5 December 2018

Iori is still feeling the cold

Iori is this morning wearing a blanket and his hat, trying to keep warm;  

Debbie will not answer his calls . . .

he is unable to speak to Debbie, so puts on his overcoat and takes his stick.   

. . . and he is scared to go outside the house

When he opens the front door, he says, apprehensively, “No – no!” and goes back inside;  

Then he tries his mobile phone instead

he tries his mobile phone.

Debbie shouts at her mobile, “Leave me alone!”   

"Aren't you going to answer that, Debs?"

At that moment Mark comes in, remarking on how cold it is, and asks if she is going to answer her phone.   “It’s that Iori again!” she snarls, but he points out that it says withheld. 

“He’s trying to be clever now!” Debbie groans, but Mark wonders if he has fallen or something.   

"It's nothing to do with me!"

“He should phone the agency – it’s nothing to do with me,” she callously tells him, “Have you finished your round – I’ve got lots of orders to pack!”

He has only called in to collect a scarf, and leaves again;  

She rejects another call

the phone rings once more, and Debbie rejects the call.

Jason has made Sara scrambled eggs for breakfast

Jason has made breakfast for Sara;  “You usually only do something like this when you feel guilty,” she tells him, “Do you blame me for being suspicious of you?”

Jason maintains that he is cured

He again stresses that he is better;  “Since going to the Gamblers Anonymous meetings, I’ve heard people talking – people with far worse problems than me – and it made me realise how lucky I am.   

"I've caught it in time, thank goodness!"

“I’ve been rattled, but I’ve caught it in time, thank goodness.   I know it, Sara, I’m better – 

"I don't think I need to go to any more meetings"

“in fact I don’t think I need to go to another meeting now.”

Sara says that they will see about that, and he goes to make coffee;  

Sara suggests ticking off the days on the calendar . . .

“Do you remember one of those blokes saying at the meeting that he ticked off the days on the calendar – every day he managed not to gamble?   Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to do the same, just to show how well you’re doing, one day at time – put it down in black and white.”

. . . and he dutifully does so

He begins to tick off the days, but Sara advises him to wait until tonight to tick off today.   He goes to check on Ifan.

Jim is taking his fatherly duties seriously

Jim is getting the baby off to sleep when Mark arrives with the post, and asks, 

"What's going on with Pwll Bach?"

“What’s going on with Pwll Bach?   There is a ‘for sale’ sign outside – it wasn’t there yesterday.”   Jim has not heard anything, but Mark says he used to work there at one time.

“I helped out mostly, but Dad was full-time, along with the other men from the village – they’ve all gone now – 

"I'm sure Mam has some photos somewhere"

“I’m sure Mam has some photos somewhere.   When I’ve finished my shift, I’ll bring them over.”   

"It's important to remember the past, Huwi!"

Jim tells Huwi-John that it is important to remember the past.

In the café, Ricky asks Diane if she is ready for Christmas, 

"I'm not even half ready"

but she replies that she is not even half ready.   

"And Non's  . . .well . . . gone!"

“It will be quiet for us – Vicky and Nicky won’t come back, and Non’s . . . well . . . gone!” he says.

"I haven't deen you for ages!"

Diane is about to leave when she is surprised to see Iori in the café;  “I haven’t seen you for ages!” she says, “I didn’t know you were still around.”

"I won't be around for long"

He replies, “I won’t be around for long – it’s freezing in that house – everyone’s turned their backs on me.   

"Don't you have a carer?" Are

“The carers don’t do their job – that Debbie Collins has dumped me!   Do you know where Debbie lives?”

"Behind the counter is Debbie's son"

Diane does not answer, but points out that ought to be careful, as behind the counter is Ricky, who is Debbie’s son, and then she leaves.   

Ricky comes over to take Iori’s order, 

"Are you a local lad, then?"

and is asked if he is a local lad;  when told that Ricky lives in Maes-y-Deri, Iori says,” I have some friends from there – Albert and Nancy, number 20.”   

"No, I don't know them – I'm from number 39"

Ricky does not know them, as he is from number 39, 

Iori is very grateful for that piece of information

and he goes to fetch the coffee for Iori.

"He has to be fitted for the hearing aid tomorrow"

Sara is dozing on the sofa when Jason reports that Ifan is fast asleep again;  she hopes that he is well enough to be measured for the hearing aid tomorrow.   

"Can I have some money, please?"

He says, “I have to go to work now – can I have some money, please?”

Sara wants to know what happened to yesterday’s money;  

"You still don't trust me, do you?"

“You still don’t trust me, do you?   What am I supposed to do, Sara?”   

"You must earn that trust"

She replies that he must earn that trust, and finds that she only has £5 in her purse, so he says he will come home for lunch.

Debbie is disappointed that she has been outbid

Debbie is packing items she has sold when she hears an alert on her laptop and finds with dismay that she has been outbid on an item.   Mark comes in and is looking for his Mam’s box of photos;  

"I want photos of the lads at Pwll Bach"

“I want photos of the lads at Pwll Bach.”

Debbie recognises Iori's voice

There is a knock at the door, and Debbie is disconcerted to hear Iori’s voice;  

"What do you think you're doing?"

“What do you think you’re doing?” she exclaims, 

"I wanted to see you, Debbie"

and he says that he wanted to see her.   “You haven’t left the house for months – how did you get here?”   

He points out that he had a great deal of difficulty, 

Then he fabricates feeling unwell

then suddenly decides, “I feel a bit breathless – is it all right for me to sit down for moment?   It’s so nice to see you, Debs – 

"Any chance of a cuppa?"

“any chance of a cuppa?”

"That should not be any problem"

Sara hears that Ifan’s appointment tomorrow has been changed from ten o’clock to eleven.   She says she will let her husband know, and immediately calls his number, 

She tries to locate Jason's phone . . .

but hears it ringing somewhere.   She finds the phone down the sofa;  

. . . which bears an incriminating message

on the screen is a message, “Jason!   You have a free £5 bet,” and she looks very disappointed.

Debbie demands how Iori found out where she lives, 

She provides him with a cup of tea . . .

but he is more interested in emphasising, “I haven’t had anything to eat or drink since last night – I’m lost without you, Debs!”   

. . . which is then supplemented by biscuits

She finds a packet of biscuits to go with the cup of tea, and tells him that she is working.

Again he begs her to come back and look after him;  

"You don't need a carer, you just need a friend!"

“You don’t need looking after – the truth is, you don’t need a carer, you just need a friend – and I was just doing my job!”   

"We understand each other so well"

He argues that they understand each other so well;  “We had fun, chatting and laughing – I never see anyone else.”   She informs him that he has turned into a hermit – 

"You need to go out and socialise"

he needs to go out and socialise,

"I don't like people!"

but he protests he does not like people.

“Look, Iori, I’m so busy with the new business, not to mention the family, the salon and the taxis – I can’t be there for you any more.   I’m sorry.”   

Iori looks seriously aggrieved

He does not look very pleased about this.

"Your father was a big bloke"

Mark has taken the photos to Penrhewl;  “Your father was a big bloke,” says Jim, and enquires about the other people in the photos.   

"There's Clem, the foreman, and Stan Bevan"

Mark points out Clem, the foreman, and Stan Bevan, among others;  he is sure that Megan will have some similar photos, and Jim maintains that some should be displayed in the Deri.

"I'd love to see the place again!"

“Cassie will have some stories too, if you talk to her,” says Mark, “It was a great time for Cwmderi – I’d love to see the place again,” 

"There's a padlock on the gate"

but Jim informs him there is a padlock on the gate.  “So what?   It’s safe there – I know it like the back of my hand,” Mark insists, and they decide they will go down and have a look.

"Have you seen my phone, Sara?"

Jason returns home and asks if Sara has seen his phone, as he needs it for work;  “You want to gamble, do you?” she demands, 

"You've got a free bet, so go for it!"

“Why not?   You’ve got a free bet, so go for it!”   He explains that is a message because he has stopped – it is an advert to tempt him back.   

"You treat me like a fool!"

“You treat me like a fool!” she growls, 

"Sara, I swear I have stopped!"

and again he tries to convince her that he has stopped, but has to go back to work.

"Give me your phone, Jason"

She instructs him, “Give me your phone – you don’t need it at work.   

He obediently does so

“You’re just round the corner, and there’s a landline at APD!”   He capitulates and hands over the phone, then Ifan starts crying.   

"Diane, can you come over?"

She gets out her phone and calls Diane, asking if she can come over.

"I'll go home – to a cold, empty bungalow"

Debbie is still industriously packing parcels, so Iori says that he will go;  “Home to a cold, empty bungalow – obviously you don’t care, do you?”   

"You should move, and do things"

She admits that she is fond of him, but he has to take responsibility for himself;  he is healthy, so should move more and do things.

“With who?” he demands, “I don’t know anybody these days – 

"It's all changed since I ran Punt y Pen"

“it’s all changed since my days, running Punt y Pen – the happiest days of my life!”   He sinks back into the armchair, recalling, “Buying, selling, gossiping, fooling around with people!”

"Why don't you start all over again?"

Debbie wonders why he does not start all over again;  “You’ve got the gift of the gab.   It’s a good time, before Christmas – you can see how many orders I get!   

"Most of this is tat!"

“You could buy a laptop and do what I do – look at all these parcels – and most of it is tat!”

"I had a shop full at Punt y Pen!"

“I’m a dab hand at selling tat – I had a shop full at Punt y Pen!” he exclaims, and she encourages him to go for it.   He appears to relish the idea.

"Is it a problem with Jason?"

Sara is on the laptop when Diane arrives;  “Sorry, I didn’t know who else to turn to,” Sara begins, 

"I found a message on his phone"

“I found a message on Jason’s phone from a gambling company, offering him free bets.   I’ve got no chance, have I?   The user history says he has not placed a bet since last week, but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t bet with another company – 

"I don't believe a word he says!"

“I don’t believe a word he says!”

"Jason has too much to lose!"

Diane says that she knows Jason, and is convinced he is trying his best to conquer this gambling habit;  “He would never lie to you again – he has too much to lose.”

Sara stresses that she needs advice from someone who knows what they are doing, but Diane urges her not to go behind his back, 

"It is support that he needs now"

pointing out that it is support that he needs now.   “When someone tells the truth, and is accused anyway, they might as well do it!”   

Sara wants her to babysit for a while, because she has to talk to someone, and fetches her coat.   

"He would never put Ifan's future at risk"

Diane warns that Jason would never do anything to put Ifan’s future at risk, 

"I wish I was as sure as you!"

and Sara wishes that she was as sure as that.

Mark and Jim arrive at Pwll Bach

Mark and Jim arrive at the gates of Pwll Bach, but find that the chain has been cut;  “No way – what if we get caught?   

"There could be cameras everywhere!"

“There could be cameras everywhere!” protests Jim, “Or Alsatians!”   Mark demonstrates that it is easy to squeeze through the gate,

Jim finds it more of a struggle

but Jim finds it more difficult.

Iori organises a meeting with Nigel

Iori contacts his friend Nigel and informs Debbie, “He’s coming to see me tomorrow – he’s got a full lock-up in Swansea.”   She predicts that he will be back, wheeling and dealing by the weekend.   

"That's why you wanted to know where I lived"

Ricky comes in and is surprised to see Iori there;  “Is that why you wanted to know where I lived?” he enquires, and tells his mother Iori said he had friends on the estate.

"Your mother is some woman, you know!"

Iori emphasises to Ricky that his mother is some woman, and Debbie suggests that Ricky could help, as he is an expert with computers;  

"Show Iori how the laptop works!"

“I’m sure you would love to show Iori how it works!” 

Iori takes careful note

and she rushes off to catch the post.

"The portakabins were over there"

Mark points out, “The portakabins were over there, where the lads ate their lunch – Reg’s office was next door.   

"It's a shame to see it like this"

“It’s a shame to see it like this – all the rubbish that’s been dumped here.”   Jim picks up a piece of paper from a fly-tipped sack, 

Jim finds some fly-tipped APD paperwork

and discovers that it is an APD job list.

Jason is surprised to find his mother there

Jason returns home, and is surprised to see his mother there;  “Sara had to go out, and I’m babysitting Ifan,” she tells him.   

He makes some lunch

He has come home to make himself some lunch, and she asks him how he is;  he replies that it is busy at APD, with everyone wanting their extensions finished before Christmas.   

"Is everything all right between you and Sara?"

“Is everything all right between you and Sara?” she enquires.

"She's told you about the message, has she?"

“She’s told you about the message, has she?” Jason realises, “Mam, I’m trying hard – why won’t anyone believe me?”   His mother assures him that she believes him, and he remarks that she has more faith in him than Sara does.

"I can see the difference in you"

“You have to show her you’re serious about conquering the gambling!” she insists, and he again maintains that he has conquered it, and feels so much better.   She is convinced that she can see the difference in him, 

. . . but does he really look any different?

but he is still wearing his usual haunted look.