Cwmderi Diary 2018: 11 September 2018

"Oh look, there's Gaynor"

Gaynor is walking along the High Street when she sees Elgan with Sofia, who says she promised Elgan to bring some school photos over. “I was on my way to Carmarthen, and I thought I’d call on the way.” Elgan says that he is going to buy her lunch in the Deri,

"No, sorry, I've got a meeting"

but Gaynor maintains she is unable to join them as she has a meeting with the heads of departments.

"We'll see you at midday"

They do not believe this excuse, and expect to see her at midday.

Sheryl's trademark pencil . . .

Gwyneth comes into the salon, picks up Sheryl’s pink pencil with the feathers on the end

. . . is picked up by Gwyneth . . .

and, after a little thought,

. . . and ends up in here

throws it in the bin.

Many hairdressing accoutrements are missing

Then she looks around the salon and finds that most of the stock has been removed.

"I got a £20 tip today!"

Debbie returns home from her home help job and announces that she received a £20 tip this morning; she puts it into a tin,

"What's this? 'Ricky's Fund'?"

and Ricky is outraged to see that it is labelled, ‘Ricky’s Fund’.

"We'll have a lot more when this auction finishes"

Kath is confident that she will have a lot more money when this auction finishes; “A couple of hours, and the whole lot will have gone – I’ll make a fortune!” Debbie notices that there are no bids yet, and advises that she should sell the whole job lot to someone.
She suggests that someone like Gwyneth would be glad of it, as she will be reopening the salon and will need some stock.

"She'll know they came from the salon in the first place"

“But Gwyneth will know that these came from the salon in the first place,” Kath reminds her, “What a stupid idea!”

"It's so stupid, it could work!"

Debbie considers that it is so stupid that it could work,

Everything goes bck in the boxes

and Kath begins to replace all the items in boxes.

"I was glad to get away from the house!"

Kelly is busy serving customers in the café when Ricky arrives, glad to get away from the house;

"What did they say about the job?"

he has not yet told them about his job. He explains, “Mam’s working, Gran is on the laptop and Dad is sulking because he didn’t get the taxi job.” Kelly says that Ed is not very pleased either.

“They don’t listen when I tell them I’m not going to university,” he continues, “And listen to this – there is a box for ‘Ricky’s Fund’, as if I were a charity case!”

"They just want what's best for you"

Kelly insists that they just want what is best for him, but he is quite adamant he is not going to university, and needs to work now.

Rhys has dragged Hywel to the park

In the park, Rhys proposes walking to the rugby ground, but his father is not very interested in doing anything.

"I can't help but think of Sheryl"

“Sorry, Rhys – every time I look at Esther, I can’t help but think of Sheryl. There will always be a cloud hanging over us if we stay here.”

"You have friends here"

Rhys points so that he has friends here, but Hywel protests that they thought he was responsible, and still suspect him;

"Things haven't been easy for you, either"

“I know you’re doing your best – things haven’t been easy for you, either.”

Sofia is almost taken in by Gwyneth . . .

In the Deri, Sofia is chatting to Gwyneth, and almost books an appointment for a trim.

. . . until Gaynor points out that she is a tattooist

However, when she tells Gaynor this, the surprised response is, “Are you having a tattoo? That’s Gwyneth’s expertise,” but Gwyneth points out that she is qualified reflexologist, as well as other alternative therapies.

"But not in hairdressing?"

Sofia enquires, “But not in hairdressing?”

"She was fortunate enough to inherit the salon"

and Gaynor tells her that Gwyneth was fortunate enough to inherit the salon; Sofia decides to cancel the appointment after all.

"Are these for me?"

Elgan arrives and is told that Sofia’s flowers are for Gaynor; “I’ve been such a nuisance lately.”

"Remember that flower shop on the corner?"

He recalls the flower shop on the corner when they lived in Cambridge, and wonders if it is still there; “He could afford to retire on all the money I spent there,” Elgan comments.

Rhys tries to get Esther interested in football . . .

In the park, Rhys is playing with Esther with a ball,

. . . but seems to have failed

but she seems very disinterested;

Then he sees his father walking away . . .

then he notices his father, walking away,

. . . gathers up Esther and follows

so picks up Esther and follows him.

Elgan has been busy at the surgery

Elgar says he has not had time to look at the photos as the surgery was full;

Gaynor feels rather out of place

Gaynor is feeling rather superfluous as he does not think he would recognise half of his fellow students.

Sofia remarks that she would have had a short back and sides if Gaynor have not saved her from ‘that Gwyneth woman’;

"Or a tattoo!"

“Or a tattoo!” they laugh. Sofia remembers that they were very drunk in London once, and almost had their names tattooed on their arms.

Rhys wants to talk to Gaynor . . .

Then,very fortuitously, Gaynor’s phone sounds, and there is a messge from Rhys, asking if she will call round; she makes the excuse that there is a problem with a parent, and that she must go to sort it out,

. . . and this is her excuse to escape

telling them to carry on without her.

Gwyneth is searching for a hair stylist

Gwyneth is on the phone to someone, asking if they would like to come and work as a stylist, but the answer is no.

"If you hear of anyone. let me know"

Then Debbie and Kath come in as Gwyneth is saying, “If you hear of anybody who needs a job, let me know.”

Kath asks when she is reopening, and Gwyneth is under the impression she has her first customer,

"I assume you'll need some stock"

but they tell her that is not why they are there. “I assume that you’ll need some stock,” Debbie tells her, “Luckily, we can help you out – it’s ex-fire stock – I’m sure Sheryl used something similar.”

"You used to be a stylist, didn't you?"

Gwyneth suggests that they can help each other here; “I need a hairdresser – you used to be a stylist, didn’t you?” she asks Debbie, but Kath is quite adamant that she does not want a job there.

Gwyneth offers £7 an hour, cash in hand,

"That's less than the minimum wage!"

but Debbie comments that is less than the minimum wage; “I’m a stylist – I’ve got certificates from Tech!”

"I can't see anyone queueing up to employ you!"

Gwyneth snarls that she cannot see people queueing up to employ her: “I’m doing you a favour – after the mess you made with the café!”

"You can stuff your job!"

This brings the retort, “You can stuff your job! Mine’s a hundred times better than working for you and your sort!”

"You think you've landed on your feet"

Kath warns Gwyneth, “You think you’ve landed on your feet, getting this place. Sheryl had a good little business here – because people liked her,

"But you're a scumbag, and always will be!"

“but you’re a scumbag, and you always will be!”

Kelly is preparing for the big refurbishment

Kelly tells Ricky that they will wait until the lunchtime rush is over, then they will close the café to move the furniture, so they can paint tomorrow.

"I'm working here"

Debbie and Kath come in with their boxes, and demand what Ricky is doing there; “Working here,” he replies,

"You never listen to me!"

“There would have been no point telling you – you never listen to me!”

Kath remarks that the money will come in handy for university, and Ricky becomes angry;

"For the last time, I'm not going to university!"

“For the last time, I’m not going to university – I work here –OK?”

"What did you think you were doing, giving him the job?"

Debbie asks Kelly why she gave him the job,

"He looks good in a pinny!"

and she says he looks good in a pinny; “He’s a hard worker, so I hired him.” Kath maintains that it is Kelly’s fault that he is not going to university,

Ricky tells then to leave, and makes sure they do

so Ricky orders them to leave the café. Debbie protests that he cannot throw them out, but he does.

"Going to work here for the rest of your life?"

In the café kitchen, Kelly instructs him to take off the apron; “What’s the plan, then? Are you going to work here for the rest of your life, serving coffee and cakes?”

"I don't feel ready to go to college"

He confesses that he does not feel ready to go to college,

Kellys offers good advice

and she suggests that he has a good think about his future, and must be honest with his family. “Don’t use this as an excuse not to go. Take that apron off, go home, talk to your family –

"And I'll see you tomorrow!"

and I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Rhys is at a loss what to do

Gaynor has gone to see Rhys, who does not know what to do; “He doesn’t want to go out – he doesn’t want to do anything.”

"Having a good chat about me?"

Hywel comes downstairs and knows that they have been talking about him.

Hywel has no interest in the salon

Gaynor tells him that Gwyneth has reopened the salon, but he does not seem at all interested.

"It was Rhys' idea to go to the park"

He says that it was Rhys’ idea to go to the park with Esther.

"Don't tell them you saw me

Rhys is now going to the Deri, and Gaynor warns him not to mention to Elgan and Sofia that he has seen her; “They were wittering on and on about the good old days.”

"You should be with Elgan, not wasting your time here"

Hywel says that she should be with Elgan instead of wasting her time here; she advises not to let Esther sleep too long.

“Have you got any more advice – like ‘sort yourself out’?” he growls,

"I only came to see how you are"

but she replies that she has has only come here to see how he is.

"Sorry, I'm not very good company"

He apologises that he is not a very good company and she would be better off going back to Elgan.

"I don't want to intrude"

“No, I don’t want to intrude – it’s important they have time to talk,” she tells him, but he points out that she is his partner; Gaynor does not look too sure about this any more.

"My own son threw me out of the café!"

Debbie cannot believe that her own son threw her out of the café, and Kath adds that she used to be the proprietor of it.

Then Ricky come in, rather more conciliatory

Then Ricky comes in, apologising about earlier; “I need that job – I’m not going to university because I’m not ready.

"All I've done for years is school work and exams"

“All I’ve done for years is school work and exams – one after the other.”

"We want something better for you"

Debbie protests that they want something better for him, so he explains, “I’m going to work for a year, I’m going to save some money, and go to university next year.

"When I graduate, I hope you'll be proud of me"

“When I graduate in three years or whenever – wearing that silly hat and gown – I want you and Dad there – and you, Gran! I hope you’ll be proud of me.”

They appear to have settled their differences

He and his mother are reconciled.

"There's a special bond between them"

Gaynor tells Hywel that there is a special bond between Elgan and Sofia, and that she could not bear to be in their company earlier.

"They're just two exes"

He points out that they are simply two exes, talking about the past, but she insists there is more to it than that;

"They would have stayed together if it wasn't for the PTSD"

“I think they’d still be together if it wasn’t for the PTSD,” she says, “I know he owes me a lot, but that’s no reason to stay in a relationship with me.”

Hywel assures her that Elgan thinks the world of her, and all this is in her imagination;

"Yes, they have a past together – like we do"

“Yes, they have a past together – we’ve got a past, too, but it doesn’t mean we love each other. Don’t rush into anything – once she leaves, things will get back to normal – speak to Elgan tonight.” She thanks him for his advice.