WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SMUDGER?
CHAPTER 6: Life Is a Train
Smudger awoke to find Candy already in steam. "Morning Gaijin," she said as her driver oiled her wheels.
"Mornin'," replied Smudger sleepily. He still didn't know what Gaijin meant.
Mr. Chitana arrived. The engines called him"The Old Controller" even though he really wasn't all that old. In fact, he look about 21.
"Alright," said the Old Controller, "here is the plan for the day. Candy, you'll be taking the Liner through the Branch, and Edward Mann and Smudger will be double-heading the Television Train. They're filming a documentary on Narrow Gauge Railways, so don't mess up. Naruka will be shunting empties in the yard. Edward Mann and Smudger, you will help him out before you collect your train. That will be all."
As he turned to walk away, Smudger called out, "Um, sir, may I ask a question?"
The Old Controller smiled. "Sure, ask away."
"If this is a Japanese railway in Japan…why are we all speaking English?"
The Old Controller chucked. "We're not."
"What?" asked Smudger, slightly confused.
"You see," said the Old Controller, "all trains and such are made to adjust to the environment they're made in, and on other railways they're adjusted to see everything in a way that they're used to. You're used to speaking and hearing English, so everything sounds in English to you. But we're all speaking in Japanese. Even YOU are speaking it."
"…oh," said Smudger, slightly dumbfounded.
As the Old Controller walked away, Candy puffed out of the shed. "Goodbye, you all!" she called, "Look out for me this afternoon!"
San chuckled. "Don't worry about her," he reassured Smudger before he asked, "She's a little bit big for her wheels. She'll be alright though."
Smudger, San, and Naruka set off to the yard. Along the way, Naruka grumbled dreadfully.
"I wanted to pull the train!" he sobbed, "Why does Candy get all the attention?"
San grinned. "Don't worry," he said, "You'll have your day soon enough."
The three made it to the yard in good time, and started shunting. They had loads of fun banging and biffing the trucks into their proper sidings.
Next to a siding was a larger gauge railway. Resting in a siding on that railway was a large red diesel. It glared at the sight of Smudger.
"Cocky American engine," he snorted, "Can never trust them. All they want is attention and to steal a good engine's work."
"How would YOU know, Retsu-san?" snapped San, "You know as much about American engines as you know our line."
"Hmph," said Retsu, "Your railway has adaptors; maybe I know a thing or two about your line. But watch out with that American, you hear?" With that, Retsu sternly rolled away.
San rolled his eyes and shunted some trucks into a siding. "That's Retsu," he explained to Smudger, "He's a gas-turbine diesel that thinks he knows everything about everyone. He's a real pain."
"I can see that," replied Smudger grimly.
Soon all the trucks were in their proper sidings, and Smudger and San puffed away to collect the Television Train. Naruka followed them, promising to help clear the line in front for them.
The Television train was three green open-coaches with rotating chairs with seatbelts attached on a board above them, each also having a camera that rotated with the chair. The break van in back was filled with equipment.
Smudger and San coupled up, San in front and Smudger in back. Naruka lead the way, tooting his horn to warn people that they were coming. They stopped at a station and the cameramen climbed onto their trucks.
Along the way through the mountainside, a guard waving a red flag stopped them. "No.3 has broken down," he explained, "and needs to be brought back to the station."
The three engines continued on, and finally came up to a long passenger train. In front was Candy, who was letting off steam at alarming rates.
"Well well well!" chuckled Naruka, "Look what the cat dragged in!"
Candy said nothing. She just sulked.
"Ah well, we live and learn," said Naruka with a chuckle. He coupled up to Candy and pulled the train away, with San and Smudger following closely with the Television Train.
Suddenly, Naruka remembered what was happening and grinned wildly. "Hey! Camera people! Get my good side!" he called out as he sped up.
They soon arrived at the station. The passengers thanked Naruka and the cameramen promised to film him again sometime. Naruka helped Candy back to the shed.
That night, the Old Controller arrived.
"Naruka-san, I am very proud of you. You worked hard in a difficult situation and helped keep up our railway's good reputation. You are a really useful engine indeed."
He walked away, Naruka grinning broadly and Candy grumbling in the back of the shed.
TO BE FRIGGIN CONTINUED