 Your Coca-Cola bottler presents Claudia based on the famous play and novels by Rose Franken Brought to you transcribed Monday through Friday by your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola Relax and while you're listening refresh yourself. Have a coke and now Claudia Eastbrook Center or seven You please give me mr.. David Norton's he's room 14 Norton's residence Norton's residence. I would like to speak to mr.. David Norton one moment, please I'll see it. He's here. He'd better be or I'll tell the doctor on him He is not under the bed, ma'am. Well look in the bed. Oh Yes, there he is In the bed on his back Who should I say is calling just tell him it's his wife see his wife not a game Yes, again one moment, please I'll see if he wishes to speak to you again. Dolly. Well better with speak to me Well, Claudia old thing puff puff. It's that you David not stop the nonsense talk to me like a decent human being What's so decent about being a human being? Oh, you dope. I think your concussion is more serious than dr. Barry thinks I think it defected your brain. Where do you think my concussion was then you're feeling better? Who says I'm feeling better your butler says What does he know about me darling? Please are you are you not feeling better? What's it to you? Everything then yes, I suppose I am feeling better. You didn't even have to tell me I knew and why did you ask? Because I like here you say it that's so terrible. It's weak-minded everything about me is weak-minded about you Do you miss me? Do you love me? Would you like me to come over and see you tonight? Well little well a little is all you miss and love and want me I think I'll just spend a cozy evening at home with mama You sorry A little I think you're perfectly healthy you're getting to be your plain old nasty self again Darling you do not call a man with a broken collar bone name shouldn't have bothered to call you at all What are you doing? Nothing just lying here waiting for dr. Barry to come. What are you doing? Nothing not waiting for anybody to come Bobby. He's fine. He's asleep Pouring rain out. It's all wet What has that got to do with Bobby? What do you think? Oh? The rainy wish I were asleep too. Why don't you go to bed and take a nap? I'm not sleepy Sometimes I think you had a concussion when you were a small baby from what your nurse must have dropped you on your head Oh, we couldn't afford a nurse my mother did it. Oh Well, what are you going to do now? I don't know wait for dinner Later, I'll drive over and see you when the rain stops. I'll drive carefully here Have to use the pickup the car is not back from the garage yet Maybe I'll let Fritz drive me in the truck even better than I won't have to lie here and worry about you Oh, here's dr. Barry now. I have to hang up David. Don't hang up yet. What is it dog? Nothing? Except I love you Tell Fritz to drive carefully. Bye. Good. Bye Aren't you nosy? I learned it from you talking to David again. Why not again poor phone bill? Sounds a lot better dr. Barry just walked in to see him. Did you give him my love? Who dr. Barry mama? He's a married man. Yes dr. Barry. Of course. That's who I meant. Nope. I didn't give him your love Oh Rain was nice when David was home. It is feel more together the same rain. No It is It's raining in the morning the accident David and I were complimenting ourselves on how cozy it made us feel how secure Now I feel as if you and I were sitting in an island in the middle of a big ocean of rain All alone clear tonight. What are you doing? Well, I think I might as well start going through the bills are starting to come in Seeing it's almost the first of the month. Would you like me to do it? You can just sign the checks I do not want you to do it. I keep the budget in this family poor David has to spend three hours trying to balance the checkbook This time I'm going to do it right There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to add as well as the next man No, no reason, but do you but I'm not a man. Am I? now, let me see and bills Heavens mom every month this pile gets bigger wait. Do you see next month's with David's husband? Oh, don't mention it Oh, well, I'm certainly not going to worry about that now. We still have David's bonus. We haven't touched anyway I'm not going to worry about money mama. I have plenty of other things to worry about for once. You're right I'll show up and pay your bills. I want to count the number of stitches. I purled onto the needle. No, I Thought it was the country I like about living on a farm isn't it? No, I don't think so. I think it's David. I like about living on a farm Without him it just isn't the same nothing would be nothing should be not even people look the same to me everybody's nice and everybody's been awfully thoughtful, but Maybe they only like me because of David. What are you trying to talk yourself into? I don't know. I guess I'm just being silly I guess I just miss David. That's all Not having him here makes me feel the rest of the world just doesn't care and get back to your bills Stop thinking so much after dinner. I'll drive over to the hospital. That's what I'll do already seen him twice today Do you begrudge me a little visit with my husband? He's supposed to rest That's what I keep telling him. I gave up Mrs. Norton Where are you hiding? We're right here in the living room. Mr. Tucker. Come on in. I mean the door was open so I mean I Come over to make a social call good. Hey, oh, Mrs. Brown. Good to see you, Mr. Tucker Always good to see you ma'am. Yeah, give me a coat. Mr. Tucker. You're a little wet never hurt man good for him Keep him watered like a bed of lilies and he'll grow fine. Give me a coat. I'll hang it up Don't you want me to mama stay where you are Claudia? I was going upstairs Yeah, she sure is a fine cut of a woman your mother Mr. Tucker, how would you like to see my son? Frankly, Mrs. Norton. I ain't got no use for mule and babies even though I'd be yours Oh, at least you're honest about it. Mule and babies remind me too much of my sister. Delilah no teeth and short dispositions Well now young lady, how's your husband? I just talked to him on the phone. He seems a lot better Yeah, I guess the times are coming for me to be gone to see him. It'll cheer him up. It will dwell I'm sure it will. No, I don't believe in hospitals never been in one myself Don't have to have my teeth pulled. I just let him fall out when they're good and ready I don't even go to have my tonsils taken out. I still have them just where the grove I suppose when a man gets into an automobile accident the hospital's the only place for him for Dr. Barry said he really should stay there a while. There ain't never been an automobile accident in my whole family They never been an automobile Till just recently Yeah, it's a terrible thing when an accident happens in the family terrible thing Here today and gone tomorrow. Well, we're still here today. Thank goodness Slower to make quite a dent. Oh, you should see our car. It's still being fixed Oh, I I don't mean I don't mean an offender, but the dollars don't come a rolling in like the should what a man's flat onto his back still Named easy That that's trouble with marriage. What is yep? I near made the same mistake myself ten or twelve times near got myself tied up with a woman and a bunch offsprings But just when I was standing there teetering on to the brink I says to myself Jared Tucker What if you got hit with one of them their new fangled automobiles? Who's gonna take care of the wife and the little one? You certainly were far-sighted That was the one thing that never crossed my mind David's either. I'm sure now Is it say you never think a tragedy until it shakes your hand except Jared Tucker? He thought of it to such a point that it never shook your hand Might have missed a bit of something for not marrying, but I missed a bit of something else, too I'd rather take my chances with life. Well at any rate since never did time of self up with no one woman I I got quite a big fat shock stashed away for a rainy day. Oh, not not this kind of rain I hope you never get caught in any other kind mr. Tucker. Oh don't matter so much about me I'm still plenty strong and young I can fight my way through any rain But it's your poor helpless females that need help women and children like you like me. Yes, miss Norton I don't quite know how to say it or put it I ain't used to playing this role, but it seems to me like you're caught in the rain So I've rung over part of what what's accumulated in my sock Mr. Tucker, I'm not sure I understand what you mean. I don't like to be blunt Mrs. Norton this ain't charity I'm offering because I ain't a charitable man be nature I just thought you might need a few well few a few a few dollars to help you along until Mr. Norton Mr. Norton's back on to his feet again You mean you're you're offering to lend me money. No, no, he ain't hurt. Are you? I know young folks is proud and hate to accept their bar of money But I ain't all in it to you to make you feel bad. I'm giving it to you to make you feel good Someday I might even let you do the same to me if that'll make you feel better Mr. Tucker, that's one of the sweetest things that anybody's ever offered me. I Just wished I needed your money. I love to accept it, but unfortunately I don't need any You sure that now? Yeah, I'm sure Believe me. I'm sorry. Maybe I maybe I can manage things so in a few weeks I will need some help from you, but right now I don't so All I can do is thank you a million times for your offer. Are you ain't being embarrassed? No, I'm not. I'm being flattered. Well Just call me in case you ever need it. It's here for you and I yeah, I hope Mrs. Norton, I hope you'll take it. I'll take it. I promise and Mr. Tucker, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart Oh, thank Mrs. Norton. He ain't got nothing to thank me about why you ain't took the money I offered No, I didn't take the money, but it's the offer I think You're doing a heck of a lot of thanking for nothing, you know this time. It's not for me and it's not for the offer Something a lot greater. Well speak up speak up for being a real neighbor For giving David and me a place where we'll be proud to live and proud to be your neighbors. Oh That's probably David now Hello David just a minute darling. Let me talk that young rascal. I got a thing or two I want to tell him about his wife. He don't get out of that hospital quick He'd better not say I didn't warn him Yep, you're the kind of girl I've been sparked, you know, Mr. Norton. He should never forget how lucky he is You with you got a right smart head on your shoulders Even if you have help around the house There are probably a good many duties that fall to you unless your life is unlike that of most American housewives today Whatever your duties cooking cleaning laundering dishes, you'll find that a pause for ice-cold coca-cola Enables you to work refreshed The six bottle carton of coke is still only 25 cents better pick up a carton next time you're out Wait a minute there young fella. Oh, Mr. Tucker. Oh, he's glad to have a chat with you, Mr. Tucker You've been over to the hospital to see Mr. Norton yet. No, no, I haven't not yet Oh, I ain't either been been kind of busy around here, you know Well, actually, I don't think David should have too many visitors yet to you. No, guess not I guess his wife needs him instead of him. I Think you're right. No, I'll be around tomorrow Mm-hmm, and uh If you hadn't heard before you know now so will Paradiso What about the barn? Oh? I'll take care of that. I'll see you tomorrow. Yes, and that means fireworks. Okay, Mr. Tucker. See you then As I was about to say every day Monday through Friday Claudia comes to you transcribed With the best wishes of your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola So listen again tomorrow at the same time And now this is Joe King saying au revoir and remember Whoever you are whatever you do wherever you may be When you think of refreshment think of Coca-Cola or Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes and ice-cold Coca-Cola is everywhere These broadcasts are adapted for radio by mania star and the entire production is supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney And now here's a word from your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola