The waiting room was quiet as Dr. Halpern prepared to test three elderly gentlemen: Arthur, Bernard, and Clarence. He began with Arthur, asking, “Arthur, what is three times three?” After thinking carefully, Arthur confidently replied, “Two hundred and seventy-four!” The doctor raised an eyebrow but wrote down the answer.

Next, Bernard took his turn. When asked the same question, he leaned forward with a mischievous grin and answered, “Tuesday!” Dr. Halpern tried to hide his amusement as Bernard chuckled, clearly satisfied with his response.

Finally, Clarence stepped forward, having listened closely to his friends. When the doctor repeated the question, Clarence answered immediately, “Nine.” Surprised by the correct answer, Dr. Halpern smiled and asked, “Excellent! How did you figure that out?”

Clarence leaned closer and whispered, “Easy. I subtracted Tuesday from two hundred and seventy-four!” The room immediately erupted in laughter. Arthur wiped tears from his eyes, Bernard slapped his knee, and even Dr. Halpern struggled to contain his laughter. What began as a simple memory test had turned into an unforgettable joke.

After the examination, the three friends walked down the sunny sidewalk, still teasing each other about their unusual answers. Arthur insisted his number made sense in a different kind of mathematics, while Bernard maintained that Tuesday was the answer to life’s most difficult questions. Watching them leave, Dr. Halpern wrote one final note in their medical charts: “Memory uncertain. Sense of humor excellent. Friendship still functioning perfectly.”