Big Brother Brainy
He didn't know when, or why, but he knew he was to protect him. Never really knowing the reason why buzzed through his head like bees to nectar. No matter, he felt it was his reason, his job – he didn't want to drop this idea. He guessed it all started when his little brother was brought to the village that night. It was still very clear to him even if he was very young.
The stork glided easily through the night sky. The moon was full and over shone the stars bathing the forest below in a silvery blue wave of light. The moon was blue – a lovely shade too. The stork took a profounder grip to the bundle held by its beak as he dived into the forest in a sudden gesticulation. The stork began to float easily again as his wings spread out. He heard a low whine and knew it escaped from the bundle in his beak – the baby was becoming restless. Every night on a Blue Moon, this certain stork, himself, goes to a mysterious magical land where tiny babies are. He takes the little baby into a bundle and flies off to deliver the baby safely to its new home. Where it will be loved and cared for. This was a good night – often some nights, it'll be raining roughly or snowing harshly or sometimes a cold wind would blow violently which wasn't good conditions for the stork himself or the baby who's only clothes at the moment was a prepared white cap. The baby would catch hypothermia or so if the stork wasn't careful. The stork sailed smoothly though the sky above all the trees below. He knew he was getting close to his destination, he saw the lights of the homes up ahead. Carefully, the stork sided down into the trees and deliberately made his way to the ground. He landed and crouched in a sitting position as tucking his legs and arms close to his body.
A tiny elder creature made its way towards the stork – the stork had seen this creature before. He sees this creature every time he delivers to this village – Papa Smurf – he was known as the Great Smurf, the Leader of the whole village. There weren't many Smurfs at the village – just about sixteen babies or less. The stork carried each one and he knew that more were to come. Papa Smurf made his way over to the stork where the stork then placed the bundle onto the ground. Papa opened the bundle to find a curled little baby who was sleeping peacefully. Papa used the blanket used to carry the baby to wrap around the Smurfling before lifting the baby into his arms. He looked back at the stork and thanked him. The stork seemed to smile before flying off into the nights haze. Papa looked again at the baby as he made his way to his mushroom. The baby seemed to whine but went silent again – this baby was oddly still – but he was sleeping.
Inside the mushroom, another baby went up to Papa. This baby was the last to be delivered before the one Papa now carried. This baby was a few nights – or months older than the newborn. He already said his first word, now being carried by others. Papa was still trying to figure out what his first word meant.
"Gooblygook," the baby hummed at Papa's feet.
"Brainy, look, you have a baby brother." Papa sat on his near reaching rocking wooden chair and revealed the baby's face to Brainy. Brainy seemed confused but clapped his hands. Papa laughed.
"Baby," Brainy babbled. Papa smiled. "Yes, this is your baby brother."
At that, the baby in Papa's arms arose to whine again and started to cry. Papa began to rock the baby but it just cried. "There, there, don't cry little one." Papa soothed, but the baby just cried. Brainy looked at the baby with wide blue eyes. Why was it crying? "Why baby cry?" Brainy asked. "He's unsmurfy about something." Papa replied as he continued to rock the restless baby. "Baby cry, what he want?" Brainy asked. "He's probably hungry. Brainy, can you smurf me that bottle please?" Brainy stood himself up and wobbled his way over to where a bottle of milk sat. He brought it over to Papa before falling on his tail. Papa gave the bottle to the baby, but, once the baby grabbed hold of the bottle, he threw it across the room. Papa guessed maybe the baby was cold. He carried the baby over to the change table across the room and clothed the baby into a didey and a white footed jumper. The baby didn't stop crying though. Brainy just looked blankly at the baby. "What wrong baby?" Brainy asked. The baby turned its head towards Brainy and stopped crying. He was silent. Papa observed this with a grin. Brainy reached out his hand for whatever reason – and the baby took hold of it with his tiny blue grip. He began to babble something. Brainy smiled at this and the baby began to smile too.
"Hi baby, no cry." Brainy told the infant. The baby just babbled some words but continued to carry its smile. It was then the baby knocked over a bunch of items including: a box if wipes, a towel, powder, and cream. The items crashed to the floor causing Brainy to instantly fall back. The baby's eyes peeked under the brim of its hat and he brought a finger to his mouth as in an "uh oh" feature. Then the baby began to prattle all the more. Brainy looked at the baby and then to the mess.
"Clumsy baby…" Brainy smiled. Papa had observed this too. What a mess. But, perhaps that's what the baby's name would be. Clumsy. That fit the baby's personality just fine. Papa chuckled as he hauled the infant into his arms. The baby was light and tiny and his little tail wiggled. Papa walked over to one of his many various cradles and placed the baby inside one. He blanketed the infant and began to rock the cradle. The baby sucked its thumb as he drifted off to sleep. Brainy came and peeked over the rim of the cradle, peering down at the baby. The baby made him curious – more curious then he ever was.
"This is your baby brother," Papa said to Brainy "you're his big brother. It's your job to protect him." Brainy looked at Papa with a confused look. Brainy was an older brother? He was to watch over his new baby brother? Brainy smiled as he glared down at the sleeping infant – his baby brother – Clumsy.
Brainy sat against the bark as he read silently through his book. Suddenly, he heard soft footsteps that were very gentle going but could be quite reckless. Brainy sat his book down flat on his lap, still left open. He looked up to see Clumsy there – no longer a baby. His eyes peeked from the brim of his hat as it always had. Clumsy dropped beside Brainy and grinned so crazily at him, Brainy had to smile too. Clumsy looked at the open book placed across Brainy's lap – it wasn't a "Quotation" book – it was just a book Papa had given him. Clumsy smiled at the picture. It was a knight. Brainy knew Clumsy liked stories, no matter how old he was. Brainy could also tell what Clumsy wanted – Clumsy could read but he got confused sometimes with the words. Was it caused by his clumsiness? Brainy never really knew. Brainy flipped to the beginning of the book and began to read aloud. Clumsy's smile went wide as he listened to the story of the knight and his horse bravely directing their way through the forests mazes all in hope in seeking a fair maiden.
Brainy Smurfling was in the nursery in a corner. He was away from his brothers. They were all painting. He didn't want to paint. Hefty Smurfling had come over moments ago to ask why Brainy didn't join them – Brainy didn't say anything at first. He just glared at his older brother like a lost puppy to a stranger. Hefty then left Brainy when he said he'd rather read – even though he didn't know how to read yet. He made up his own stories with the pictures in the books.
"Hi Brainy," a small voice came through. Brainy put down the rather large book to see Clumsy Smurfling there. Clumsy's hat had fallen completely over his eyes. His multi painted hands moved his hat over his eyes leaving traces of hand marks on his white cap mixed in various colours. Clumsy's white trousers were also visible of various colours. Probably from the paint – knowing Clumsy, he easily tipped a bucket over himself. His hands, hat, trousers, and noticeable parts of his arms and tummy were sodden also in numerous paint stains in innumerable of colours. Brainy let a chuckle slip from him and Clumsy awkwardly sat down in front of Brainy with the book in between them.
"What're you reading?" Clumsy asked silently as bringing a finger to his mouth indicating his confused look. Clumsy did this gesture often – mainly when he was confused – or just as an endearing lesser action. Brainy raised a brow, or tried too. "I can't read." Brainy reminded. Clumsy was small – yes – but he knew Brainy couldn't read yet and Brainy knew that Clumsy understood that. "Why don't you smurf out a book and smurf up a story like I do?" Brainy suggested as looking back down at the books vivid pages. Gosh Brainy wished he could read – it would be easier. Clumsy made a rather disappointed look. This action didn't go undetected. Brainy looked up. Clumsy's eyes seemed wide, and down. He didn't move from his position.
"Please Brainy?" Clumsy pleaded.
"But I can't read to you, I don't know how." Brainy reminded yet once again, trying to not get the slightest bit angry at Clumsy. Why wouldn't he leave Brainy alone? He was always bothering him and Brainy didn't like it.
"Smurf up a story by the pictures," Clumsy's smile returned to his painted face. Brainy grunted soundlessly. Didn't he just tell Clumsy to do that on his own? "There are books over there. Go smurf one yourself." Brainy said without looking up, he just motioned his finger towards a short bookshelf. Clumsy then spoke again, "But…I wanna hear your stories! You're better at smurfing one up then me. Please! I want you to tell me one!" Brainy sighed as he looked at Clumsy once more. That pleading look – he gave in – like he always did whenever Clumsy made that face. Clumsy knew this ever so well. Brainy moved over a smidge to make room for Clumsy. Clumsy shone a smile as he got up and tripped into a sitting position. Brainy laid the large story book across both their laps. Clumsy flipped the pages until it was at a story he really liked – the book held many stories – but Clumsy loved a certain story and he loved when Brainy read it to him. One time, Papa read it to Clumsy but Clumsy didn't like the real story. He told Papa he wanted him to read it like Brainy does.
Brainy made up a title. He called this story: "The Very Smurfy Prince"
Clumsy pointed to the story as Brainy looked at the picture. The picture was a young prince with a white streaked stallion. He began to make up a story as looking at the prince in the storybook. "There once smurfed a prince – he was very smurfy. He had smurfy clothes, smurfy hair, and a smurfy horse. Every day, the prince would smurf on his horse and would ride all around the forest." Brainy flipped the page. The picture showed the prince riding his horse and seeing a young girl. This was Clumsy's favourite part of the story. He liked the picture of the girl. She held a teddy bear in her cloaked arm. Brainy began once more as making it up on the spot, "The very smurfy prince was smurfing on his horse when he smurfed a girl. The girl wasn't very smurfy at all. She wore unsmurfy clothes, had unsmurfy hair, and didn't have a horse at all – she just had an unsmurfy teddy bear." Clumsy giggled as they flipped the page. It revealed the prince and the girl both on the horse. "The very smurfy prince looked at the unsmurfy girl. She had yellow hair and blue eyes. She may not have been smurfy enough to be a princess, but she was smurfy enough for the very smurfy prince. The unsmurfy girl liked the very smurfy prince's horse and so she took a ride with the very smurfy prince."
Just as Brainy was gonna read the next page – Papa came around. He smiled at the two of them. They both looked up at Papa and greeted him with smiles and waves. "What're you two smurfing?" he asked happily. Before Brainy could speak – Clumsy began, "Hi Papa. Brainy's smurfing me a story," Clumsy poked his finger repeatedly on the book's page. Papa looked at the book, "Oh, The Prince and the Pauper. I loved this book when I was a Smurfling." Papa said with a smile. Clumsy looked confused. "No," he corrected, "no Papa, this is The Very Smurfy Prince not the Peeper." Papa chuckled. "I'm sorry. Those books are very similar."
"That's okay Papa,"
"You wanna smurf with us?" Brainy asked. Papa shook his head as he leaned out his hand. "Not right now. A certain Smurfling needs a bath before smurfing to bed." Clumsy sighed sadly. "Awe," he said with a sad look "I don't wanna smurf a bath." Papa smiled. "Brainy can smurf you the story tomorrow. Come and get smurfy clean." Clumsy still didn't want to go. Then Brainy piped up, "Clumsy, don't you wanna smurf like the Very Smurfy Prince? He's not covered in paint." Clumsy looked blank for a moment, and then smiled. "Oh yes! I wanna smurf like the prince!" Clumsy took Papa's hand and Papa hauled him into his arms. "Ducky's waiting for you too." Clumsy clapped his hands. "Ducky!" Clumsy then paused. "Do Very Smurfy Smurfs have ducky's?" Brainy nodded. "Yes they do. Not only horses – the smurfiest Smurfs have very smurfy ducky's." He noted. Brainy folded up the book and told Clumsy he'd read it to him tomorrow. Clumsy agreed and went with Papa.
Brainy came back from his thoughts that mindlessly ran through his head. He then heard something; it was an easy inhale and exhale pattern. It was Clumsy…and he was snoring? Clumsy was snoring easily against Brainy. It was then Brainy realised the two were sitting under the Old Oak. The book was still opened next to them. Brainy had been reading a story to Clumsy as he picked grass senselessly…he guess he dozed off and Clumsy followed. Clumsy was leaning on Brainy's shoulder, but was sliding. Brainy wrapped an arm around Clumsy's shoulder and held him against his. The sky was growing dark – how would he bring Clumsy back to the village? Suddenly, footsteps came around the Old Oak. Brainy held his breath, when Papa came out. Brainy let the air that was locked in his chest out. Papa's worried features softened and he smiled. His once brown beard, now white.
"There you two are. I've been smurfing for you both."
"Sorry Papa. I was smurfing a book to Clumsy and I guess we both smurfed off." Brainy explained. Papa's smile only got warmer. He eyed Clumsy who was sleeping serenely against his older brother. Papa went down and picked up Clumsy as if he were still a baby – like those many, many years ago. Brainy gathered his book into his arms and followed as Papa made his way to the village with Clumsy.
"You both have been the smurfiest of friends." Papa suddenly said, chasing away the silence that fell upon them like a blanket. Brainy looked at Papa, raising a brow. "I suppose…"
"Ever since Clumsy could smurf a word, he always wanted to smurf with you. He got along with you so easily. It's really a smurfy sight." Papa smiled.
Brainy shrugged. "I dunno…" He didn't really have anything to say. What could you say at this? He and Clumsy were best friends, it's been like that for years, and it will continue like that. Surely Brainy and Clumsy will have their fights – they were too different to not too – but they will always be friends.
But no matter how many years will pass – those words, which that single sentence will always stay in Brainy's head. He will never forget it. It's probably why their friendship exists…
You're his big brother. It's your job to protect him.
I finally posted this! I hope y'all liked this short drabble. It was just a link of Brainy and Clumsy's friendship. I really respect their friendship – even if Brainy acts out his jerk side sometimes – I know he really cares for Clumsy and I know Clumsy looks up to Brainy. I hope y'all understood when I kept switching from reality to the flashbacks.
Please R&R but no flames, or I shall roast marshmellows!
Be Smurfy Everysmurf! ;)
