Cwmderi Diary 2018: 30 November 2018

Colin thinks no-one is in the flat

Colin returns to flat and thinks that no one is there, then Britt appears from the bedroom;

"I thought I heard someone"

“I thought I heard someone,” she says, “This is a surprise – you and me and an empty flat, fiancé!

"Now that we've booked the wedding"

“Now that we’ve booked the wedding, I think I can call you that again.”

"I didn't sleep very well last night"

He tells her that he did not sleep very well last night; “Well, we both know why!” she replies,

"Perhaps the wedding should wait"

and he continues that perhaps the wedding should wait. “Why? We’ve been engaged for yonks!” she protests.

"You booked the whole thing without telling me!"

“But Las Vegas?” he asks, “Good grief – it’s so far away, isn’t it? And expensive! You booked the whole thing without telling me!”

"That's what they call it romance, Colin"

She argues that they call this romance, and wonders why he has to spoil everything; he suggests that they sit down and discuss it sensibly.

"I may as well cancel the whole thing!"

Britt flies into a rage; “No – I’ve got nothing to say! I may as well cancel the whole thing – I never thought you’d be so ungrateful!

"Even Siôn wasn't as boring as you!"

“Even Siôn wasn’t as boring as you,” she says, as she returns to the bedroom.

Hywel puts on the kettle . . .

Hywel has just come into the house and puts on the kettle; he finds Rhys working on his blog,

. . . and offers some 'helpful'advice . . .

and suggests that he puts in a few photos to break up the text.

. . . which is not appreciated

“Have you considered concentrating on your own work, instead of interfering?” Rhys irritably replies,

"You should start by apologising to Gaynor"

“Maybe you should start helping by apologising to Gaynor – she was quite upset. You told her you didn’t want to be a project or something.”

"I'll call in to see her later"

Hywel recalls that he told her that, and he regrets it; he will call in to see her later. “Now, make yourself some lunch, and leave my blog alone!” Rhys tells him.

All of Cae Glas's big orders have been completed

At Penrhewl, Eileen complains that every time she puts the baby down, he cries; Jim and Sioned have completed all of the big orders for Cae Glas, with only a few little things left to do.

"Kath can deal with the rest today"

Eileen says that Kath can deal with them today, which does not go down well with Jim;

“Sioned said she could do them herself.”

"We don't really need Kath now"

Sioned argues that they do not really need Kath now, but Eileen describes her as a good and dependable worker.

"We could save money, Eileen!"

“Sioned’s right – there is no point paying two people – we could save money,” Jim points out, but Eileen does not want to sack her just before Christmas. “She understood from the start it wasn’t a permanent job,” he reminds her,

"There's no room for sentiment in business!"

“It’s a dog-eat-dog world – there’s no room for sentiment in business!”

Sioned doubts that her mother will sack Kath

Eileen reluctantly agrees to have a word with her later.

"She's booked a wedding in Las Vegas!"

Garry is making himself a cup of coffee when Colin rushes in; “She’s booked a wedding in Las Vegas!” he exclaims, and Garry simply wants to know if he is invited.

"Everything is so extreme with her – even in the bedroom!"

“Every time I think things can’t get worse, they get a million times worse!” Colin roars, “Everything is so extreme with her – even in the bedroom!”

"I don't want to know the details, Colin!"

but Garry is not keen to know the details.

"She's like Jekyll and Hyde!"

“She went crazy when I suggested we should wait – she’s like Jekyll and Hyde! Her mood changes in an instant!” Garry says he makes it sound as if Britt is ill or something, but she is just excited because they are back together – and that is a good thing. Colin is not so sure.

"Dani and I were the same"

“She has been away from the flat a lot recently, and it only takes a few days for a couple to get out of the routine of living together,” Garry tells him, “Dani and I were the same,”

"You weren't like this!"

but Colin replies that he and Dani were not like this.

“Britt isn’t easy, but her heart’s in the right place – you know that better than anyone,” Garry points out, “Give her time – I’m sure things will get easier.”

"Rhys sent you, did he?"

When Hywel arrives at Llwyncelyn, Gaynor presumes that Rhys sent him; “Well, I would have come earlier if I’d realised,” he says, “I’m sorry I was unfair to you – I didn’t mean it.” She answers that there was a lot of truth in what he said.

"You've been a great support, Gaynor"

“You’ve been a great support, I want you to know I realise that,” he goes on, “Perhaps it contributed to the break-up of your relationship with Elgan.”

"Now I've stopped wallowing in self-pity . . ."

She points out that things were not right between them before then, but now she has stopped wallowing in self-pity.

". . . and I'm going out tonight"

She announces that she is going out tonight.

Kath has done the washing-up

Eileen hopes that she has got Huwi-John off to sleep this time, and tells Kath that she does not have to wash the dishes.

"Make the most of the time while he sleeps"

Kath offers to make Eileen a cup of tea, as she must be shattered; “Make the most of the time while he sleeps.”

"You've been such a great help, Kath"

Eileen thanks Kath for all her help; “Since I’ve been home from hospital you’ve been such a great support – and I will never forget that.”

"It would break my heart if I couldn't see him every day"

Kath admits that she loves being here, and loves the baby; “It would break my heart if I couldn’t see him every day.”

But just as Eileen is about to break the news, the baby cries

As Eileen tries to break the news to her that they do not need her any more, the baby cries, and this time Kath volunteers to go to him; “I haven’t had my cuddle today yet.”

Colin is doing some online research . . .

In the café, Colin is studying a webpage,

. . . into Mental Health . . .

entitled ‘Mental Health Support’,

. . . and is alarmed by what he reads

and looking increasingly concerned.

"I have a tendency to try and save people"

Gaynor confesses to Hywel that she has a tendency to try and save people, but realises that he needed something more than what she could offer.

Well, I can't argue with that"

“It’s about time I put myself first,” she decides, and he cannot argue with that. He asks what are her plans,

"The trumpet?"

and she reveals, “I’m going to start playing the trumpet again – I enjoyed playing it when I was young.”

"I'm sure that I remember most of the notes"

This is something which Hywel did not know about; “It’s in the attic somewhere – and I’m sure I remember most of the notes – but there’s only one way to find out. I might have lessons – I don’t know.” Hywel is pleased that whatever Rhys said to her seems to be working.

Eileen cannot get the baby to sleep

Eileen is once again trying to calm Huwi-John, but with little success, while the others are labelling jars of Cae Glas produce;

"We don't have enough work for three"

Sioned mentions that there is not enough work for three, but Kath stresses they can get through it quicker.

"I don't know what's wrong with him!"

“I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” sighs Eileen, “He’s had milk and a clean nappy – I can’t get him to settle.”

"Let Auntie Kath have a try"

Kath volunteers to take over,

Huwi-John settles down immediately

and within a few seconds, the baby has quietened down.

"How did you do that?"

Eileen wonders how she did this, and is told that she is exhausted and is stressed;

"You pick up on that, don't you?"

“The little one picks up on that, don’t you? You have to look after yourself, Eileen.”

This is not the announcement which was intended

Eileen announces, “Listen, Kath, we’ve been thinking – we would like to offer you a job here in Penrhewl. Shall we say three months for a start?” At this news, Sioned’s face falls, as her mother goes on, “I don’t know what I’d do without you – not just with Cae Glas, but I’d like you to help here in the house – and with Huwi-John when needed.”

"I'd love to do that!"

Kath would love to do this,

Sioned tries to keep her pent-up anger in check

but Sioned’s opposition is quite obvious.

"How do you fancy prawn cocktail as a starter?"

When Colin returns to the chip shop flat, Britt has just started making dinner; “We’ve got a fridge full of food, so we might as well eat it. How do you fancy prawn cocktail as a starter?”

"We need to talk, Britt!"

He insists that they need to talk, and she apologises that she has not cancelled the wedding; “To be honest, we won’t get all our money back – but I’ve been thinking, and perhaps you’re right.

"Maybe I went too far – but I was excited!"

“Maybe we should discuss it, and maybe I went too far – but I was just excited!

Then she witters on about burgers and Aaron's friend

“These burgers have got tomorrow’s date on them, so we’ll eat them too. And Aaron’s going to play with his friend, Celt.”

"Britt!"

Colin, who has been sitting silently through this tirade, says her name,

"You're frightening me now!"

and she confesses that he is frightening her now. “I’ve been reading up – I think you should talk to someone.

The clues have been there for a while!"

“The clues have been there for a while – mood swings, talking nonstop, going from one thing to another, doing erratic things – I don’t know what’s coming next! It might do you good to have a chat with someone professional.”

"Are you trying to say I'm mental?"

She demands, “What are you trying to say, Col? That I’m mental? That’s what you think!” He points out that she has been under strain, and has been through so much;

"This counsellor is a very nice bloke"

he has the phone number of a counsellor, who is apparently a very nice bloke, who speaks Welsh and everything.

"You phone him – you need him more than I do!"

“You phone the counsellor!” Britt snarls, “You need him more than I do!”

Gaynor has located her trumpet

Gaynor comes down from the loft with her trumpet; she lovingly takes it from its case, attaches the mouthpiece

She produces a few discordant sounds

and tries a few tentative, and not particularly tuneful notes.

"I don't know what insult you're going to throw at me next!"

“I don’t know what insult you’re going to throw at me next!” rages Britt, “First it was turning my back on the kids, then I was at fault for booking a wedding for us, now it’s mood swings. You’re a good one to talk, believe you me! Do you know how difficult it is to live with your whingeing?”

"Ooh – this is a mood, is it?"

When he tries to interrupt her, she protests, “This is a mood, is it?

"I'm supposed to accept what you say, like a good little girl?"

“Am I supposed to accept what you say, like a good little girl?

"Well, that's not who I am!"

“Well, that’s not who I am! Nobody can accuse me of anything and expect me to stand there and take it!”

"Something has to change, Britt!"

Colin tells her, “Something has to change, Britt,” but she tells him this is what she is, and if he does not like it, he knows where the door is.

“All right – I can’t take this any more!” he concedes, “Sorry, but if you’re not willing to face up to things!” He puts down the paper with the telephone number on the table, and Britt encourages him to get out;

She cannot believe he has actually walked out

she seems surprised when he actually goes, then in a fit of temper, overturns her cooking utensils.

They are celebrating in Penrhewl

Kath comes downstairs, after settling Huwi-John, to find Jim pouring out glasses of wine; “We’re celebrating!” Eileen tells her. Sioned, still very aggrieved, asks Jim why he has not said anything, and he replies that if Eileen is happy, he is happy;

"You coward!"

she labels him a coward.

"She made me think – I'm going back to work at CwmFM!"

In the Deri, Hywel tells Rhys that he has been to see Gaynor, who was in good spirits; She made me think – I’m going back to work at CwmFM. Whatever you told her, it made a big impression,

He is proud of his son

“and I’m proud of you.”

"It's out of my hands now, Garry!"

Colin walks in, and informs Garry, “I can’t do it any more – it’s out of my hands now! She’s out of control! She has a mental illness – and she’s getting worse!”

"Keep your voice down!"

Garry just urges him to keep his voice down, but Colin continues, “You know as well as I do that she isn’t right!”

Gary is unsympathetic; “You’re saying that she’s got ‘a condition’ – that’s your answer, is it?

"Leaving her when she needs you most?"

“To leave her when she needs you the most?”

"Exactly how much support have you shown her?"

Colin enquires, “Exactly how much support have you shown her over the past few weeks? You’re her brother when it suits you – it’s time you showed a little bit more responsibility.