On a calm Sunday evening, Bert and Edna, an elderly couple, are seated on the porch swing.
They have been wed for fifty-five years. They are both drinking lukewarm tea while they watch squirrels in the yard battle for a Cheeto as the sun sets and the birds sing.
Edna sighs suddenly and says, โBert, letโs discuss our bucket lists.โ
Bertโs eyebrows go up. โLists of buckets? Iโm 87, Edna. โWake up tomorrow and remember where I put my pantsโ is the last item on my list.
Edna laughs. โNo, Iโm not kidding. Each of us should do something weโve always wanted to do but havenโt had the opportunity to do before we leave.
Bert pauses to reflect. โAll right, all right. Skydiving has always been a dream of mine.
Ednaโs eyes enlarge. โSkydiving? Bert, you fainted for three minutes the last time you knelt down to tie your shoe.
Bert gives a shrug. โWell, just let me land in the neighborโs garden if I do fall in midair. My goal has always been to haunt him.
Edna nods and they laugh. โAll right, all right. You take a skydive. Iโll complete mine as well.
Bert narrows his eyes. โAnd what do you have?โ
Ednaโs eye suddenly sparkles mischievously, just like it did when she โaccidentallyโ dropped Bertโs bowling trophy out the car window during a fight in 1965.
โBert, Iโve always wanted to tell you something.โ
Bert swallows. โWhat do you confess?โ
โYou know how your favorite recliner always mysteriously leaned to the left for 20 years?โ Edna whispers as she leans in closer.
Bert gives a nod. Yes, I did blame the dog. It hobbled for weeks, poor thing.
Edna grins. โWell, I did it. After you spilled grape soda on my brand-new curtains in 1989, I jammed a spatula in the bottom.
Bert lets out a gasp. โYou are a monster!โ
Edna chuckles. โAnd recall how, regardless of the button you pressed, the remote kept switching to the Hallmark channel?โ
Bert blinked. โYou mentioned that it was haunted!โ
Edna smiles. โNo. To short-circuit the battery, I adhered a penny inside the compartment. For five years in a row, you never missed a Christmas romance film.
Bertโs jaw falls open. โWhat made you do that?โ
Calmly, Edna sips her tea. โBecause slow-motion snowball fights and mistletoe are the best ways to get back at someone, sweetie.โ
Bert pauses for a while before leaning back in the swing and saying, โEdna, you know what? I also have a confession.
โOh?โ she asks.
โDo you recall my Saturday โfishing tripsโ that lasted for ten years?โ
Edna gives him a look. โYou donโt go fishing.โ
โI am aware,โ says Bert with pride. โI was at the alley for bowling.โ I took home four awards. They are concealed in the basement behind the water heater.
Edna looks at him incredulously. โYou mean I unintentionally threw a fake trophy out the window of the car?โ
They both started laughing.
Edna purchased a new recliner, Bert went skydiving, and they now go bowling together every Saturday, primarily to watch out for one another.
After nearly 60 years of marriage, an 85-year-old couple tragically died in a car accident and reached the Pearly Gates.
They had been in excellent shape for the past ten years because of the wifeโs obsession with exercise and nutritious diets.
After giving them a cordial welcome, St. Peter showed them their heavenly home, which included a gourmet kitchen, a Jacuzzi, a large bedroom, and even a pool table.
โWhoa! โWhat is the price of this?โ the husband inquired.
โNothing,โ said St. Peter. โEverything is freeโthis is heaven!โ
Then he took them to a championship golf course a short drive from their house, where they could play whenever they wanted, have an angel as their caddy, and take in a course that changed every day to resemble the best greens in the world.
โWonderful!โ exclaimed the wife. โWhat about the green fees?โ
โFree,โ laughed St. Peter. โHeaven is here.โ
They then went on a tour of a five-star restaurant that served an unlimited buffet that included prime rib, lobster, Wagyu beef, exotic vegetables, and dream-like desserts.
Still doubtful, the husband said, โAll right, but how much?โ
โFor the final time, sirโฆ Itโs free. Heaven is here!
The husband paused. โSo, are there any low-fat, low-cholesterol options available?โ
St. Peter chuckled. โYou wonโt get sick or put on weight in heaven. Consume anything you like!
The husbandโs face flushed, his fists clenched, and he began yelling at the sky.
Confused, his wife questioned, โWhatโs wrong?
He shouted, โTHIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!โ and pointed at her. We could still be here today if it werenโt for your paleo chicken and bran muffins!

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