 Your Coca-Cola bottler presents Claudia based on the famous play and novels by Rose Franken Brought to you transcribe 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 Now you listen to me David Norton you can't help being in this hospital and you're going to be here Several days more so you might as well just sit back and enjoy it. I'll sit back and I'll even lie back But I won't enjoy it Just because you're stubborn. Well, did you enjoy being in the hospital when you had the baby? I loved it. I did too all the lovely attentions. I received Nurses running in and out and they didn't make half as much fuss about me as they did about you because you just happened to be a man That's such a bad-looking one that you don't have to flatter my ego I'm not any other day. You'd agree with me only today. You're in a bad humor Well, you would be in a bad humor, too You are a fine sport. You are I am all you have is a silly little broken collar bone And hang over from a concussion. You ought to be very grateful. Well, that's all I have. Why can't I go home? Darling, I hate you to be in the hospital, but I just keep knocking wood that you are Could have been so much worse Shouldn't have happened in the first place Well, it wasn't your fault the other man skidded into you He's dead David it wasn't your fault. I know it wasn't you don't have to keep telling me the fact remains that he's dead And it's not a nice thing to think about David you're You're not going to brood about it. Are you why shouldn't I have a little in because you're not the brooding kind of a man Only hens brood and you're a rooster. Yeah one sock dollager of a rooster. Oh, shut up That's a nice way to talk to me a bed ridden convalescent The only way you deserve being talked to complaining because you have to spend a few days in this this lovely sunny room Being pampered and sport and the rest will do you good. I'm not tired Maybe you would be if you weren't in bed One web looking at it. It's a matter of fact. You look so comfortable. I almost wish I were here, too You were I wouldn't mind so much. Now that was sweet. Am I not always sweet? So so if I could turn over I'd show you something beautiful The nurse said I have the most stunning black and blue marks between my shoulders the shape of South America. Oh South America is a lovely shape. We'll have to go there someday. You just get well That's all I care about and mom and the baby and fritz and birthdays all they care about too Have you spoken to Roger today? Oh, yes. Just for coming over. What do you say? He says everything at the office is going on fine. He's managing beautifully Aren't you pleased? Delighted. There's nothing like being dispensable. Now Roger didn't mean it that way and you know it I suppose not. I'm glad he's managing without me Hurts doesn't it? How would you like it if if I told you everything at home was going beautifully when you weren't there you do tell Me you tell me that all the time Different with a man. Yeah, everything's always different with a man David listen, you should hear how the telephone at home rings all day people from all over Eastbrook Telephone and find out how you are people. I didn't know even know we knew know we knew Let's go back and try that again. Now. Let's see people. I never knew I knew all right That's not okay. It's great. You get the idea David listen Do you want me to bring you any books to read or some pickled cow's feet? Maybe sick people always eat pickled cow's feet I wonder why I'm not sick and I don't like pickles cabs feet and I can't set up yet And it's sort of difficult to read books or maybe tomorrow you'll be home before you know it sure Car still at the garage man says we'll have it next week. I guess I can't tell you anymore Not to not to drive so recklessly. I guess I won't have a leg to stand on I guess from now on you're the boss at the wheel. That's a bright thing for you to be saying very brilliant How long have you been driving? 12 13 years how many accidents have you had ones enough one little accident that wasn't even your fault in 13 years It's a pretty good record. I'd say I haven't even been driving 13 months So don't you start making pretty speeches about me being a better driver? Am I not allowed to even make pretty speeches darling? I love you and I want you to be happy come in Why mr. Tucker? Oh there, Mrs. Naughton. Hello there son. Well, this is a surprise just thought I'd amble over and give you my howdy-doody Here here's some posies to Alice and I'll take the flowers down the hall. Mr. Tucker hadn't put in a vase No, they're just some posies. No need to make such a fuss about them beautiful. So stop insulting them Well, I can't let a lady carry her own bundles here hand them over if you insist on taking them down the hall I'll carry them for you. There's no need really. I can see this gentleman is spoiling you while I'm away and them over mrs. Naughton Gallant mr. Tucker be right back son. Just escorting your wife down the car. They're away. I don't blame you I'd rather be with Claudia than with me any day. No, not I'd rather be with you. I'm tired of being with me See you David Well, I sure handled that pretty smooth didn't I what do you mean? Well, I aimed to have a private chat with you before I started talking to your husband Don't think he suspected though. Did he even I didn't suspect Chivalry is such a natural part of your character, mr. Tucker. I'll come to the point straight away. How is he? Well? Outside of being slightly discouraged. He's fine But dr. Barry warned me he'd be a little depressed You didn't need no doctor to tell you that no man if any is a man likes to be incarcerated in one of these here hospitals And David least of all them medicos get you flat on your back as soon as they meet a man close enough to see the whites of his eyes Flat on his back he goes. Yep. That's why I stay away from them I do they'd kill a man with attention the wood. Hope I I know I ain't never gonna let one of them fellows Give me the nonsense I never did see the insides of a hospital till my daddy was brought in to breathe his last and that was over His dead body figuratively so you said yep I knew the minute he crossed the sanctuary of Sanctum onious doors of a hospital He'd breathe his last and breathe his last today. He did. Well, that certainly is reassuring No, I ain't never let them rob me of my tonsils. I was born with him. I'll die with him Just better go in see your husband now was that all you wanted to tell me just one see the lay of the land Mr. Tucker, I don't quite know how to tell you but David is unhappy enough about being in this hospital without you big up big up What I mean is he sees all its bad points. What do you need to sort of to see the good ones? Oh, there ain't none Well, I wish you could think of some David had listened to them if they came from you, Mr. Tucker. Mrs. Norton. I ain't no hypocrite Could you just be a little? Pretend the hospital is a fine place for him to be Nope, sorry. I couldn't lie that much even if it's important even if I Guess I better go put these flowers in a vase. I'll be back in a minute. I'll go in and cheer up your husband Yeah, you'll cheer him up. All right Well, mr. Norton I Did me a little service to the fair sex and I'm back. I'll pull up a chair, Mr. Tucker Must say it sure is something of a surprise to me to see you Lie a bed this fine fall weather. Yeah, it's something of a surprise to me, too This this ain't a bad room. No, ain't Got a nice look out that winter. Well, I can tell you exactly how many branches. They are on the tree Don't say, you know, I was just telling your wife. I'm I'm a fool of a man. All right I'll come well here I've been going around and pride in myself that I never set me foot in the hospital That ain't never let no medico incarcerate. I mean coax me into one of these here places I was telling her that in all the years I never let anyone take care of me save myself And I think you have the right attitude mr. Tucker. I wonder if I do You know, I ain't the young fella I used to be Oh, go on mr. Tucker. You're getting younger every day younger from the other end of the yardstick Maybe but now I can feel my joints going rusty and the blood run cooler in my veins Of course, I ain't done in by a long shot But I never told this to nobody but life life catches up on your son It sure does well, I wouldn't complain if I were you mr. Tucker I'm a good bit younger than you are here I am flat on my back when you were walking around on your own two legs I ain't been hit be a car like you young one if I had I'd be laying down, too But six foot under yeah I'm thinking maybe since this is the autumn of the year and the autumn for Jared Tucker Maybe I ought to let the old guy get his self looked over dr. Barry. Maybe yep look fine to me. You never know Trees look good on outside and they're decaying on the inside It can seem perfectly healthy and yet paris seats will be sucking out its strength We ain't none of us different from the other every now and then we got to get the decaying paris seats out of our systems They what brought all this on mr. Tucker. Oh, just thinking just thinking is a watch you lay In bed so comfortable so cool looking so good and rested Hi, I ain't seen you looking so good since first said eyes on you Well, I don't think I've had so much rest in the lump in my life before do you good do me good, too If I had sense for it Maybe I ought to let myself get hit by a car. Oh, no take my advice I'm forced me to slow up a few days. Maybe even for a couple weeks Does man good to set his mind wandering nothing else to do but let it dream and think Have an awful lot of time for that Young man when I was a boy. I had some sense I used to lay down on the slope of a hill underneath a tree chewing on a blade of grass and I used to dream Just lay there and dream building castles Then I started to hop and I kept right on hoppin still hoppin. I Look back now and the best moments in my whole life was when I was laying under that tree with a blade of grass in My mouth and dreaming Got a half of mine to start dreaming now Why a man can be almost anything he wants to be if he gives himself time. I I saw myself a John Paul Jones once Another time I dreamed myself in a blinkin then then there was a day when the shape of a cloud was in the form of an Elephant and that day I I was one of them Indian potentates Dreaming's a good way of passing time. I guess I've gotten out of the habit Oh, we all do we ain't got the sense to cut ourselves out a chunk of time just for dreaming I hold it when when there are dreams when men can believe in them and want to live by them the world's a better place We've been hurrying so darn much lately. I kind of forgot Those are mighty good thought mr. Tucker. Yeah, you got a big chance son I haven't been looking at it that way You had a beam in your eye, but you start ruminating and you won't be feeling so sorry for yourself Yep, now I've got half of mine. You're in your room get myself laid up in one of these here beds Have my meals brung in by the pretty nurses All dressed in white and just laying there staring out the window dreaming in a ruminating well You've almost got me convinced mr. Tucker Dang to find got myself convinced Yeah, bye. I sure do envy you If when some member of the family wants to have a party you think it means a lot of extra work for you Here's a suggestion Instead of making a fuss over company just get a case of coke and make no other preparations Everyone enjoys ice cold coca-cola and you'll enjoy party giving more if it doesn't ask too much of you in the way of Cooking and table setting and dishwashing Wait a minute there mr. King don't say another word. Why what's the trouble mr. Tucker? Oh, nothing's a trouble I just want to have a bit of conversation with you. Oh, I thought you had great news for me No, nothing important save I I seen a doctor just now. Mm-hmm And he says it like is not young David's going to be going home beginning of the week Oh, that is news great news think so. I Was just convinced by him that a hospital is a fine place to be for a bit of time Well, did he convince you or did you convince yourself? Guess sort of work sort of mutual. Yeah, I guess didn't I guess I better be tottering big saying getting fed this way Well, see you later. Mr. King very soon, mr. Tucker 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 Monday at the same time And now this is joking saying or a bar and remember Whoever you are whatever you do wherever you may be when you think of refreshment think of coca-cola For coca-cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes and ice-cold coca-cola is everywhere The parts of Claudia and David on this program were played by Catherine Bard and Paul Crabtree 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