Bedroom in the cottage.
Iola lies on the bed.
Menna enters, wearing gloves.
Menna (hissing) Mam.
Beat.
(Hissing.) Mam?
Iola Hello?
Hello?
Menna (hissing) Shh! Sh! Sorry.
Iola Menna?
Iola sits up.
Menna Where’s Mam?
Iola In the toilet. She’s gone to have a try.
Menna (hissing) Don’t get up. I’ll. I’ll speak to her in the morning. Don’t get up.
Iola What’s the matter?
Long pause.
Menna I can’t; sleep.
Iola taps the bed.
Menna I’ll speak to her in the morning.
Iola taps the bed. Menna sits on the bed with Iola who yawns.
Iola Been eating cheese?
Menna No.
Iola Do you want me to sleep on the bench?
Menna shakes her head.
Iola Been lovely having you down.
Beat.
I never meant to upset you bach.
Menna You two drive me insane. I wish fucking Peter was here.
Iola He’s busy.
Menna How did Dad and Uncle Albie put up with you two?
Iola Glad to get rid of us half the time! ‘Go on!’ he’d say, ‘up your sister’s! Get out from under my feet you are.’
Iola chuckles.
Iola I’m glad you came down.
Menna wipes a tear.
Iola There there now.
Menna I can look after you.
Iola When we’d have a horse go lame, or a cow go barren. Always having still births you know awful sad for her. You know we’d give them some time. Whatyoucall see how they go. But we’d have to see to them, in the end. If you’ve got livestock you’ve got deadstock. It’s just the way.
Pause.
Menna Mam’s not ill though.
Iola hugs Menna.
Iola She is a stubborn cow though.
Silence.
Menna Will you talk to her?
Iola I’m the one with this whatyoucall, tumour. And it’s bloody miserable, God knows it is. But, I’m glad it’s me. Because it must be hell the other way round.
Menna I shouldn’t have come up here.
She gets up and starts walking away.
Iola Where are you going?
Menna I’m going to try and ring Peter, go back to bed.
Iola He’ll be asleep.
Menna It’s fine go back to bed.
Iola I’m not tired. I think I’m due a tablet.
She gets out of bed and starts looking for something.
Menna What are you doing?
Iola I’ve got so many Anest tells me.
Menna You’ve taken them. I helped you.
Iola Have I? Oh I’m no use.
Menna I’m sure. Go back to bed.
Iola I’m sorry you have to put up with this.
Menna Stop apologising it’s fine.
Iola Don’t worry about me now. I’ll be, I’ll just wait for Anest, she won’t be long.
Menna hesitates.
Menna Try and sleep.
Iola Yes. Did I take the big ones, the red ones?
Menna Yes, you took all of – where’s the box?
She gets a large tablet box out and sits with Iola.
You took hang on, what’s today’s date?
Menna looks at her watch and then opens a box.
See, empty. All of them gone.
Iola looks at the box.
Iola Pathetic yna fe?
Menna kisses Iola’s head.
Menna Go to bed.
She gets up but Iola doesn’t move.
Iols.
Iola Look at all these. Never taken a tablet before in my life.
Menna rejoins Iola.
Silence.
Menna Nothing to feel bad about.
Iola I have to take them standing up I’ve got so many.
Menna takes the tablet box from her.
Menna Come on. Let me brush your hair and then you have to go to bed.
Menna gets a brush. She puts a mirror in front of Iola, stands behind her and starts brushing. Iola hums ‘Aderyn Du’.
Menna What’s? What’s … that song about?
Iola Eh?
Menna The song. What’s the words mean? My Welsh is awful.
Iola Aderyn du [A dare in dee] / is blackbird.
Menna I know that.
Iola It’s a uh, boy singing. Singing to a blackbird; in a tree. He’s got. He’s full of love, but it’s whatyoucall, lonely. He’s asking blackbird to fly on his behalf to his calon [cal-on – loved one]
Iola taps her heart.
in Cidwelly [Kid where-ly] and find out what the … Understand the … whatyoucall what’s going. If she feels the same ydw e? [Uh-doo-eh – you see]
Menna So he sings to the blackbird?
Iola That’s it. Can’t take it anymore.
Menna What?
Iola Being in love and being alone.
Menna stops brushing Iola’s hair and looks at her reflection.
Iola Let me … what is it now? Oh … I’m terrible. Silken plumed … Silken plumed golden beaked, silver tongued blackbird. Will you please tell her to let me know that she loves me?
Menna Sounds so happy though.
Iola Uhmm … Everyone thinks that. All the Welsh songs are beautiful but they’re bloody miserable ti’n bod. That’s the Welsh for you. See a bloody tragedy. Like a family drowning a young girl for falling in love with the wrong man and they bloody sing a song about it. Sing a song so it doesn’t sound so bad. Put a brave face on it. It’s hope that kills you in the end.
Slowly Menna stops brushing Iola’s hair, and Iola gets ready for bed.
Put my coat on if you’re going to the phone box.
Menna looks at her reflection.
Blackout.