"Who is going to tell him how bad his jokes are?" Joan said looking around at her family.
"I'm his dad but his jokes are even worse than me." Dad shook his head.
"What are we going to about his stand-up night?" Mom tilted her head back.
"It'll break his heart if people diss him." Michael's wife frowned.
Michael, the subject of this discussion was sitting in front of his laptop and murmuring to himself.
Did you hear about the spice merchant who gave his mother Cardamom on Mother’s Day?
"Cardamom, so funny, I'm a genius." He chuckled.
His 5-year-old son had rushed outside,
"Mom, dad is writing really bad jokes."
"We know!" The family said.
"Well, you should tell him some good ones." The five-year-old said with unerring logic before going out.
The family looked at each other.
"Let's do this."
Michael sat his desk in the office and looked lovingly at his family's picture.
They had been so helpful this past week, telling him jokes, he'd forgotten he'd ever made. The stand-up will be great.
His assistant walked in.
"Ah John, I just thought of a new joke."
His long-suffering assistant smiled weakly.
"A Rabbi and a priest walk into a bar, what do you think happens?"
"I have no idea sir."
"They get hurt, of course." Michael roared.
John stared and managed to say, "Hahaha very good sir."
"Ah, it seems you didn't get it, so they walked into a physical bar, not the usual one, get it?"
"You're so witty."
John rushed outside and sat on his colleague's desk.
"I better get the promotion, laughing at his lame jokes also takes effort."
"Ugh and we have to spend an hour listening to his stand-up on Saturday, bring your ear pods."
"You bet!"
It was Saturday evening, and the world was stretching its arms and preparing for weekend festivities.
However, fifty souls were trapped in a dark dinghy bar looking at the man in the spotlight as he attempted comedy amidst their personal tragedy.
After an hour, the lights came on and the audience gave a collective sigh of relief which they disguised with mechanical clapping.
Michael rushed towards his family, "Can you see the response? I feel so alive!"
"Yes, yes, dear, let's go home."
"No, I have something to say to you guys. Initially, I thought I wasn't that good but looking at the response and your support, I've decided to quit my job and do this full time."
Michael's family was stunned into silence as his co-workers did a little jig behind him.
“Hahahaha that’s the best joke you’ve ever made!” said his wife.