MY GRANDPA PRETENDED TO BE DEAF TO TEST US BEFORE DIVIDING THE INHERITANCE – I COULDN’T HELP BUT LAUGH WHEN THE LAWYER READ THE WILL
What my grandpa did was PURE GENIUS! My grandpa always had the best sense of humor, always ready with a witty joke or a clever prank. This time, he pulled off his greatest prank ever, one that our family will never forget.
Grandpa had always been the life of every family gathering, his infectious laughter and mischievous glint in his eye, always up to something. But as he got older, he began to lose his hearing, or so we thought. Over the past two months, Grandpa had seemingly gone completely deaf, leaving us all talking louder, repeating ourselves, and at times, letting our guard down in front of him.
A while later, all his kids and grandkids gathered at his lawyer’s office. Grandpa was quite wealthy and had a big inheritance to leave behind. We all sat there, a mix of anticipation and anxiety filling the room. The lawyer, a stern-looking man with glasses perched on the edge of his nose, began with a letter from Grandpa.
“Hello, my dear family! Today, many of you will leave this room very disappointed because you won’t get what you wanted. Moreover, probably only one person will leave here with a smile because for the past two months, I’ve been pretending. I didn’t actually lose my hearing. I HEARD EVERYTHING YOU SAID ABOUT ME.”
A collective gasp filled the room, followed by an uncomfortable silence. Some of us shifted in our seats, recalling all the things we had said around him, believing he couldn’t hear a word.
The lawyer continued reading Grandpa’s letter. “So, let’s get started from the beginning. To my eldest son, Richard, who said I was ‘too old and senile to manage my affairs,’ and couldn’t wait to sell my house – you get my old lawnmower. May you find as much joy in pushing it around as I did.”
Richard’s face turned beet red as he muttered something under his breath, while the rest of us tried to stifle our giggles.
“To my daughter-in-law, Susan, who thought I was ‘a burden’ and complained about taking care of me – you get my collection of ‘World’s Greatest Grandpa’ mugs. I hope it reminds you that being a grandparent is a privilege, not a burden.”
Susan’s jaw dropped as she received a box filled with mugs, each one emblazoned with the same cheesy slogan.
“And to my grandson, Tim, who loudly declared that ‘old people should just hurry up and die already,’ you get my vintage hearing aid collection. Maybe it will help you listen more carefully in the future.”
Tim looked mortified as he accepted the box of hearing aids, the room now filled with barely contained laughter.
The lawyer cleared his throat and continued. “Now, to my granddaughter, Emma, who visited me every weekend, talked to me even when she thought I couldn’t hear, and always treated me with kindness and respect – you get everything else. The house, the money, the stocks, the lot. Thank you for showing me that love and respect are still alive in this family.”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, tears of joy streaming down my face. Grandpa’s final prank was not just a clever ruse but a lesson in humility and love. As I sat there, surrounded by my grumbling relatives, I felt a deep sense of gratitude and a connection to Grandpa’s enduring spirit.
The lawyer handed me a key and a stack of documents, the full weight of what Grandpa had left me sinking in. I knew that his real gift was not the inheritance but the reminder of what it means to truly care for one another. Grandpa’s prank, his last laugh, was his way of ensuring that his legacy would be remembered for generations – not just for his wealth, but for his wisdom and his unparalleled sense of humor.