Smurfocalypse Chapter 60: Memorial Day
It wasn't quite May which is when humans would come to celebrate it many, many years after everything here would be said and done, but this was something the Smurfs had been wanting to do for a long time now. It wasn't Smurf tradition to dedicate a day to brave knights because there was never a need to nor was the title and job of a knight something they had needed before. Today was a glorious day because the knights claimed victory in the forest, and all of them came home to tell about it. There was quite the celebration taking place near the loose brick close to the cemetery. The graves had been tended to respectably. Tuffy and Jokey's headstones were cleaned, Tuffy's helmet and sword were cleaned and polished, and fresh cut flowers were put on the graves. Whether Tuffy ever admitted it or not didn't matter, every Smurf enjoyed Farmer's gardening. Chef was cooking up all sorts of dishes using up the last of what the humans had left behind. Right now he was stirring up a big pot of stew and sitting in a chair in the center of the setup.
There were several picnic tables for Smurfs to sit at, socialize, and eat. The benches were brought over from the area outside Chef's kitchen.
"We appreciate all you do for us Hefty." Handy said as Hefty walked up to him with the blueprints in his hands.
"Handy, Timber found something interesting in the forest." Hefty said handing Handy the blueprints.
Handy studied them.
"Looks like some sort of weapons. They aren't planning to attack us with these?" Handy said.
"I'd love to think we stole their only copy of this, but between you and me I think they'll be back with some. We can build some though right?" Hefty said.
"We're very, very low on wood." Handy said.
"So we'll take apart the human furniture in the houses. Some of those houses have counters and huge wooden tables and chairs." Hefty said.
"Resource management will have to wait. We'll never find workers today. It's a holiday after all. You should take a day to rest you always seem so tense since Papa Smurf left." Handy said.
"I've been meaning to get with Secretary about that…" Hefty said.
"I just talked to her not long ago. She's very sweet, Psychiatrist is a very lucky Smurf. You should see if you can chat with her today." Handy said.
"I suppose your right. What could it hurt?" Hefty said.
There were several barrels of sarsaparilla nearby and amongst the crowd it wasn't hard to spot Secretary. She was in a green sundress with a green Smurf cap, her long brown hair was up in a ponytail with her bangs kept down, and she was helping herself to a mug of what is basically root beer. Hefty walked through the crowd of socializing Smurfs and made his way to the table Secretary was sitting at. She was sitting at a table with Weather and Reporter and they were talking. Because of all the Smurfs talking at once it was hard to tell from where he was what they were talking about. She smiled a large warm smile when she saw Hefty approach the bench.
"There he is! Why don't you take your armor off, and stay awhile?" Secretary said as she motioned for Hefty to sit.
Hefty felt silly that he still had his armor on. He just grinned and removed his heavy armor propping it up against an unoccupied picnic bench. Under his armor was Papa Smurf's old red clothes. Hefty sat down at the bench next to Secretary and she turn to him and smiled.
"Bless you Hefty Smurf. You're like a hero straight from the fairy tales." Secretary said.
"I, uh…. Well I... Thank you." Hefty said beginning to blush.
"Ha now his face is turning red." Weather said.
"Shut it, it is not." Hefty said.
Secretary giggled.
"Are you happy to be home?" Reporter asked.
"Every day we can call Port Saint Smurf home is a good day." Hefty said.
The three Smurfs at the table nodded in agreement.
"I just need to get strong enough to win a duel, and it's all over. The forest will be ours forever." Hefty said.
"Sounds scary." Secretary said.
"No not at all. This is great motivation for me to train and exercise like never before." Hefty said.
"Just don't work yourself to hard." Reporter said.
"Yeah you know we depend on you Hefty." Weather said.
"That's why I have to work as hard as I can. To keep you all safe." Hefty said.
"Right now though you should try some of this." Tracker said as put a mug of sarsaparilla in from of Hefty.
Hefty took a sip of the soda. This had to be the best they had ever made.
"What is the secret?" Hefty asked.
"The humans left sugar behind remember?" Tracker asked.
"Handy is the resource manager." Hefty said.
"Right." Tracker said.
"Wait wait wait hold up now… Sugar doesn't grow here?!" Coconut said as she walked up.
"What? No of course not. Sugar is rare here only rich humans have it." Hefty said.
"Oh no… no no no… I need my sugar though!" Coconut said.
"Sorry…" Hefty said.
"I imagine life here is very strange to you still isn't it Coconut?" Secretary asked.
"It sucks not having constant access to fruit, and now no sugar, and I kind of miss my tribe. I miss the jungle." Coconut said.
"Why don't you use Papa Smurf's Smurfberry bird to send messages back and forth to them… That's what I do when I miss my friends back home." Secretary said.
"Did you talk to Dreamy about this? He can always take you home." Hefty said.
"Yeah but that's just it though… I'd miss Dreamy, and Mango, and Fisher, and Tailor, and the other guys from the crew." Coconut said.
"You have friends from all over the world Coconut. There's no way you can be with them all." Secretary said.
"Why don't you try sending you tribesmurf a letter, and see if they write back?" Reporter suggested.
"Where is Dreamy anyway? You two are practically inseparable." Weather said.
"He's in the bathroom… He said his stomach was hurting really bad, and then he starting peeing blood so Doctor is trying to find out what is wrong…" Coconut said.
"You know Dreamy got hurt really bad right? His insides are all messed up and he might not be around all that much longer." Hefty said.
Coconut's eyes filled with tears.
"I know, but I don't want to lose him… He's my captain… My good friend. He saved my life." Coconut said.
"Have you ever lost someone close to you before Coconut?" Secretary said.
"About sixty years ago my friend Pomegranate was bit by a poisonous snake while at work… When they found him it was too late... Then Ackee caught yellow fever and she died… Those were my friends growing up… I learned to make friends with older Smurfs because at least I know they aren't likely to die." Coconut said.
"That's messed up…" Reporter said.
"Oh there's more. A lot of the tribe dies young. If you don't have a trade, a job, or a close friend in the tribe you'll be left to die. You'll be taken care of as a baby so the stork don't take you back, but once you can walk and feed yourself you're on your own." Coconut said.
"How can you miss a home like that?" Weather asked.
"They also have to pay for everything they own." Hefty said to Secretary.
"How old are you Coconut?" Secretary said.
"Hundred and thirty nine." Coconut said.
"When I was your age I was still playing with dolls." Secretary said.
"I've never played with dolls." Coconut said.
"That's… I mean what did you do for fun?" Secretary.
"I worked… Smurflings don't make as much as older Smurfs because of our tendency to die on the job. If I wanted to eat and keep my hut I worked, or I could be homeless, play all day, catch yellow fever, and die like my friend Ackee... She used to sleep in the trees in a bed of leaves like a monkey… She didn't have a job, and the tribe only fed her out of pity to keep her alive, but when she got sick doctor Currant refused to treat her because he knew she'd never pay him back, was convinced she wouldn't amount to anything, and saw her as a useless waste of food. " Coconut said.
"But you make furniture for a living! How could you possibly die on the job?!" Hefty said.
"Right!? It's not fair!" Coconut said. "It's not like I was in the mines, or the fruit trade." Coconut added.
"You should stay here with us where you'll be taken care and kept safe." Hefty said.
"The coffee table you made for Psychiatrist and me are great, and Psychiatrist loves his desk." Secretary said.
"Here every Smurf can enjoy your work, and you'll get to eat no matter what." Hefty said.
Hefty took a deep drink of his sarsaparilla while the others continued to speak. He had almost forgotten why he had even came over here in the first place, and it wasn't for the root beer despite its amazing sugary taste.
"Hey Secretary I actually have a quick question." Hefty said.
There were hundreds of things he could ask Secretary actually. Like for example what kingdom is she from? What was life in this big city of Leafland like? Yeah he could talk with her for quite some time, but he only had one question for her.
"Shoot." Secretary said.
"I actually really need to schedule an appointment…" Hefty said.
"Me too…" Coconut said.
"Aww you two, I can get you in tomorrow before breakfast Coconut. Actually Hefty aren't you already scheduled for Tuesday?" Secretary said.
"What do you mean?" Hefty said.
"You already see Psychiatrist once every few weeks. You're our first client here." Secretary said.
"I know, but I can't double up on appointments?" Hefty asked.
"I'm afraid that's not how it works Hefty…" Secretary said.
"Ok… I can wait until Tuesday." Hefty said.
"If you bump into him here no talking about anything you'd talk about at work. All he's been doing is working and I finally got him relaxing today. Just talk about something Smurfs talk about with their friends like… sports." Secretary said.
"Psychiatrist likes sports?" Hefty asked raising an eyebrow.
"Oh yes! He likes basketball a lot." Secretary said.
"Really? No way…" Hefty said.
"I know he seems so professional at times so it wouldn't seem like it, but he likes to play his games." Secretary said.
"I wouldn't mind having a basketball court here either…" Hefty said.
"He's thinking about work again!" Weather said jokingly.
"Am not!" Hefty said with a smile.
Hefty had forgotten about his appointment in three days. It was a good thing he talked to Secretary after all or he may have missed it. He had so many things on his mind, and now he had just a short month to prepare for his toughest fight. The village would have to stop whatever they were doing aside from the most important work, and focus on preparing Port Saint Smurf for the attack the best they could with what little they had left to spare.
