“ Did you receive my email, dad ?” Laura asked her eighty old father.
“ How often have I told you that I don’t like using technology? Send me a regular letter through the post office,” the old man barked.
“ Dad, I live in Japan. The letter will take weeks or maybe months to reach you in Arizona in the U.S.,” Laura explained.
“ I would better wait than read a letter using a gadget. But you can call me. We can talk over the phone.” the father replied.
“ But Japan is 16 hours ahead of the U.S. It’s hard to reach you on the phone,” Laura said.
“ When are you coming home? I modified my will. I want to share with you some critical information,” the father revealed.
“ What does Dad have to tell me? Why does it modify his will ?” Laura asked herself.
Wilson, Laura’s father, has only two children: Laura, fifty-two, and her brother Owen, forty-eight-year-old. Laura is a college professor. She traveled to many countries to teach economics to college students. She has been in Japan for three months. Her brother Owen is a lawyer. He works for a giant law firm in Chicago. Their mother, Patricia, died five years ago from breast cancer.
Laura arranged her schedule and flew to Arizona to meet with her father.
The old man was weak and tired. When Laura saw him, she knew her dad’s life expectancy was at stake.
“ I’m glad to see my lovely daughter,” he welcomed her in a barely audible voice.
“Dad, you look tired and sick. Do you take your medicine? The doctor told you to take them every day,” Laura reminded him.
“I know. I know. I told you to come, not to talk about my health but for something more serious,” the father said.
“What can be more serious than your health?” Laura questioned.
“It’s about my will. I need to reveal it to you .”
“What do you mean ?” Laura asked with anxiety.
“In my previous will, I have divided my inheritance between your brother and you equally,” the father said.
“That is fair. We are your only children, and mom is no longer alive,” Laura said.
“Yes, but I changed my mind,” the father revealed.
“What do you mean you changed your mind ?” Laura asked again.
“ Your brother Owen humiliated the family. That is not acceptable,” the old man barked.
“ What did he do ?” Laura asked.
“ He was seen with a hooker in downtown Chicago,” the father revealed.
“ How do you know that? These are serious allegations,” Laura questioned.
“ His actions made the front page of some newspapers in Chicago. A friend of mine brought me a copy of the newspaper. It was so shameful I couldn’t keep it.”
“ That is hard to believe. Owen is married. How come he can sleep with a hooker?” Laura said.
“ Owen is an unworthy son. That is why I decided to cut him out of my will. I made you my only heir, ”the father insisted.
Laura stayed an entire week with her father. A day before her departure, the father asked her an unusual question, “ So what do you think about being my only heir? Now that I have disinherited your brother, you become the owner of all my goods,” the father said.
“ Owen shouldn’t act the way he did. He has to blame himself, ”Laura replied, then added, “ Owen reaped what he sowed. ”
“ What will you do with all my wealth after my death ?” the father asked ironically.
“ I will share it with my sons, I mean your grandchildren,” Laura replied.
The father smiled and said, “ Laura, I can’t believe you feel comfortable being my only heir,” the father rebuked her.
“ What do you mean?” Laura asked. “ It’s you that decided to make me the only heir,” Laura said.
“ Laura, I’m disappointed in you. Why do you agree to be my only heir? How come you didn’t even complain when I disinherited your brother Owen ? Listen, everything I said about your brother was a setup. I just made up a story to judge your heart and your reaction. Owen never slept with a prostitute. He will never do that. I expected better from you,” the father said.
“ But, how could I know it was a setup?” Laura said, her head bowed down.
“ It doesn’t matter if it was a setup or not. You shouldn’t react the way you did. Do you hear me?” the father rebuked her. He paused, coughed, and continued, “ Your brother was here a week ago. Guess how he reacted when I told him a story about making him, my only heir…”
“you see, Laura, life should be based on love, not selfishness. I made up this plan to test your heart and your brother’s. I told your brother that you cheated on your husband and went to sleep with one of your students. I told him that there was a video showing the nasty behavior. Therefore, I told him I disinherited you and made him my only heir. When Owen heard me say that, he started crying. For three consecutive days, he refused to eat, begging me to forgive you and not disinherit you. He was so serious that he even asked my best friend Raphael to talk to me. Finally, I revealed to him that I would never do that. It was just a setup. Your brother Owen loved you, Larry. I was expecting the same attitude from you. Unfortunately, all you care about is you and your children,” the father elaborated.
Laura was so ashamed that she couldn’t even make eye contact with her dad.
“I’m sorry, dad. Forgive me for my selfishness,” Laura said regretfully.
“Call your brother Owen and put him on speaker,” the father ordained.
Laura dialed her little brother’s number.
“Hey Laura, did you pass dad’s test?” Owen asked as soon as he picked up the phone.
Laura remained silent for a while and finally answered, “No, unfortunately. I put you on speaker. Dad wants to talk to you,” Laura said.
“Owen and Laura, you are both my children. You know that I love you. I’m old and ready to die. I want you to learn from the test that selfishness never pays off. Life is not about you alone. Think about others and be a blessing. Add value to people. Remember, it is more blessed to give than to receive.