Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents Claudia. Claudia, based on the 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. David, you're not gone yet. Where are you? David, are you still here? Darling, you haven't left. Darling? What is it? What's up? Oh, I thought you'd gone to the office. Why, anything the matter? No, except I was lonesome already. You deserve a scolding. I do? Why? Because I'm lonesome for you? Can't help it. No, that's not it. What else have I done? You don't trust me at all. Absolutely no faith in me whatsoever. Not a bit. Why? Do you think that I'd leave this house in the morning and go to the office without saying goodbye to you? Yes. You're right, I would. The would you never have? I haven't? Well, remind me to someday. I won't. Mrs. Naughton, do you know that you're a particularly beautiful girl this morning? Girl? I'm almost a mother. That is one of the longest, almost, I've ever heard about. It's less than five months now and a little bit more than four to go. You make it sound so complicated. But you'd never know, would you? You'd never know what? That I'm going to have a baby. I know. Mama knows, Bertha knows, Fritz knows, Roger knows, Reggie and... I know they all know, but they know because they do. I met the man on the street. The man on the street what? He doesn't know. I should hope not. I mean, you couldn't tell just by looking at me, could you? Oh, no. Of course not. Really, you know modern science and marve. Here I am practically about to be a mother and the man on the street doesn't know. At least not from looking at me. Darling, it's not modern science. It's your imagination. What is? Skip it. I can't wait for the end of June to creep up on us. Well, nine o'clock is creeping up faster. I'd better be getting underway. We've been married over six months, darling, and it gets more wonderful all the time. Just think by the time we're sixty it'll be so wonderful I'll just bust. Well, that's something to look forward to. It is. Can you call me? When? When you're sixty and bust? You know what I mean. Darling, what's gotten into you this morning? First you think I left the house without saying goodbye and then you think I'm going to spend the whole day without calling you. And I've never committed either one of those crimes. Something's got into me. Have I loved you? Will you call? I will not. I don't blame you. I wouldn't call such a forward girl as me either. I've got some nerve asking you, haven't I? You have. Will you call? I won't. David, you're joking. I'm not. All right, then don't. See if I care. Well, see if you care. Now, goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye. Is that all I get? What have you done to deserve more? Nothing. Goodbye. Goodbye. It's wonderful being a wife. I wouldn't be anything else. Goodbye. Claudia, isn't there anybody who sells Persimmons nearer to where we live? Nobody. Just because David called you six times today and because you love him and he loves Persimmons, I have to tramp all the way over to First Avenue and Heaven knows what street in order to get them for us. Any objections? Not one. I think it's wonderful. Mama. What now? How do I look? You look like a woman. I'm not a woman. Mama. What now? How do I look? You look fine. Why? Is that all? Just fine? You prefer to look some other way? No, but I mean you don't notice anything about me. Claudia, what are you talking about? Nothing. If you don't notice, that's all I wanted to know. As a matter of fact, I've never seen you look so well. Having a baby seems to agree with you. You think it's having a baby that makes me look well? I think it's a very good reason, don't you? I don't know. David says I don't look any different at all. David's very sweet. I don't feel a bit different. No reason why you should. And I don't intend to until I'm practically in the hospital. Well, nobody can say your attitude isn't an optimistic one. Well, here we are, Mama. Here's the fruit store. Tiny. Practically only a window. Good morning, good morning. What can I do for you today? Persimmons, too. Ah, two for 25 and ripe. You can eat them tonight. Oh, they are wonderful and soft and gushy. They'll be delicious. I give you three for 25. Three? But there's only two of them. Mama doesn't like them. I give you three. One for your husband, one for you, and one for the baby. For the baby? For the little baby that will come with my compliments for good happiness. I get you the best. But... but the baby? Mama, how did he know? I didn't tell him. Neither did I, and David said I... Mama, how do I look? Tell me. You're going to have a baby in four or five months. You look very well. Oh, then I do look... Do what? Well, then it does make a difference. It's bound to. It should. I never thought it did. David hasn't said... and I didn't notice. It's all right. It's as it should be. Here you are. Three. You will be beautiful. Come again soon. We will, and thank you very much. Claudia, what's the matter? Nothing. Come on. What's eating you? Mama, I just realized. The baby will make a difference. Of course it will. It'll make a very big difference. I'm starting to look different. I'm starting to feel different. I think I'm not going to be only David's wife anymore. I'm going to be his children's mother, too. What did you expect to be, their aunt? I'll change things between David and me, won't it? In a way. But I don't want them changed. I want them just the way they are. I like them this way. You like your cake, and you like to eat it, too. I know you. Is it awful? But I'm a little scared. I think that's the nicest part of it. I don't. This morning it was just the two of us, David and me. It was wonderful. But now, since even the fruit man knows about the baby, it's not the two of us anymore, and it's sort of different. I wonder if David will mind. Darling, anything the matter tonight? No, why should anything be the matter? Well, you've been so quiet. Hardly said a word since dinner. Haven't I? I hadn't noticed. Well, I have. These less verbal moments of yours are quite an occasion. Good or bad. Oh, terrible. I prefer you nice and talkative, even if you don't say anything. Just you. Just the way you are. What way am I, David? Oh, not very bright, not very beautiful, not very quiet, but very just the way I want you. That's nice. Aren't you feeling well, Claudia? I'm feeling fine. Why shouldn't I feel fine? No reason, except I just want to be sure. David, why didn't you tell me? Tell you what? Nothing. Come over here. Why? Sit on my lap. Darling, you don't have to. I'm too heavy to sit on your lap. Oh, since when? Just since... Must be since today. Last night you didn't think you were too heavy. Last night I didn't think. Well, you don't have to feel so bad about it. You don't usually. Now, come on. Come on, sit down here on my lap. Now, what is it? Why didn't I tell you what? That I'm going to have a baby. That you're what? Remember, you told me, and this has been going on for months. I didn't mean it that way. I meant that... Why didn't you tell me that it's changed me? Well, has it? David, of course it has. You don't have to pretend. The little Greek man who sewed me the persimmons, he knew. Well, he's not blind, is he? I have changed. It does show. David, you never told me. Darling, if you must know the truth, I haven't noticed. I'm so used to looking at you that I don't even look at you anymore. In a way. I don't know if I mind that or not. All I do know is, David, is it going to make any difference to you? Of course not. What? My being a mother and not just your wife. Well, I don't quite understand. Should it make a difference? Well, it might. It won't be just the two of us anymore. And I won't look like me for a while. And there'll be lots of other sorts of changes, too. Claudia, darling, is it going to make you feel different towards me? Me towards you? Oh, David, I'll still hate to see you go to the office in the morning. I'll still want you to call me up ten times a day. I'll still... But it'll be different, no matter what we say. Of course. You know, Claudia, I've been thinking the same sort of things. What sort of things? Well, if it's going to make you feel any different toward me. No, that's absurd. Well, is it? When you start thinking about it now, taking care of the baby will take a lot of your time. We won't be as free as we are now, and you'll have someone else to look after and love as much as you love me. Perhaps more. Never more. It might make a great deal of difference. I won't let it, David. And I don't want you to let it. We both will. At least I think we both will. I guess that as long as it's both of us willing it together, then it's all right. Sure, it's all right. Anything that's both of us, darling, is wonderful. It's the best. Funny, this morning I knew I was having a baby. I knew it, but I never thought about it. Or thought about how it might change you and me. I didn't think anybody else could tell. Now, tonight, now I know, everybody can know, and it makes all the difference in the world. What kind of a difference, Earth? A good difference? What do you think? Oh, David, he's going to grow up to be tall and strong and just like you. And no matter how much I love him, I'm sure it'll make me just love you more. Me too. You know what I've been thinking all day long? What, darling? I wish, I wish that we would hurry up and have him. Oh, hurry up. I'm hurrying up all I can. Oh, darling, it's months and months and months yet. Oh, David, why does it have to take such an awfully long time? This broadcast of Claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Meloni. When unexpected company drops in, you heave a sigh of relief if you know there's plenty of Coca-Cola in the house. It's mighty sensible to keep a good supply of Coke on ice now that there's plenty to go around again. For nothing spells hospitality as surely as delicious ice-cold Coca-Cola. And nothing could be easier on your pocketbook and your energies. 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 ice-cold Coca-Cola makes any pause, the pause that refreshes. And now this is Joe King saying au revoir.