Chapter 20: Epilogue
Hefty walked down the well-treaded path towards a large meadow by the Smurf Community. He wore white shorts, red shoes, black torn sleeve shirt, white hat, and a pair of shades over his eyes.
It had been three months ever since Hefty and Toughette woke up to the new, unfamiliar world. However, it felt more like three years. Hefty and his mate seemed to be adjusting nicely to his new home. In fact, he and Toughette often enjoyed their times taking care of the smurflings, as well as the times with Sorcerette and Sorcerer Smurf riding the motor bikes into town.
As the brawny smurf headed for the playing field, he adjusted the sunglasses slightly so they don't slip off his nose. Noticing smurflings at play, he stopped to watch and smiled at them eagerly participate in their vigorous games with youthful joy.
So much has changed indeed. Smurflings didn't play like they used to in his day. Smurf-ball had been the usual sport Hefty and his brothers used to play, many years ago. Some of the smurfs from Old Village would fish, while others played simple little games like leapfrog.
Not so in the new world, though. The games the smurflings played were much more sophisticated and complicated nowadays, such as football among other things. Hefty noticed that not all the youngsters were actively involved in complex teamwork games, though.
Scanning across the field Hefty observed smurflings sitting quietly by themselves, engrossed in small things such as hand-held video games. Still others were gliding on what was known as skateboards and rollerblades.
"Something on your mind, smiley?" A soft, feminine voice cooed just slightly off to the right of Hefty.
It didn't take him long to recognize the sarcastic tone and smiled. He turned to see a beautiful smurfette with golden hair, pinned back into a long ponytail. She wore her new black shorts, pink and black tank-top, light grey smurf hat and sneakers. Toughette was also wearing a snazzy pair of sunglasses on her face.
It certainly was a perfectly bright day to be wearing them. Hefty couldn't help but to smile at the sight of her. How smurfy she looked.
"Oh, nothing much, just stuff," Hefty replied, still smiling. "How about you?"
"Well," Toughette began in a slight stutter, unsure of how she wanted to answer him. "Um… Yeah, stuff…"
For a moment the couple just stood there gazing at each other in silence. A movement up on balcony at smurf's community home not far off caught Hefty's eye.
"Hey, there's Brainy," he said in surprise, "I wonder what he's doing up there?"
Toughette turned around to look where her boyfriend was pointing.
"Oh yeah, I've seen him up there before," she replied, "He just watches the smurflings and doing something on that thing…what is it called again?" She paused again, fumbling for the word for the object that Brainy is often fond of using.
Tapping her finger on her chin, Toughette pondered on the right word that would at least describe the metallic object in Brainy's hand. Suddenly it comes to her and she perked up with a smile. "Oh yeah - a Smurf-pad"
Hefty's curiosity is piqued at what is going on with Brainy. "Perhaps I should go up, then," he wondered, "And see what exactly he is doing."
Toughette nodded. "Alright, but don't be too long," she warned, "it's almost time to round up these smurflings up for their afternoon classes." She grinned at him, "After that it will be our turn to give them a real workout in a game of 'Capture the Flag' before washing them up for dinner." She added.
"I know," Hefty leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I won't be long."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Brainy stood quietly, leaning slightly against the railing and peering down at his little smurflings playing in the meadow. In the position he was in, the red-capped elder had a good view of the entire field and every single smurf, smurfette, and especially smurflings below. Of all the places he had been, this was his favorite spot in the entire Smurf Community.
Using his finger, he muttered out numbers as he did a head count of each of the smurflings below. After counting a certain amount, Brainy jotted it down on the Smurf-pad before continuing to count a second group in another part of the field. He even included the older smurfs in the head count as well.
He was so busy counting he did not notice a certain smurf entering the room just behind him. Smirking a bit, Hefty walked to the open glass sliding door, which separated the balcony from the living room. He stepped out through it to take a stand just a bit to the right of his older brother.
Puzzled, Hefty watched as the older smurf continued to move the palm pilot pen in the air. 'What is he doing?' Hefty wondered silently to himself, removing the sunglasses from his face to see better.
What was even more baffling was the fact that Brainy didn't even acknowledge the fact there is another smurf beside him on the balcony. After a few moments of watching Hefty couldn't take it anymore; he cleared his throat loudly enough to cause Brainy to jolt slightly.
Startled, Brainy spun his head around to see who had snuck up on him without him knowing it. With a sigh of relief, he realized it is only Hefty.
"Geez, Hefty, you scared the daylights out of me." Brainy groaned. "What is up with you this time?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing." Hefty chuckled sheepishly. "I was just curious on what you were doing up here."
"Oh…I'm just doing a head count of all the smurfs," Brainy answered simply as he proceeds to do one last count of the final group below.
The young strong smurf perked up with interest. "You mean how Papa Smurf used to count heads back in the Old Village?"
Brainy nodded. "Well, in a matter of speaking, yeah." With a satisfied sigh and a smile, he jotted the remaining number down on the palm pilot and mentally added the calculations together.
"There, all 230 smurflings are accounted for. Plus you and I, along with Snappy, Slouchy, Sassette, Nat, Sorcerette, and Sorcerer Smurf making 240 smurfs altogether." Brainy proudly stated as he closed his Smurf-pad up in its protective case. He placed it carefully in his jacket pocket before grinning at his strong brother.
Hefty let out a little whistle, impressed with the numbers of the living smurfs in their community.
"Whoa, that is quite a count…"
Hefty noticed Brainy gazing down at the smurflings with a sad look on his grizzled face. Concerned, the brawny brother leans towards him. "Hey, what's wrong?" Hefty asked softly.
"Wha…?" Brainy blinked, his mind still somewhere else.
Shaking his head slightly, Brainy realized what his younger brother was asking him. "Oh, I'm just thinking of Papa Smurf and the others from the Old Village. I wonder what they might say about all of this."
Hefty cocked his head to one side and raised his eyebrow. With a smirk, he reached out, placed a reassuring hand on Brainy's shoulder. He spoke to him in a respectful manner.
"You know, Brainy, I think if Papa Smurf were here to see what you've done, I'd say he'd be very proud. Even the other smurfs would agree to that," Hefty grinned slightly, "And, you know, that is a lot coming from me."
To Brainy, that was the most touching thing anyone has ever said. As a young smurf, he'd often hoped the other smurfs would think that way of him, including Papa Smurf himself.
With all that was going on after the disaster of the Old Village, Brainy had just been more worried about the well-being of the surviving smurfs to fuel his own ego.
With tears in his eyes, Brainy tilted his head up at his younger brother and replied softly, "Thank you."
Hefty smiled back at his older brother. Then, glanced at the watch, he looked up at the red-capped elder again. "Um, it's getting time to start rounding up the smurflings for their afternoon lessons."
Brainy inclined his head in understanding. "Yeah, I myself need to prepare for my group for their pop quiz." He said amicably, "We can talk again later."
"Sure. Later, Brainy."
Brainy watched his strong brother walk back out the door and is soon out of sight. With a heavy sigh, the older smurf too left the balcony, preparing to collect his papers for his class session with the smurflings.
THE END