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. Gathering his remaining
strength, he 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."