[CobraDan]

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 doorframe,
gazing into the kitchen.

Were it 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 sprinkle 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 rumpled 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 shouted,

"They're for the funeral."



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