Cwmderi Diary 2018: 2 May 2018

Here comes trouble

Wendy creeps along through the alley, checks that no one is looking, then helps herself to an apple displayed outside the shop;

Siôn is doing some babysitting

she sees Siôn with Greta, as Tyler is going to the dentist.

“It’s always a pleasure to look after her – by the way, I met your mother yesterday on the street,” Siôn says, “She has two children and two granddaughters living here.”

"My mother is bad news!"

Tyler warns him that his mother is bad news, and there are no ‘buts’.

Siôn asks Greta what they are going to do today,

Wendy eats her purloined apple

while Wendy munches on her apple, hiding in the alley.

Non receives an e-mail

In her bedroom, Non has received an e-mail from the college,

She cannot go back until September

notifying her that she will not be able to return to her course until September. Mark calls to her that the film she wanted to watch is starting now.

There is a small parcel for Sheryl . . .

A small box has been delivered to Sheryl, and of course Hywel wants to know what it is; she opens the box,

. . . with a familiar note

and under a message which reads, “I’ll be here for you,” she finds another garden gnome.

She improvises a story

After some quick thinking, she explains that she bought it online,

"And I've spoiled the surprise!"

was going to wrap it up and give it to Hywel as a gift.

She wants to put it in the garden,

He places it on the coffee table

but he insists that it should stay in the house, as a guest of honour, which she is not very pleased about.

"It's all right for some, lying on the sofa!"

Mark is settling down to watch the film when his mother decides to do the vacuuming; “It’s all right for some – lying on the sofa all afternoon, watching telly!” she moans,

"There's nothing like good old black-and-white films"

and he comments that there is nothing like the old black-and-white films. “I haven’t got time to watch it – I’m giving the place a good spring clean,” she insists.

"I can't go back until September"

Then Non comes in and tells them the college has been in touch; “I can’t go back to do teacher training until September. It’s not the end of the world, but what am I going to do every day?”

"You could help me with the cleaning"

Kath invites her to help with the cleaning, but Non does not want to be a cleaner.

"You should be helping, instead of moaning!"

Then Kath turns on the vacuum cleaner, and Mark complains that he cannot hear the television. “Perhaps you should be helping instead of moaning and lazing about there!” is her reply. He simply turns up the volume.

Wendy has made something for Siôn's dinner

Wendy arrives at Y Felin, telling Siôn that she has made something for dinner because he gave her such a welcome the other day.

"I wasn't expecting to see her with you"

Then she sees Greta, and likens her to an angel; “I wasn’t expecting to see her with you!” she lies,

"Perhaps you should take it over to Tyler"

and he tells her he is babysitting for a couple of hours. “It’s beef bourguignon,” she goes on,
but Siôn suggests maybe she should take it over to Tyler, as it is with him she needs to make amends.

"I've carried it on the bus from Swansea"

“Don’t refuse it now – I’ve carried it on the bus from Swansea,” she alleges, and he invites her to stay and share it with him, but has to go to the shop as there is no milk left.

"Why don't you leave her here?"

As he gets the pram, Wendy urges him to leave Greta here, so as not to disturb her.

Siôn is understandably reluctant

“But I don’t want to leave her,” Siôn begins, and she understands that he does not trust her. He concedes, “Well, Ed is out in the garden, so if there’s a problem you can give him a shout.”

Wendy looks pleased with her performance

Off he goes to the village.

Gethin is down the pit

Gethin is working on a car when Sheryl bursts in;

"You should be ashamed!"

“You should be ashamed, playing the same trick again!” she snarls. He replies that was only a joke, but she protests that it is not funny.

"What the note said – I'll always be here for you"

He assures her that he meant what the note said – he will always be here for her;

"Like a stalker, you mean?"

Sheryl snarls, “Like a stalker, you mean? If you want to play games, don’t expect me to take it lying down! Do you hear me?”

"I thought you were looking after Greta!"

Iolo comes into the shop, and is surprised to see his father there, being under the impression he was looking after Greta. When he learns that Wendy is at home with her, he is very upset,

"Wendy deserves a second chance"

despite his father’s insistence that Wendy deserves a second chance.

“Both of you need to take it easy – Greta is fine – there is no need to worry.” Iolo is adamant they must go back to Y Felin immediately,

"Tyler will go crazy!"

as Tyler will go crazy if he finds that Greta has been left with his mother. Siôn replies that Ed is also there, but Iolo is at pains to point out that he has just seen Ed at the Tapas place.

Iolo is in a tearing hurry

He is in a great hurry to leave.

Mark sets the film to record

Mark gives up watching the film, and sets it to record; “I’ll try to get Non to watch it when she is in a better mood. She’s disappointed, isn’t she?”

"It won't do her any good, hiding upstairs"

Kath is of the opinion that it will not do her any good, hiding upstairs, but Mark points out that she does not have any money to do anything. His mother wants him to help moving the cupboard,

"Your name's on this one – from Stacey!"

and she finds some envelopes which have fallen down behind it. “Your name’s on this one – it’s Stacey’s writing,” she says, opening the envelope and finding a birthday card

"Finders keepers!"

and three £20 notes inside, which she decides to keep.

They fear the worst . . .

Iolo and Siôn arrive back at Y Felin; they are concerned to see that the pram is empty. “How could you be so stupid, Dad?” demands Iolo,

. . . but Siôn still defends her

but Siôn is sure that Wendy would not do anything to her. However, Iolo is about to call the police; Siôn suggests that they check the garden first.

She is discovered in the garden with Wendy . . .

When they get out there, they discover that Greta is safe and well,

. . . and Iolo rapidly retrieves her

but Iolo seizes the child; “She shouldn’t be with you – we have to consider Tyler’s wishes!” he growls.

"Right, I'd better go"

Wendy thinks she had better go, but Siôn pleads with her to stay; Iolo, on the other hand, tells his father not to show her any sympathy.

"All she's done is cause trouble for us!"

“All she’s done is cause trouble for us – she brought Steve back into our lives for start!” Wendy assures them that they will not see him again, as she has sorted it out, and she was only trying to make an effort, especially to see her grand-daughter.

"Either she goes, or I'm taking Greta now!"

Siôn does not want her to go, but Iolo presents him with an ultimatum; “Either she goes, or I’m taking Greta now!” Wendy turns and leaves.

"I've thought of something you can do . . ."

Mark knocks on the door of Non’s bedroom and has brought a cup of tea for her; she apologises for earlier, and he has thought of a way for her to fill her time between now and the end of the school term, which does not involve polish, spray or bleach.

". . . help out in the classroom"

“You could help out in the classroom – there is a lot of demand for people like that. I know the pay won’t be quite as good, but it would look good on your CV. Ask Gaynor – it won’t do any harm – and she understands these things.

Iolo doubts if Wendy made the meal

Siôn and Iolo have enjoyed the beef bourguignon; “If she really made it!” grumbles Iolo. Siôn still suspects he judged her too harshly,

"We shouldn't judge her too harshly"

and does not think she is as bad as Iolo says. “We should think of Tyler here,” insists Iolo, “Tyler knows her better than we do.”

"She's only making up for her past"

Siôn maintains that Wendy is only trying to make up for her past.

"Is a casserole all it takes to get you on her side?"

“Is that all it takes to get you on her side? A casserole?” demands Iolo.

Look who Gethin is ogling, again

Gethin is standing outside the shop, looking at Sheryl and Hywel by their front door;

"It's your birthday tomorrow"

Ffion comes out of the shop and points out that it is his birthday tomorrow, but she and Arwen do not know what to give him. “We have a few small gifts – but what do you want to do tomorrow night?”

"And we could invite Hywel and Sheryl "

Gethin suggests a meal in the flat, and then adds that they could invite Hywel and Sheryl as well;

"It's too late to organise"

Ffion protests that is rather late to organise, but reluctantly agrees.

Arwen will help Ffion prepare

Arwen says that she will help her mother. Still Gethin cannot keep his eyes off Sheryl.

"We ought to give this to Non"

Kath thinks that Mark’s birthday money should be given to Non, as it is the right thing to do.

"I can do three days a week"

Non comes downstairs with the good news that Gaynor can offer her three days a week until the end of term; there is apparently a shortage of assistants this term. “But I have to meet Gaynor and one of the governors tomorrow morning for an interview.”

"Mam has something for you as well"

Then Mark points out that his Mam has something for her as well;

"Get some fresh air and have a break"

“Yes – use this to get out of the house – get some fresh air and have a break,” Kath tells her. Non decides to spend some of it on ice cream and popcorn, and the three of them can watch that film later.

Greta is sitting happily on Iolo’s lap when Tyler returns home; “I came as quickly as I could!” he says.

"How did she end up with Mam?"

He is assured that Greta is fine, but wonders how she came to end up with his mother. Iolo explains that she visited Y Felin, but all that matters is Greta is OK.

"Where on earth was Siôn?"

“But where on earth was Siôn?” is the next question,

Iolo explains to him

and Iolo explains what happened.

"You're naïve if you think any different!"

Tyler concludes, “She was only only acting to make an impression – and you’re naïve if you think any different!”

"Dad got on well with her"

Iolo points out that his father got on well with her;

"He hasn't got a good track record with women"

the response is, “But he hasn’t got a good track record with women, has he?”

Iolo thinks if they just try to get on with her, they will have a better chance of knowing where she is, and keeping an eye on her. “I mean, we had no idea she was in Cwmderi today, did we?