Cwmderi Diary 2018: 25 September 2018

Non is ready for her date . . .

Non is getting ready for her date at Bryntirion with DJ, and Debbie tells her she looks lovely;

. . . and Ricky is going training

then she informs Ricky that she and his dad have a date night tonight. He is about to leave for his training session, and they both go.

"In here, Mr Jones!"

Kath comes in through the back door, with a black sack, presumably full of eBay parcels; Debbie assumes that it is Mark, and shouts, “In here, Mr Jones!”

"I thought you were working late!"

She is disappointed to see that it is his mother instead, and thought she was working late.

“I am, working from home, sorting these out!” is the reply, but she does agree to go upstairs and do it there instead.

"Sorry, there are no mushy peas"

Mark arrives, apologising that there were no mushy peas, so he got curry sauce instead. He also wonders why his mother is there; she assures him, “I’ll be as quiet as a mouse,”

"More like a rat!"

although Debbie prefers to describe her as a rat.

"I have to price a job in Llanarthur"

Once again, Jason says he cannot go out with Sara tonight, as he is pricing a job in Llanarthur, and complains that she did not check with him first.

"But I've booked a table at Tapas!"

“I’ve booked a table at Tapas,” Sara tells him,

"Ifan can stay at Iolo's overnight"

then receives a message from Iolo to say that Ifan can stay there tonight.

"When do we get a chance to go out together?"

“When do we get a chance to go out together?” she whines, and Jason gives in.

"Sorry, I have to cancel tonight"

Making sure that she has gone upstairs to change, he takes his phone and rings someone, apologising that he has to cancel tonight, and stressing that whoever it is must not phone him back. He will be in touch soon.

"Anything's better than another night in with Garry"

Ricky is surprised that Chester has changed his mind about training; “Anything’s better than another night in with Garry,” Chester groans,

"I'm worried that Garry will find out"

and Ricky is concerned that Garry will find out about his grandmother using the taxi to deliver parcels. Chester will make sure that he does not find out.

Tyler does not like Chester joining them

Along the street, Tyler is not happy at the thought of Chester joining them for training, but Rhys is pleased to see a new face;

They begin their warming-up procedure

a few others have joined them for this session. Rhys gets them to start warming up.

"And here's your apron!"

Non is welcomed by DJ, who hands her an apron, maintaining that she can help preparing the meal; he assigns her to chopping the onions,

"Onions make me cry"

but she complains that they will make her cry,

"Right, here's the garlic press"

so he decides on garlic instead.

“You smell nice,” he comments,

"I shall stink of garlic later"

and she advises him to make the most of it, as she will be stinking of garlic later. She has never done cooking with a man before,

"There's a first time for everything"

and he replies that there is a first time for everything.

Chester prefers the Playstation

Chester has made good time in his run around Cwmderi, but tells Rhys he prefers the PlayStation. The others arrive and they all decide to go to the Deri.

Jason and Sara are on the way from Tapas to the Deri

Jason and Sara have had their meal, and Rhys pokes fun at Jason for missing the run;

"It's good you're keeping these youngsters out of trouble"

“It’s good you’re keeping these youngsters out of trouble,” Jason tells him, then he receives a text, and tells Sara that it is only spam.

All these lies are the thin end of the wedge

All of a sudden he says he realises that he did not leave a tip, and rushes back, ostensibly to Tapas, but when Sara is out of sight, he answers the text.

Debbie is full of fish and chips

Debbie could not eat another thing, after the fish and chips (with curry sauce), and does not want to watch the television;

This appears to be what she wants

she appears to have other intentions.

Kath creeps in to get her supper

Then they are suddenly aware of Kath in the room; she had crept into the kitchen for a can, and some cheese and biscuits, and asks if they want anything.

"Yes, we want to be left alone!"

“Yes – to be left alone!” Mark replies, but as she leaves the room,

"Don't forget to put the rubbish out"

she reminds Mark to put the rubbish out for tomorrow.

"No way are you going to do that!"

Debbie puts her foot down, “No way are you going to put the bins out now,” she orders him.

There is a convivial atmosphere at the Deri

In the Deri, there is a light-hearted atmosphere,

Ricky passes his pint to Chester . . .

and Ricky passes his pint to Chester; this is noticed by the eagle-eyed Garry,

. . . and incurs the wrath of Garry

who stresses that he is underage. “Firstly, it’s breaking the law!” Garry roars,

"Since when do you care about breaking the law?"

but Chester wonders since when he has cared about breaking the law.

Garry gives him a real, public dressing-down

Garry continues to humiliate Chester, “Don’t answer me back – booze makes you cheeky, does it? Can’t handle it, perhaps? You’re as desperate as that to fit in, are you? I’d expect you to have more backbone than to give in to peer pressure, but I was wrong. You’ve let me down, both of you.”

Chester is desperate to escape

As Chester is about to flee upstairs, Ricky apologises for getting him into trouble;

"I'm an underage loner, too!"

“It’s too late now – they all know that as well as being underage, I’m an underage loner, too! I’m not one of the boys – and I never will be.”

Garry locates him in the toilet

Garry finds him in the toilet, and expected him to be kicking the doors in, or spraying graffiti on the walls. “What? I hate Uncle Garry?” demands Chester.

"I could lose my licence"

Garry points out he could lose his licence; “Listen, you can have a drink with me in the flat – you can do whatever you like with your mates outside.” Chester glumly replies that he has no mates.

"There are boundaries"

“When it comes to the business, and the Monks’ good name, there are boundaries,” Garry adds,

Chester struggles with his temper

and it is obvious that Chester is doing his best to control his temper.

"Don't challenge me in public like that again!"

“Just one more thing – don’t challenge me in public like that again!” says Garry before leaving.

This is too much for Chester

Chester violently slams a door.

"I could get used to cooking with you!"

“I could get used to cooking with you!” smiles Non, and DJ would welcome the chance to do it again;

"My first job when I moved to Cwmderi - cooking at the Deri"

he says that he was a chef for a while, and it was his first job when he moved to Cwmderi – cooking in the Deri.

He checked with Ricky to find out what food she liked;

"I made all three puddings"

“I wanted to know what was your favourite pudding – I wasn’t sure which you’d like, so I made all three.” She replies that there is a lot he does not know about her,

This date appears to be going according to plan

but he is looking forward to finding out.

Jason lies to Sara yet again

Sara is now ready to go home from the Deri, but then Jason receives another text; “It’s Jim – he wants to know if the van has been repaired,” lies Jason, “It’s a blinking nuisance having to use Dai’s car for work.”

Ricky gets short shrift from Garry

At the bar, Ricky apologises to Garry for giving Chester his pint, but is told that not everyone needs alcohol to fit in.

"Better to drink here, rather than on the street"

Rhys maintains that it is better for him to drink here, under Garry’s nose, than on the street.

"I don't want a mess on my own doorstep"

“That’s where you’re wrong – I don’t want a mess on my own doorstep,” Garry tells him, “Last time Chester was like this, he burned down Bethania! Could you have a word with him – see what’s going on? I’m too close to him –

"Perhaps Chester will listen to you"

“perhaps he’ll listen to you.”

Chester is sitting on the floor of the toilet

Chester is sitting on the floor of the toilet when Rhys comes in,

"You did well tonight"

and tells him he did well tonight;

"Making Garry angry and embarrassing myself?"

“What? Making Garry angry and embarrassing myself?” Chester demands, dismissing the praise for his performance at training.

"It is hard, fitting in"

Rhys joins him on the floor, and says that it is hard fitting in.

"Whatever I do, it's never good enough!"

“That’s not the problem,” begins Chester, “Whatever I do, it doesn’t matter how hard I try, it’s never good enough for Garry and Mam. They’re always in my head, bossing me around, telling me what I’ve done wrong, what I should do better.”

"Mam never listens"

Rhys asks if he has tried talking to them, but the answer is, “Mam doesn’t listen, and Garry doesn’t want to know.” Rhys suggests that perhaps Garry is frightened – afraid he will make things worse – afraid Chester will go off the rails again.”

"I was stupid enough to think someone actually cared!"

Chester then realises that Garry has sent him; “There I was, stupid enough to think someone actually cared about me. Leave me alone and go back to your mates!”

"It's not over yet, Jason"

Jason admits that it has been a fantastic night, and Sara assures him that it is not over yet;

"I've got to work in the morning"

when he protests that he has to work in the morning, she advises, “One small drink won’t make any difference, will it?”

Jason has a guilty look about him

and she goes upstairs.

At Bryntirion, the evening is going well

At Bryntirion, DJ and Non are kissing, but he urges her to slow down,

"No, I want to, DJ!"

she insists that she wants to continue.

"You know what will happen if we carry on"

“You know what will happen if we carry on,” he warns, but she replies that she wants it to happen. “No you don’t – you don’t want to sleep with anyone before you’re married,” he reminds her, “I don’t want you to think that I’m taking advantage.”

"I want to sleep with you – it feels right"

Non states quite clearly, “I want to sleep with you, DJ – tonight – it feels right.”

He assures her that he has never felt like this about anyone before;

DJ respects what she believes

“You’re so special, therefore whatever you believe in really matters to me.”

Non wonders why he has to be so nice, and he says it is because he respects her. “You’re welcome to stay the night –

"I have to warn you – I snore like a Hoover!"

“we can share a bed, but nothing has to happen. But I have to warn you about one thing – I snore like a Hoover!”

Kath tries to remain undetected . . .

Kath comes downstairs again and hears the sounds of Debbie giving Mark a massage; of course she assumes that something else is happening.

. . . but does not succeed

They are not happy to be interrupted, but apparently the combination of cheese, biscuits and a horror film are preventing Kath from sleeping,

"I need indigestion tablets"

so she has come down for indigestion tablets.

"Mam, whatever you think we're doing – we're not!"

“Mam, whatever you think we’re doing – we’re not doing it!” Mark calls to her, but she replies that it is none of her business, and returns upstairs.

Jason makes another secret phone call . . .

Jason is downstairs, ostensibly for a glass of water, but also makes a phone call; “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it tonight – something came up unexpectedly, and there was nothing I could do about it. I promise I’ll meet up with you the first chance I get, all right?”

. . . but Sara is waiting upstairs

Sara’s voice calls him from upstairs, “Where are you, Jason? I’m waiting.”

"You had no right to embarrass me like that!"

In the Deri flat, Chester protests, “You had no right to embarrass me in front of everyone – and then force Rhys to try and talk some sense into me!”

Garry knows how much he wants to fit in, and is sorry for embarrassing him; “It doesn’t help matters that your uncle is that the landlord – it’s important to choose your friends carefully.”

"It's a shame we can't choose our family'

“It’s a shame we can’t choose our family!” snarls Chester,

Garry fetches a photo album

and Garry fetches a photo album which he has been making for Seren.

Garry and Brandon, long ago

He points out one particular picture, and says that Brandon was his best friend ever, and stresses that Monks stick together.

"I just want to be on my own"

Chester insists that he just wants to be on his own; Garry maintains, “That is the trouble – you’re stubborn, selfish – exactly like I was at your age,

"You'll wise up in the end, Chest!"

“but you’ll wise up in the end. You’ll go far, Chest, as long as you start off on the right path. I've got expectations of you – and I don’t like being let down.