he will be out.

Britt is not impressed

Hannah is recording photographic evidence of Catrin’s piercing when Britt arrives home, and demands what that is in her nose. She replies that she only decided to do it this morning,

"I'm your mother!"

but Britt complaints, “And you didn’t think to tell me first? I’m your mother!”

Then she turns her wrath on Hannah;

"You're just like your grandmother!"

“You’re just like your grandmother – poking your nose into our family’s business! Right, we are going to see Diane about this – now!”

"I've learned my lesson, DJ!"

At Bryntirion, Chester is still pleading that he has learned his lesson, and does not have anyone else to give him lessons, but DJ is unmoved.

"He thought he was being funny"

He tells Diane that Chester thought he was being funny, driving off on his own and leaving him in a lay-by. “I knew the car park was just round the corner,” is the lame reply.

Then there is an urgent knocking at the door,

Britt starts throwing her weight about

and Britt marches in, followed by Catrin and Hannah; “Look at her nose! Your granddaughter did this! She should know better!” Britt rants.

Hannah explains that Catrin originally wanted a tattoo,

"Always interfering in people's lives!"

but Britt is now in full flow. “Always interfering in everybody’s lives!”

"So that's the thanks I get!"

Diane is similarly angry; “So that’s the thanks I get for letting DJ teach Chester to drive!”

DJ advises of Chester's 'joke'

DJ adds that that it will not be happening again, as Chester drove off on his own. Hannah is absolutely outraged, and calls Chester an idiot.

"Perhaps if you were a better mother . . ."

Diane makes the inflammatory suggestion that if Britt were a better mother, her children would not behave like this; “You Monks are all the same! I don’t know what kind of future Carol will have!” Britt walks out, followed by Catrin and Chester.

"How about a quiz?"

Dani has been jotting down a few ideas for St Valentine’s day, one of which is a quiz; “A romantic quiz?” asks Garry,

"Who thinks it will be all right after an affair?"

“Yes, you could have questions like ‘who is stupid enough to think it will be all right after an affair?’” Then he notices that the sheet in the cot is wet, and insists that Carol’s nappy needs changing.