An elderly Italian man lay dying in his bed. While
suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly
smelled the aroma of his favorite Italian anisette sprinkle
cookies wafting up the stairs..
He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself
from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made
his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort,
gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs.
With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame,
gazing into the kitchen.
Where, if not for death's agony, he would have thought
himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon
waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally hundreds
of his favorite anisette sprinkled cookies. Was it heaven?
Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted Italian
wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?
Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards
the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. His
parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the cookie was
already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life.
The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a cookie
at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with
a spatula by his wife......
"Back off!" she said, "They're for the funeral."
Threaded Mode