The Big Trip Up Yonder

The Big Trip Up Yonder by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Illustrated by Kossin. The Ford family, headed by 172-year-old Harold ("Gramps"), lives in a three-room apartment on the 76th floor of "Building 257 of Alden Village, New York City, Connecticut." Gramps' grandson Louis, his wife Emerald, and 20 other descendants are crowded into the space, perpetually jockeying for Gramps' favor. Gramps gets the best food and the only private bedroom, and controls everyone's life by constantly revising his will to disinherit anyone who earns his displeasure. An offhand remark by Lou prompts Gramps to disinherit him and exile Lou and Em to the worst sleeping space in the apartment, near the bathroom. Lou then catches his great-grandnephew, newly wed Mortimer, diluting Gramps' anti-gerasone in the bathroom. Fearing Gramps' reaction to such a scheme, he tries to empty the bottle and refill it with the full-strength medicine, but accidentally breaks the bottle and is caught by Gramps, who only tells him to clean up the mess. The next morning, the family finds Gramps' bed empty and a note informing them that he is gone and that he bequeaths his estate to all his descendants to hold in common, share and share alike.