MORNING SERIAL

“WEL bore da, Efa Williams!” says Anti Gladys, as soon as we walk in through the heavy door of the chapel the second Sunday.

“Ers talwm iawn,” long time no see, she says, licking her pink lipstick, sour-puss mouth.

“We were here last week!” says Efa. But Anti Gladys can’t have noticed us last week, cos she looks like she doesn’t believe that.

Anti Gladys wears a posh coat and, although she’s old and creased, still has long boobs and green all round her eyes. Siwan’s behind her, and I see her frown, and meet Efa’s eye.

“Bore da, Gladys,” Efa says it quiet, stood there in the musty vestry in her long, glitter skirt and her gypsy headscarf, looking like she’s there by mistake. I’m stood next to her, itchy in my woolly tights, my blue raincoat, and my red velvet Sunday dress.

The dress is too small now, pinches under the arms. I need the loo, stand on my right foot with my left foot.

The air in the chapel’s full of the smells of clean people again. Across the vestry I can hear them whispering. The girls. Rhiannon and Catrin. They giggle at me and shoot glares that mean watch out.

I give them a heavy look, and, while Anti Gladys and Efa pretend to have a conversation, I stick out my blue, gobstopperstained tongue.

The girls gasp all dramatic at me so Anti turns and catches me in the act. “Un o’r teulu?” she asks Efa, syrup sweet. One of the family is she?

I look up at Anti Gladys. She smiles. But it’s not like Anti Siwan. It’s like the cover of a magazine. Not real.

“What are you dressed up for, dear?” Anti asks Efa in her snobby Welsh. “A Christmas pantomime?”

Efa stays away after that week, and Anti Gladys’ sharp tongue. Now she just takes me up to the steps in front of the serious building, looks up at the chapel doors like she dreads it, and backs off before Anti Siwan or any of the other Antis catch her and hoik her in. Anti Siwan goes out after her the first week, but even she can’t persuade Efa to come in again.

For all her hippy clothes and colours, Efa’s like a closed door. She looks upset, but she just won’t budge.