 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 I'm in here. So beautiful and shiny clean clothes clean everything. What's the occasion? Dr. Barry's coming to see him. I want Bobby to make a good impression. You mean you want to make a good impression Yeah, what are you doing at the desk? I knew my peace and quiet was at an end the minute I heard your chirping voice What are you doing? Working. What are all those blanks and sheets of paper David? I'm filling out my insurance reports on the accident now. Are you satisfied? No, how many do you have to fill out? This looks like scads of them Scads of them. Don't you think I ought to do it for you darling? Why? Well, I know lots more about the accident than you do You were unconscious most of the time remember? It might interest you to know that I wasn't unconscious until after the accident That's good. Okay. It might have been worse. Very funny Go away What sort of things do they want to know? Everything well for instance for instance everything use your head What time where how it happened why it happened whose fault it was what happened to the car? How much it cost to repair the car fortune that how much exactly the kind of specific answer they're looking for the fortune Still I have as much right to fill out this blank as you have what makes you think so Well, you're my husband. It's our car. All right. All right. If you want to fill out these forms. All right You go ahead. It's all yours. No, thank you. I just wanted to know what they want to know That's all go ahead. They better pay you all they owe you or else. Well, you write them a letter. I'll wait and see David you'll be persistent. You have to be firm with these insurance companies What have you been reading? Nothing. I heard something on the radio. Oh What are you looking for now? Running out of matches for my pipe. Oh wait a minute Here Thanks, you know that the first thing you said to me when you became conscious after the accident you said, you know what I Broke my pipe You're such a fool darling. Well, it was my best pipe and you were my best husband were our poor Jesse What? Poor Jesse I give up what darling one minute you're talking love to me in the next you're saying poor Jesse Who is this Jesse in what you have to do with us everything? Darling, don't you remember? Jesse Mason it was her husband who crashed into your car George Mason Poor devil. Hmm. He didn't have much of a reputation around town. Did he guess not what happens to people to Get them like that anyway Lots of things I spoke when George Mason was a little boy That he was just like any other little boy sweet hopeful Like our Bobby, maybe Then he grew up and he became the town good for nothing. I Wonder if everyone he was oh shuffling along Main Street late at night eating a shave Wonder if he ever thought back to when he was a little boy all clean and new and Then looked at himself and wondered what happened to him darling, I'm I'm afraid that's life and it's frightening David you haven't heard anything about what's happened to Jesse. Have you know, maybe dr. Barry will know he knows most all the news around town I feel so sorry for her When you were lying unconscious in dr. Barry's office, she and I were waiting together in the waiting room We're both waiting to hear about our husbands Did I ever tell you how she arrived at dr. Barry's office with a man? He just couldn't get it to be quiet She howled and she cried and she said if anything happened to her husband She'd sell her place and move out of town and start all over again She didn't have any children I pity her so pity is a very strong word. I know She was so busy pretending. She knew what she lost and she didn't have the least idea her husband dying was just another man And yet she knew she ought to feel something so she screamed and she cried and howled Poor Jesse Darling, it's It's not very nice to feel sorry for people. I know but I can't help it. I I Just wish there was something I could do for her. I'm sure she must need some help In a way, I feel as if I owe life Something now that you're well and everything's perfect again. I Even feel smug. Now, you ought to be ashamed. Well, I'm not Now stop talking get back to your insurance blank me stop talking. Yes, you get back to work Hardly been able to get a word in edgewise stop complaining Fill your pipe and start to work on your forms and don't talk to me. I'm going to read Some women have more nerves Concentrating Good, I'm reprieved. Here's dr. Barry. He won't run away. You don't have to break your neck running to him. I never break my neck Hello, hello dr. Barry. Well, Claudia How's everything? Well, David's well the baby's well all's well with the world. My gosh, don't I sound smug though? I don't know why you need a doctor to call on you. It's a luxury. We just love having a visit with you It's a pleasure to come Well David you're looking like yourself. Mm-hmm. I was just telling Claudia. I don't think you need a doctor at all We'll always need a friend. Come on in. Oh, yeah Yeah, that's a fine house you have here. I always liked that paneling over the fireplace Especially now that you're scraped it down to pine through 11 coats of paint and one of wallpaper Now I wouldn't part with it for a million dollars. Don't you wave a check under his nose dr. Barry won't do any good I wouldn't even offer no man should be parted from his paneling Well now I must remember that I'm a doctor not an architect. How's the baby? Bobby's fine He doesn't cry. He sleeps all the time. He eats wonderfully. He's getting enormous I can still pick him up with only one hand. I don't think you'd like him very much if you couldn't David I haven't weighed him. I thought I'd wait till you came and then she won't be able to cheat Now tell me David seriously. Oh, yeah, you have any headaches. No, not a one good No difficulties at all. Yeah Are you feeling any fatigue? I strain nervous bit. No, open your left eye wide No, I I've been feeling all right. Nothing at all. I'm better than new Fine No, what about your collarbone? Can you raise your arm yet without any pain or discomfort? Well? I'm still a bit shy of moving it too suddenly, but it doesn't seem to trouble me much when I do Pain in your chest. No, not a thing. Well, and I dare say We've come out of something that could have been very serious with remarkably few scars. I'm very grateful Hey, you should be David says I'm even smug and you said it yourself Dr. Barry. Yeah, I don't want to be nosy, but is there anything we can do for Jesse Mason Do for her. Well, I mean I Can't help feeling terribly guilty that everything turned out so perfectly for us and heaven only knows what's happened to her No, that's very nice of you. No, it isn't nice. It's almost an obligation I don't think you're obligated to Jesse anyway, her husband is dead Mine isn't I know that lots of people criticize Jesse for the way she carried on and fake her life was but I Only feel sorry for It's not as bad as being critical But Jesse's all right. Doctor. We were just wondering if you might happen to know what happened to the woman She said she was gonna leave town. Do you know if she did? Well, as a matter of fact, no, she didn't Well, is she going to I doubt it? Oh Honey, I thought surely she would well things have changed a little for Jesse In the last few weeks since George's died as a result of his own negligence She's not quite the woman she used to be You mean she's not taking it well. Oh, no, no quite the contrary It's as if Jesse were finally awake shocked into waking up Yeah, she's become quite another person That sounds like good news doctor as it is she's Taking a job at Mrs. Allenworth as a companion, you know, Mrs. Allenworth is blind She's dependent on Jesse for every step she takes. That's quite a responsibility Seems to me it's just what Jesse needed It's interesting, isn't it? How lives twist and turn and if you give them plenty of time and all the rope they need Eventually they find their own way home. It's so painful for some people. Yes Still that's their own destiny Things work in a larger pattern You have to believe that the small make up the large days fit into months and years and the centuries Every soul in this town of Eastbrook is part of the life of this community Well, I've seen lives come and go fortunes rise and fall Folks squander themselves and then at the last moment save themselves So I never rushed to make a judgment Just wait and see That's quite a philosophy you've achieved when you've seen as much life as I have David Such a philosophy comes easy You can't be critical of one person when you know that that one person is not alone, but a part of the general order of things Sooner or later, that's proved to you. This is with Jesse. There was an accident. Her husband was killed and now She's a person again and a month ago. Nobody would have believed it except dr. Barry Now David, don't give me credit for it. It's just a matter of survival If you live long enough, you know learn to take your time with people Most of them come out. All right. I know I've seen it Yes, it's the larger pattern of life that you must look for and I am a little bit embarrassed Embarrassed why? Well, I didn't wait Here I was feeling sorry for Jesse almost almost condescending. Oh Pity yes, I wanted to help her but in a way. I was a little proud that I was me and not Jesse Mason so now I I'm a little bit embarrassed No reason to be just when I think I've learned all about life of tragic how Exciting and beautiful it can be I find I'm just a beginner We all are Beginners Do you sometimes get the impression that everything you buy costs a lot more than it used to? Then think a minute. How much did you pay for that last case of Coca-Cola a dollar? Just like always You see some of the good things of life haven't gone up at all How's your supply of coke? Better put it on tomorrow's marketing list Well, I've just seen the young squire, Mr. King. You mean the air into the Norton acres young Bobby He's a fine baby boy. He has master Bobby's a great favorite of all of us We've taken all our bets that he'll grow up to be a fine man, too. He should he has a family for it And finally young couple. I've never met them. Mr. and Mrs. Norton. I feel just the same way dr. Barry Well, maybe what I like best about them is that they're self-sufficient Most of their pledges come from themselves. Yes, they don't often go around looking for entertainment like tomorrow night Even a simple game of solitaire is enough for an evening's fun with them. Well, that's the way life should be Goodbye, Mr. King. Bye dr. Barry 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 joking saying or of war 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 This broadcast of claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney And now here's a word from your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola