Relatively Smurfing/Part 8

"Well, those were very entertaining stories you've shared with this smurf about Gargamel's relatives, Narrator," Empath said as soon as Narrator's third story was finished. "This smurf appreciates the honor of your taking the time to tell them."

"The pleasure is all mine, Empath," Narrator said. "I have many more stories that I can tell you, but it seems that the hour is smurfing late for me. I shall smurf with you again in the morning."

Empath decided that he was going to get another smurfberry seltzer before he would call it a night. He got up from his seat at Narrator's table to go to the counter to ask Tapper, but when he turned to look at where Narrator was sitting, he was already gone.

"I see that Narrator was entersmurfing you with some of his stories again, Empath," Tapper said as he went to get Empath's glass filled with another serving of smurfberry seltzer. "I could only wonder what those stories were about this time."

"Narrator was telling this smurf about our people's encounters with two of Gargamel's cousins and his twin brother Gourmelin, Tapper," Empath said. "This smurf thought that they were amusing, but now this smurf wonders if there's another reason why those stories needed to be told."

"If I were to hazard a guess, I would say it's to smurf you that having a family is always important, even if you don't like who's a part of it, my fellow Empath," Tapper said. "Of course, in our case, it's not always blood that smurfs people together as a family, but how people smurf a bond of love between each other that cannot easily be broken, like myself and Duncan, and like Papa Smurf and all of his little Smurfs."

"Then this smurf would have to guess that this smurf should appreciate the relationship that this smurf has with Brainy and Papa Smurf, even if it's something that this smurf has never chosen," Empath said. "It's just unfortunate that some people like Gargamel could never truly appreciate having family members unless it's for something he specifically needs from them."

"I do feel that kind of sorrow for Gargamel, but I feel an even greater sorrow for those who wish to remain outside the greater family that the Almighty is smurfing together through His only begotten Son," Tapper said. "To know that He has loved them enough to smurf them the gift of His Son for their salvation, and to choose to reject that gift, that will certainly haunt them for the rest of eternity when they have to smurf an account for everything they have smurfed in their lives."

To be expanded on.