LAST WISHES

OLD MAX HAD STARTED OUT AS A DIAMOND CUTTER

AND THROUGH HARD WORK AND GOOD

JUDGEMENT HE FINALLY BECAME THE OWNER

OF A NATIONAL CHAIN OF JEWELRY STORES.

HE WAS WEALTHY INDEED.

BUT NOW, HE LAY DYING,

SO HE CALLED HIS WIFE TO HIS SIDE.

“HANNAH,” HE BEGAN,

“I ALWAYS MEANT TO DRAW UP A WILL

BUT SOMEHOW I NEVER GOT AROUND TO IT.

SO PAY CLOSE TO ATTENTION

TO MY LAST WISHES.”

“YES, MAX, I AM LISTENING,”

HANNAH WEPT.

“WHATEVER YOU WANT, IT WILL BE DONE.”

“FIRST OF ALL, THE BUSINESS

I LEAVE TO HARRY.” “

OH, NO, MAX, NOT TO HARRY!”

HIS WIFE PROTESTED.

“WITH HARRY IT’S GIRL-GIRLS-GIRLS!

LEAVE THE BUSINESS TO JEROME.

HE’S AT LEAST RELIABLE AND HAS A

GOOD HEAD FOR FIGURES.”

“ALRIGHT, LET IT BE JEROME,”

SIGHED THE DYING MAN.

“TO HARRY I LEAVE THE STOCKS AND BONDS.”

“BETTER YOU SHOULD LEAVE ME

THE STOCKS AND BONDS.

I SHOULD TAKE CARE HE DOESN’T SQUANDER

IT ON WOMEN OR CARDS.”

“VERY WELL, IN YOUR NAME I LEAVE

THE SECURITIES.

AND THE SUMMER HOUSE I LEAVE

TO OUR SWEET MINNIE.”

“MINNIE!” EXCLAIMED HIS WIFE.

“DOES MINNIE NEED ANOTHER SUMMER HOUSE?

HER HUSBAND BOUGHT HER ONE LAST YEAR?

GIVE IT TO ANNA

HER HUSBAND IS A POOR MAN.

AFTER ALL SHE’S OUR FLESH AND BLOOD TOO.”

“FINE! ANNA GETS THE SUMMER HOUSE,”

HE SIGHED RESIGNEDLY.

“AND TO OUR YOUNGEST ABE,

I LEAVE THE CAR AND THE WAREHOUSES.”

“BUT ABE HAS ALREADY 2 CARS.

WHAT DOES HE NEED WITH ANOTHER ONE?

AND HE WANTS TO BE A MUSICIAN,

WHAT WOULD HE DO WITH WAREHOUSES?

TAKE MY ADVICE AND GIVE THEM TO LOUIS.”

THAT DID IT! OLD MAX HAD TAKEN ALL HE

COULD OF HIS WIFE’S INTERFERENCE.

RAISING HIMSELF OFF THE PILLOW AND

SUMMONING HIS LAST OUNCE OF STRENGTH,

HE SNAPPED,

“HANNAH, YOU ARE A GOOD WOMEN

AND HAVE BEEN A FINE WIFE AND MOTHER.

BUT LISTEN

WHO THE HELL IS DYING AROUND HERE

YOU OR ME?”