08/17/2026 from Daily Jokes
#22545
The rhythmic, slow beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the dimly lit hospital room. Arthur, a frail elderly gentleman, was on his deathbed. Gathered closely around him were his devoted wife, Martha, his three grown children, and a young nurse who quietly monitored his vitals with deep sympathy.
Arthur took a shallow, trembling breath and reached out, his voice barely above a whisper, yet carrying the weight of a final, monumental decree.
“Bill,” he rasped, looking at his eldest son. “You take the Beverly Hills houses.”
He turned his cloudy eyes to his daughter. “Mary, you take the offices in the Center Center.”
“Debra,” he sighed, “the apartments over the L.A. Plaza are yours.”
Finally, he turned to his weeping wife, squeezing her hand with the last of his strength. “And to my dear, darling
Martha… take all the residential buildings near downtown.”
With his final wishes spoken, Arthur closed his eyes, slipping into a peaceful sleep.
The young nurse, who had been silently wiping away a tear, looked at the family in sheer, unadulterated awe. “I am so sorry for your loss,” she whispered respectfully. “But I have to say, your husband must have been quite the man.
Amassing such a massive real estate empire to leave behind for all of you… it’s truly inspiring.”
Martha stared at the nurse for a long, exhausted moment. She slowly wiped her face with a tissue, let out a heavy sigh, and replied:
“What property? …The schmuck just had a paper route!”
