Old Mr. Goodman had three sons, Harry, Jason and Asher, and two younger daughters, Cathy and Amy. He had lost his wife during the birth of their sixth child. Having made countless sacrifices, he had built a successful business empire from scratch. Unfortunately, his children had never experienced the struggles he had endured. They had grown up surrounded by wealth and luxury, and competition had been a part of their lives since childhood.
All five were married and had families of their own. Ron, a loyal caretaker, looked after Mr. Goodman and ensured that he was comfortable in his old age.
Mr. Goodman was about to turn seventy. His children decided to throw him a grand birthday party by inviting some of the biggest names in the business world. It was an extravagant affair, with champagne towers, a magnificent birthday cake and food from different cuisines around the world. Popular celebrities entertained the guests, making the evening truly memorable.
Mr. Goodman appeared happy and content. He smiled, laughed and enjoyed every moment of the celebration.
The following morning, everyone began packing their bags to return home. However, the day took an unexpected turn.
Ron came rushing downstairs, looking pale and frightened.
"Mr. Goodman is not waking up! I... I think he is no more!" he announced, almost gasping for breath.
"What?" exclaimed Harry, the eldest son.
Everyone looked at one another in disbelief. But their shock didn't last very long.
Within minutes, the atmosphere in the house changed dramatically. Instead of mourning their father's sudden demise, the children began arguing about his enormous wealth.
"We should divide Father's assets equally among all five of us," Cathy declared.
"Equally? Why should we? Father admired me the most. I deserve a bigger share," Amy interrupted.
Jason immediately jumped into the conversation.
"I helped manage Father's business for an entire year. I know how things work. I should get the biggest share."
Asher shoved Cathy aside and announced, "I want the Las Vegas estate. I have plans to host my friends and business associates there."
"In your dreams, mister! That estate is mine!" Cathy snapped.
Amy couldn't control herself any longer.
"Father once told me that his fortunes changed after I was born. He even called me his lucky charm! I deserve all his assets. You lazy bums should work hard and earn your living. Pathetic losers!"
"Who are you calling a pathetic loser?" Jason shouted, hurling a string of abuses at his siblings.
Harry finally lost his patience.
"Enough! Can we at least check on Father and end this fight... for now?"
Everyone reluctantly agreed.
They rushed to Mr. Goodman's bedroom, where he lay motionless with a calm, expressionless face. After a brief discussion, they decided to arrange the funeral first and postpone the asset division until later.
However, Asher couldn't resist the temptation to inspect the huge safe in his father's bedroom. He tried several combinations, pulled at the handle and even gave it a few kicks.
"Perhaps the old man changed the password," he muttered.
"Try his birthday," Jason suggested.
"I already did!"
"Then try his wedding anniversary."
"Do you think I haven't tried that?"
Cathy rolled her eyes.
"Wonderful! Father isn't even cold yet, and you two have already started hacking into his savings!"
Harry contacted relatives and arranged the funeral.
The five siblings were secretly delighted at the thought of inheriting their father's fortune, although they pretended to be completely devastated. They welcomed the guests with long faces, occasional sobs and dramatic sighs.
Some even wondered whether the family had been rehearsing their grief for the occasion.
During the funeral, Amy couldn't contain herself. She approached the microphone and addressed the gathering.
"You know, my father always looked up to me. He gave me every opportunity to shine in my career. He even told me that I was his lucky charm. I believe he would have wanted me to manage all his businesses."
Her siblings stared at her in disbelief.
Before she could continue, Jason rushed towards the stage to grab the microphone.
"That's a complete lie! Father trusted me with his business affairs. I deserve to manage the empire!"
Asher grabbed a nearby wreath and hurled it in Amy's direction.
"Stop dreaming! The Las Vegas estate belongs to me!"
Cathy screamed, "You can have Las Vegas when you learn how to pay your own bills!"
A nasty fight broke out in front of the guests. The microphone fell, the wreaths scattered, and one of the flower arrangements landed right on Harry's head.
Some guests whispered among themselves.
"Good heavens! What an embarrassment! Is this a funeral or a wrestling championship?"
They continued fighting in front of the cold and lifeless body of Mr Goodman.
Or at least, that's what everyone thought.
"Aaaahhh! G...g...ghost!" one of the guests screamed, pointing towards the direction of the coffin.
Mr. Goodman slowly sat up.
The guests shrieked and scrambled towards the exit. One gentleman even jumped over two chairs in an attempt to escape. Another dropped his expensive phone and ran without looking back.
Ron pinched himself repeatedly.
"Good heavens! Am I dreaming? Have I gone mad?"
Mr. Goodman looked around, took a deep breath and began clapping.
"Bravo! Bravo! What a wonderful performance, my children!"
Everyone stood frozen.
Mr. Goodman continued, "This was a test, my children! And sadly, just as I anticipated, none of you passed. I had planned this little drama with the help of a few trusted people. Ron was instructed to announce my supposed death, while I remained perfectly still inside the coffin. Years of practicing meditation certainly helped me maintain my composure. I must say, watching all of you was far more entertaining than any television program!"
Harry stared at him, his mouth wide open.
"B...but Father! Why would you do this to us? We were just..."
Mr. Goodman raised his hand, signaling him to stop.
He looked at each of his children and shook his head.
"What an exquisite show my family has put on today! Bravo! I couldn't have asked for better entertainment on my seventieth birthday!"
He paused, looking at Asher.
"By the way, Asher, I noticed you were particularly interested in my safe. Were you planning to retrieve my will or perhaps your future inheritance?"
Asher nervously adjusted his collar.
"Well... Father... I was just making sure everything was safe."
"Of course! You were protecting my wealth by kicking my safe!"
A few guests burst into laughter.
Mr. Goodman then turned towards Amy.
"And you, my dear lucky charm! I never knew that my success depended entirely on your birth. Had I known this earlier, I would have given you the entire business empire on your first birthday!"
Amy forced a smile.
"Thank you, Father. I knew you loved me the most."
"Don't get too excited, sweetheart. I haven't finished!"
He turned towards Jason.
"And Jason! One whole year of managing my business! Extraordinary! I suppose you deserve a lifetime achievement award for surviving twelve months in my office."
The guests laughed even louder.
Jason looked down at his shoes.
Mr. Goodman then faced Cathy.
"And Cathy, my dear, I heard you claiming the Las Vegas estate. I hope you remember that you have never even paid for your own holiday tickets!"
Cathy's face turned crimson.
Finally, he looked at Harry.
"Harry, my eldest son! You were the only one who remembered to suggest checking on your father. How thoughtful! Although I must admit, you seemed more concerned about ending the argument than checking whether I was breathing!"
Harry swallowed nervously.
Mr. Goodman turned towards Ron.
"Ron, please bring me the envelope from my study."
Ron hurried away and returned with a sealed envelope.
All five children immediately straightened up. Their eyes followed the envelope as though it contained the winning lottery ticket.
Mr. Goodman noticed their sudden interest and chuckled.
"Ah! Look at those faces! Suddenly, everyone seems interested in what their old father has to say!"
He opened the envelope and pulled out a document.
"Since all of you seem so eager to divide my wealth, I have made a few arrangements."
The children exchanged excited glances.
"First, I have decided that my entire business empire will be transferred to a charitable trust. The profits will be used to support underprivileged children and elderly people who have nobody to care for them."
"That's wonderful, Father!" Amy exclaimed enthusiastically.
A moment later, she realized what he had actually said.
"Wait! What?"
Mr. Goodman smiled.
"Yes, my dear. Wonderful for the thousands of children and elderly people who will benefit from it!"
The smiles disappeared instantly.
"What?" all five exclaimed together.
"Wait, Father! You cannot be serious!" Harry protested.
"Why not? You have all proved that you are perfectly capable of looking after yourselves. At least, that's what you kept telling one another a few minutes ago!"
"But Father, what about us?" Amy asked, almost in tears.
Mr. Goodman smiled.
"Don't worry, my dear. I haven't forgotten you. I have arranged for each of you to receive something special."
The five siblings leaned forward eagerly.
"Harry, you will receive my old office chair. Jason, you can have my calculator. Asher, the keys to my old bicycle are yours. Cathy, you can take my collection of gardening tools. And Amy..."
He paused dramatically.
"You can have my lucky charm collection!"
Everyone stared at him.
"Father! Are you making fun of us?" Amy cried.
"Not at all, sweetheart. I am simply rewarding each of you according to your contribution to my happiness!"
The guests could barely contain their laughter.
Then Mr. Goodman added, "Of course, there is one more thing. All of you are welcome to visit me whenever you wish. But please call before arriving. I wouldn't want anyone to mistake my afternoon nap for another inheritance announcement!"
The guests burst into laughter.
The five siblings stood speechless, unable to decide whether to apologize, argue or simply disappear.
Mr. Goodman slowly stepped out of the coffin, straightened his suit and looked at his children.
"You know, my dear children, I spent seventy years building my fortune, making sacrifices and working tirelessly to secure your future. I wanted you to have everything I never had. But somewhere along the way, I forgot to teach you the value of what you already possessed."
He paused and looked at each of them.
"Today, I discovered something far more valuable than my entire business empire. It took just one fake funeral to discover what my children were really worth!"
The room fell silent.
He continued, "I may have lost my wife, but I thought I had raised five wonderful children. Instead, I seem to have raised five excellent competitors who couldn't even wait for their father's funeral to end before fighting over his fortune!"
The guests burst into laughter.
Mr. Goodman shook his head, smiled mischievously and turned towards Ron.
"Come on, Ron. Let's get out of here. I think I've had enough of this funeral!"
Ron grinned and followed him.
As they walked away, Mr. Goodman suddenly stopped, turned around and announced:
"Oh, one last thing! The birthday cake is still in the kitchen. Since nobody seems interested in celebrating my survival, I suggest you divide it equally among yourselves. At least this time, try not to fight over the icing!"
The guests erupted into laughter.
And as for Harry, Jason, Asher, Cathy and Amy, they stood there looking at one another, wondering whether they had just lost their inheritance or their dignity.
Mr. Goodman had built an empire, but on his seventieth birthday, he had achieved something far more valuable.
He had discovered the true worth of his children, exposed their greed and given them a lesson they would never forget.
He had spent seventy years building his fortune. It took just one fake funeral to discover what his children were really worth.
And that, indeed, was THE LAST LAUGH!
