Chapter 8: Family Reunion
"If you would just give us a moment, Brainette and I will whip up something nutritious to eat for the both of you," Brainy suggested, glancing at Hefty and Toughette as he opened the door to another room.
Once they entered, Hefty and Toughette noticed a long, comfortable chair-like object layered with soft cushions on top. Standing in front of it is a wide table with short legs. Across the room are two cozy chairs, also layered with downy cushions.
On the walls are more strange carvings of animals like those ones from the other room where the big, strange box with the trapped noisy demons were. To the relief of Hefty and Toughette, this room does not include the huge, flat box-like thing. Up against one wall was a shelf filled with many books, of course – both ancient and relatively new.
Off to the right, a small kitchen and a dinette. Behind it was another room that looks a bit like Papa Smurf's laboratory with several rows of beakers and test tubes filled with multi-coloured chemicals on the high table, but arranged in a futuristic way.
On the left, a short hallway that led to yet another room that had the door closed. Hefty and Toughette noticed, with some puzzlement, a smaller box in the corner on the table near the entrance of the laboratory, which had strange, realistic aquarium of fish moving forth and back on its screen.
Both Hefty and Toughette looked at each other, full of uncertainty and bit dismay. Will they ever get use to all of this strangeness of a new world they now inhabited?
"Ok, over there is our kitchen, and just past it is Brainette's science lab," Brainy said proudly, giving the strong duo a small tour of their residence, "And over here is our library - actually, there is a bigger one down the hall if you want to check it out - this is just our personal collection. Down that hallway over there is our bedroom, and right in front of us is our living room. Oh, and," Brainy points in one particular direction, "that glass door you see just past our couch is called a veranda, another word for patio. Sometimes, when it is sunny outside, Brainette and I like to sit outside and enjoy the sounds of nature. It's far better than watching TV, in my opinion!"
"I see," Toughette muttered, blinking a little. She still appeared confused and unsure of everything.
"Well, what do you think of our little corner of this community?" Brainette asked eagerly.
"Community?" Hefty raised his eyebrow.
"Yes, that is what we call our home," Brainy nodded agreeably, "Unfortunately, due to the lack of space in this cave we have arranged that you would share quarters with Sorcerette and Sorcerer Smurf for a while. Is that ok with you two?" He added in an almost hesitant way.
"Share the quarters with Sorcerette and Sorcerer?" Hefty exclaimed with a furrowed brow. He and Toughette exchange glances before looking back at Brainy and Brainette who are watching them nervously.
"Uh, sure, I guess." Toughette shrugged, even though she did not seem too happy at the prospect of loss of privacy if they are to share the room with those young smurfs. Neither does Hefty, apparently, but he did not say anything.
"But we assure you this arrangement will all be temporary," Brainette pointed out with a relieved smile since neither of the young siblings protested, "We are planning on expanding soon. There is a nice big piece of land very close to this cave that would be perfect for a brand new village, slash, community." She pointed towards the glass veranda door.
"Hey, that reminds me," Hefty spoke up suddenly, "Where did Snappy and the others go when we were in that, um, museum as you called it?" He gave the elders a suspicious glance. "Brainette said something about them needing to do something somewhere else."
Brainy and Brainette suddenly appear hesitant to answer Hefty. They look to each other for quite a while before returning their gaze to their younger strong siblings. Hefty and Toughette wait impatiently for them to explain themselves.
"Um, we should begin preparations on some food for you two." Brainette quickly changed the subject as she walked towards their small kitchen.
Hefty and Toughette did not have to be geniuses to figure out that Brainy and Brainette were trying to dodge the question. It only served to annoy them even more.
"Hey! What the smurf is going on here? You two said you would answer any of our questions, so why are you trying to keep secrets?" Hefty cried, waving his hands up in the air with frustration.
Brainy sighs. "We said that indeed, Hefty, but not all at once – and certainly not right now. There is a lot to take in. So much changes happening over the years. We want to help you to accept and adjust to the new world you will be seeing every day for the rest of your lives," He said patiently, trying to steer his brother and his mate towards the living room.
"You mean besides you being 500 years older then me?" The strong smurf retorted, crossing his arms in a huff.
"Yes. I suppose that would be one of them," Brainy grunted. He hates been reminded of his age.
Hefty frowned. "Ok, fine! If you are not going to explain anything about this new world to us right now, then at least tell us what had happened after Asmoday took me and Toughette captive in those crystals?" He finally demanded.
Brainy looked reluctant. "Are you sure you want to know that right now?" He asked quietly.
"Look Brainy," Toughette growled, just as frustrated as Hefty was, "we remember that as we left the cave with Sorcerette and Sorcerer Smurf that they admitted being trapped in those crystals like us for some time too. That would explain why they only appear to be a hundred and fifty-seven years old, just like us!"
"You noticed that, I see," Brainette comments matter-of-factly as she took a big knife out of the drawer. She began slicing from a loaf of freshly baked bread, to make sandwiches.
"It doesn't take a math genus to figure that one out, Brainette!" The tough smurfette barked angrily at her bespectacled sister, who flinches visibly at the harsh tone of her voice.
"Brainy, come on please," Hefty turned to his intelligent brother, "Tell us. Did Asmoday keep his part of the bargain? did he free all the smurflings after taking me and Toughette as his replacement…trophies, as he disgustingly put it?"
As Hefty glanced into Brainy's eyes, he could see sadness in them. It made him wonder.
Brainy sighed deeply and hobbled over to take a seat in one of two soft armchairs across from the couch and coffee table. As he did so, he took a deep breath.
"You and Toughette better sit down. It's going to be a long story," He finally said, gesturing invitingly toward the couch.
"Oh, good... We love long stories." Toughette grumbled with sarcasm as she and her beloved mate sat down.
As soon as she saw Hefty and Toughette had made themselves comfortable on the couch, Brainette came out of the kitchen and placed a tray laden with food on the coffee table in front of them. Being the polite hostess she was, Brainette handed the strong duo each a plate with a sandwich and fresh vegetables on it.
Hefty and Toughette look distrustfully at the food offered to them. "How do we know this won't give us indigestion as well?" Hefty asked, remembering the horrible airplane snacks they had eaten not too long ago.
"These are purely organic food," Brainette answered reassuringly. "We have a garden out there where we grow and harvest our own vegetables. We also pick fruits from our orchards…apples, peaches, and so forth. We even grow our own smurfberries, too. And we bake everything else from a scratch…all of them are perfectly fit for a smurf to eat."
"Ah, smurfberries," Brainy smiled approvingly, "Nat had the good sense to save the seeds and bring them all the way over here so we can have smurfberries anytime we want. That way, we will always have a bit of Old Village with us."
"Here, eat up. I made some tea…" The elderly smurfette encouraged with a smile as she picked up the teapot and poured hot, greenish liquid into four separate cups. Toughette stared transfixed at it. "What is that?" She questioned, recoiling a bit.
"It's called Jasmine Green Tea, imported from Japan," Brainette answered with another smile, "Different from what Mama Smurf used to make, but it has a very good flavour indeed. Good for your stomach, too..." She added, placing two tea-filled cups in front of Hefty and Toughette before taking the other two for Brainy and herself. As she reached the chair next to Brainy and settles into it, Brainette hands him a cup as well.
"Alright," Brainy took in another deep breath. Hefty and Toughette lean forward, ready to listen intently. The elderly smurf began to speak in a quiet voice, "This is what happened…"