Cwmderi Diary 2018: 20 September 2018

"It's not my fault, Sara!"

Sara is complaining that she hardly sees Jason these days, and wants him to finish work a bit earlier; “Ifan is forgetting what you look like!”

"Mami's talking rubbish, isn't she?"

Jason ridicules this, and tells Ifan that Mami is talking rubbish.
She continues, “Could you finish a bit earlier, so we can take him to the park, and spend some time together as a family?”

"I've gt a mountain of work the size of Snowdon!"

Jason replies, exasperated, “Sara, you know I’ve got a mountain of work the size of Snowdon! I can’t drop tools to push a swing because you want company – sorry!”

“Can you check your diary to see if you’re free this weekend,” she asks,

"I don't need to check – I'm working!"

and he says he does not need to check – he is working. He does not want to work,

"Don't put more pressure on me"

and is trying his best, without her putting more pressure on him.

Hywel works on the laptop

Hywel is sitting by the laptop when his phone rings;

"You're not back until tonight?"

it is Rhys, who will not be back today from wherever he has gone.

"I wanted to get back to work today"

Hywel wanted to get back to work today, but will instead have to look after Esther,

"It's just you and me today, Esther"

who is playing quite happily.

Mathew has been unable to find any work

Sara, on her walk to the park with Ifan, meets Mathew, who is on his way to the Deri. He has applied for several jobs, but there is nothing in the area.

"If Jason considered giving you the job back . . ."

“If Jason considered giving you the job back, would you go back to APD?” she asks, “It doesn’t take much for Jason to blow a fuse.”

"And I can't claim benefits"

Mathew laments that he cannot claim benefits, and she says that she will have a word with Jason, to see if she can get him to change his mind.

"I would do anything!"

Mathew would be happy to start straightaway, and do anything, but she warns him not to expect too much.

Jason is rushed off his feet in APD

When Sara reaches APD, Jason is searching for something for a customer, and the phone is ringing; she tells him to answer the phone and she will look for the radiator valves.

Sara steps in and serves the customer

She quickly locates them and takes the payment from the customer.

“What would you have done if I wasn’t here?” she enquires,

"You would have lost a sale there!"

“You would have lost a sale – there are people out there looking for jobs, and can’t find one – and you’re struggling because you’re too proud to give Mathew his job back.”

"He's like a pelican – stupid and awkward!"

Jason is not surprised that Mathew cannot get a job, as he is stupid; “He’s like a pelican – stupid and awkward! Did he send you over here to beg?”

"He could work behind the counter"

Sara points out that he would finish Anita’s house sooner, and that Mathew could work behind the counter, so Jason would not have to see him.

Sara is unable to change his mind

He is quite incalcitrant, so Sara continues on her walk, while he again answers the phone.

Garry checks on his taxi business

Chester reports to Garry that the taxis are quite busy, and he asks if Chester is doing anything tonight – but it is not another auction – he has a surprise,

"You can see he's working hard, Garry"

if Chester works hard enough today.

They resume their card game

As soon as Garry as gone, Kath gets out the cards again, and they resume their game; she recalls that she was three games to nil in front,

"Luck doesn't come into it, Chester!"

and maintains that luck does not come into it. As she begins to deal the cards,

"Working hard, then?"

Britt comes in, amused to see that they are working hard.

Kath goes off to make a cup of tea,

"What do you want, Mam?"

and Britt says that she did not know Chester liked playing cards; he simply demands, “What do you want, Mam?” She asks if he is settling in and enjoying the work, emphasising that she is missing him.

"I'm fine, and I don't want any fuss"

He insists that he is fine, and does not want any fuss.

"I'm just concerned about you"

“Are you are eating properly? I’m just concerned about you – come round sometime and I’ll cook a meal for you,” she says,

"Deri Deithio – how can I help you?"

and Chester is saved by the phone ringing.

"I've found an ideal car for Elgan"

Garry visits Llwyncelyn, as he has located a car which would be perfect for Elgan;

"He's gone back to North Wales"

he is very surprised when Gaynor tells him, “Elgan’s gone! He’s gone back to North Wales – the relationship is over!

"He can be very private"

“You know what he’s like – he can be very private.”

"I thought we were mates"

Garry thought that he would have mentioned it, as they were mates – or at least, he thought they were mates. Gaynor is still trying to get her head around it, as it happened very quickly in the end, and says that he has gone to Bangor with Sofia;

"They're hoping to rekindle their relationship"

“They’re hoping to rekindle their relationship – there was no point trying to make it work here, but you're right, you were good friends, and you did a lot for him.”

"You saved his life, Gaynor"

Garry stresses that Gaynor was instrumental in saving his life.

"Chester seems to be settling in"

While Colin is rearranging the vegetables outside the shop, Britt informs him that Chester seems to be settling in the new job,

"If he's with Kath, they'll be putting their feet up!"

and Colin surmises that, if he is with Kath, they will be putting their feet up for a lot of the time. Britt protests that he is doing his best, and she is quite happy with that, but he comments that you do not have to be Einstein to answer phones.

“I’m proud of Chester – and you should be too, instead of being negative,” she insists.

"I feel quite positive since he moved out!"

Colin maintains that he is feeling quite positive since Chester moved to the Deri, but Britt points out he is still her son.

Colin says, “I understand that you miss him, but living with us didn’t do him any good – and didn’t do you any good either. He seems a lot happier, doesn’t he?

"The Deri is the best place for him"

“I know it will be difficult, but for everyone’s sake the Deri is the best place for him.”

Hywel brings her food . . .

Hywel brings some food for Esther,

. . . but Esther seems to ignore it

but when she ignores it and he sees her playing with the dolls which came with the dolls house,

He sees the dolls which Sheryl bought . . .

he suddenly feels inadequate and retires to the kitchen;

. . . and feels overwhelmed

he feels it is all too much for him.

Garry puts two pizzas in the oven

Britt’s next visit is to Garry in the Deri flat; he is just putting two pizzas in the oven.

"Chester is doing well with the taxis"

“Chester is doing well with the taxis, isn’t he?” she says, “Thank you for giving him the job – it will do it as a stopgap, until he finds something better.

"There's not much chance of that"

“You know what I mean – we all want the best for our children – I wanted him to be a doctor, but there’s not much chance of that.”

"What do you really want, Britt?"

Garry asks her what she really wants,

"He should come home!"

and she is quick to reply that she thinks he should come home. He points out that things are fine as they are, so it is best to leave it as it is, for now;

"He'll come home when he's ready!"

“He’ll come home when he’s ready. I know you miss him, but you know Chester – you can’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

"Do you want a drink?"

Chester comes into the Deri just as his mother is leaving; she asks if he wants a drink, after a busy day playing cards.

"Why don't you come home to live?"

“Just a minute,” she adds, “Why don’t you come home to live?”

He replies that he is all right here, and Colin has always hated him;

"For now I'm staying here – OK!"

“I’m not stupid, Mam! It matters to me, and for now I’m staying here – OK?”

Garry has two game controllers

When he gets upstairs, Garry proudly displays two game controllers; “The pizzas are in the oven, and I’ve bought you this.”

"I've been wanting to play this game"

Chester has been wanting to play this game, and wonders why he is getting this surprise.

"I thought we could just chill out"

Garry just thought that he and Chester could do with a night in together, to chill out.

"Have you heard from Dani yet?"

“Have you heard from Dani yet?” Chester enquires, “Do you know the name of the campsite she’s staying at?” Garry replies that she is moving around,

"Her phone is probably playing up"

and may well have problems with her phone.

“Has Mam told you she wants me to move back home?” Chester asks,

"I told your Mam you're better off here"

and is told that Garry informed her he was better off here.

"Mam does my head in – she never listens to me"

“Good – Mam does my head in!” Chester growls, “She never listens to me – and it’s so obvious when she wants something.”

At last, Dani rings him

Garry’s phone rings, and he rushes to answer it; “Dani, I’ve been phoning and texting for days – is everything OK? I was afraid there was something wrong – how’s Seren?”

"You'd better ask him"

In the café, Mathew asks Sara how she got on with talking to Jason, but before she can answer, Jason himself comes in.

"The van broke down in the middle of nowhere"

“Guess what’s happened now?” he rages, “The van broke down in the middle of nowhere – luckily I had a signal. They couldn’t fix it, so now it’s in the garage, and I have no transport.

"Why don't you borrow Dai's car?"

Mathew suggests he could borrow Dai’s car,

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that"

something Jason had not thought of,

"See – Mathew has helped you"

and Sara points out that Mathew has helped him, but he is not in a conciliatory mood, insisting that he does not need help, and is certainly not wasting money employing him.

Jason is still just as intransigent

“There’s no point trying to get to me by sweet-talking Sara! You’ve got a better chance of going to Mars than getting a job with me!”

"I can't get used to cooking for one again"

Gaynor goes to see Hywel, taking some food; “I made far too much for myself!” she tells him,

"Elgan and Sofia are giving it another go"

“Elgan has left me – he and Sofia are giving it another go. The house feels rather empty without him.”

"I know how you feel'

Hywel knows how she feels.

"Is Esther all right up there?"

He says that Rhys is out for the night, and Esther is playing upstairs; she is all right on her own, as he is monitoring her with the baby alarm.

"She keeps asking for her Mam"

“She keeps asking for her Mam – it brings it all back. I don’t expect her to forget, of course,

"It's difficult when she keeps reminding you"

“but it’s difficult when she keeps reminding you.” Gaynor assures him it will get easier in time.

"He thinks you don't want him to come home"

Britt informs Colin, “He thinks you don’t want him to come home – that’s why he won’t.”

"He's spot on, Britt!"

Colin answers that he is spot on; “Do you want a list of daft things he’s done? It’s one thing after another with Chester. He has to understand that there are consequences, or he’ll never learn. Things are fine as they are – he is happy with Garry, and Garry likes having him around. I have a responsibility to look after you –