Lee's Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
Stories
CoCo, Lady Hatt and the Statues
CoCo the elegant Diesel is now settling into her trial life on the Island of Sodor. Her work at the Coaling Plant has come to an end and now she is much happier for generally helping out any engine that needs the help. However, the other engines aren't so keen on CoCo. Thomas is especially not keen on her.
"She doesn't exactly do anything extra..." he said to his driver. "We really don't need her..."
"It's the Fat Controller's decision, lad..." replied the driver. "She's only on trial...I doubt she will stay..." he then added as CoCo glided next to Thomas.
"Oh hello..." she soothed. "It appears I've done my duties with you...I think I'll head to the shed!" she continued before slowly sliding away. Her horn sounded and she was off into the distance.
"Good..." muttered Thomas. "I might be able to get some proper work done now...all on my own!"
Further down the line, CoCo was making her way to the sheds and along the way passed many engines who were having Water Stops.
"Hello!" she said as she passed by, but no-one replied. They were either too busy taking on water or simply didn't want to speak to CoCo. "How rude!" moaned CoCo as carried on. "They could have atleast just whistled!"
"Never mind, CoCo..." sighed her driver. "There are more important things at hand..."
"Such as?" questioned CoCo.
"That job on the News stand A-board..." directed her driver as CoCo came to a halt at the station she was about to pass through. The A-board simply read: 'Sir Topham & Lady Hatt Statues to be Unveiled soon...' and CoCo immediately saw this a job she'd love to have some involvement in.
"Someone will have to deliver those Statues!" smiled CoCo. "I think that someone should be me, don't you agree driver?"
"Well..." deliberated her driver. "It depends how valuable they are...don't forget that you and Sir Topham aren't exactly the best of friends..."
"Well, this will be my chance to change his opinion about me!" said CoCo with a big smile. "Now, who do we talk to, to get me to do the job?" she then wondered. Her driver laughed before setting off again. He'd had enough of talking about the Statue job and now wished he hadn't even mentioned it as it was all CoCo would talk about along the way.
Meanwhile, at the Fat Controller's office, Lady Hatt was talking to the Statue Architect and the Ceremony Manager about the arrangements for the unveiling of the Statues.
"All you have to do now Lady Hatt is choose an engine to take the Statues to their place..." said the Ceremony Manager. "You're hardly short of options!" he then laughed.
"No, not at all!" smirked Lady Hatt.
"Now, all I'll say on the matter is pick an engine that epitomises both you, and your Husband's involvement on Sodor..." suggested the Architect. Lady Hatt then began to ponder over which engine to choose. There were so many that she could choose from, and this was what was annoying her.
"If only there weren't so many engines..." she said to herself. "...as this decision would be a lot easier otherwise!" she continued as she then looked out of her Husband's office window. There, she could several engines all working hard, but there was one engine in particular that stood out from the rest.
"Is everything alright, Jane?" asked the Ceremony Manager.
"Yes..." replied Lady Hatt. "My decision is made...the engine I choose is...Percy!" she then proudly announced. The Ceremony Manager and the Architect were somewhat surprised.
"Are you sure?" quizzed the Architect.
"Most certainly..." responded Lady Hatt. "When my mind is made up, it is made up!"
"Fair enough, Jane..." sighed the Ceremony Manager. "...but we'll let you tell him the news!" he continued before he and the Architect left the office. It wasn't long then before Lady Hatt made her way to see Percy. He was now resting in his shed and was joined by CoCo just as Lady Hatt arrived to bring the news. CoCo immediately assumed she'd come to see her.
"What do you request of me then, Lady Hatt?" she inquired. Lady Hatt was confused as she'd never seen CoCo before and didn't know a thing about her, not even her name.
"I've come to see Percy..." said Lady Hatt. CoCo's wide smile immediately vanished and she wasn't best pleased at all.
"Ooh...what for?" asked Percy eagerly.
"As you will know, mine and my Husband's Statues are to be unveiled within the coming days and I have decided that you will be the engine who will deliver the Statues to their rightful place!" replied Lady Hatt joyously. Percy was beyond shocked and CoCo was just as shocked. She couldn't even speak and complain, it was that much of a surprise. Lady Hatt then said goodbye and soon left while Percy was still over the moon and CoCo sulked for the rest of the day.
A couple of days later and the big day arrived for the unveiling of the Statues. For Percy, who was waiting patiently for the Statues to arrive, still couldn't quite believe his luck. He hadn't realised how much he'd boasted about the duty and it made CoCo extremely jealous.
"Why him? Of all the engines it had to be him!" she huffed to her driver.
"It's Lady Hatt's decision, CoCo...I can't change her mind..." he replied as he reversed CoCo upto some Troublesome Trucks full of Copper Cables.
"Let's go, let's go before we get a no-no from CoCo!" sang the trucks as CoCo began her long duty of the day.
"Oh shut up..." grumbled CoCo before making her way. She really wasn't in the mood for freight duty at all. Meanwhile, Percy was now fully ready with the two Statues and was slowly making his way to the unveiling spot. Conveniently, there was a siding next to the unveiling area and this would help with the transfer of the Statues from train to ground.
"It's very methodical..." said Percy to himself as he slowly went along the line. The Statues, quite oddly were already positioned upright and were held down tightly with many straps and safety cables. Shrouded in a sheet, both Statues weren't to be seen yet by anyone and not even Lady Hatt or the Fat Controller had seen the completed versions. Then, as Percy proudly puffed into the siding, the waiting crowds cheered his arrival and applauded already at just seeing the Statues covered up. "Very odd people..." muttered Percy to himself before he heard a distance horn beep. The crowds looked and saw in the distance both Lady Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt were arriving slowly as they'd decided to get a lift from Isobella the Loading Lorry from the Pack.
"This is a proud day for me!" smiled Isobella as the Hatt's just waved from the back of Isobella as they passed people on the way. Lady Hatt was dressed proudly in her new Purple Dress and matching Bonnet while the Fat Controller, as ever was in his same attire, except it was just a newer version.
"What a beautiful day!" smiled the Fat Controller. "An absolutely beautiful day!"
But down the line, it was nothing but a beautiful day for CoCo. She was being pushed by her Troublesome Trucks throughout her journey and was quickly losing patience with them.
"Leave me alone!" she cried. "Just leave me!" but the trucks didn't listen and sang their song once more.
"Let's go, let's go before we get a no-no from CoCo!" they sang as they roared with laughter. CoCo was rapidly losing patience and frowned constantly to hold in her bad thoughts. CoCo hadn't realised how close she was to the actual Statue unveiling as she would be on one of the nearby lines just passing through, but when she came into view of the Ceremony, her driver realised something.
"Oh no!" he cried. "Were on the same line!" and as quickly as he could he tried to operate CoCo's brakes, but they weren't working. If they didn't brake in time it would be a catastrophe!
"Oh dear..." thought CoCo. "Oh dear indeed..."
Meanwhile, Percy was waiting for workers to set down the Statues from the flatbeds they were on and just as Isobella and the Hatt's arrived, they heard the commotion in the distance.
"Stop!" cried CoCo as her horn sounded loudly. Percy couldn't see what was happening but he gathered it was something serious when his driver and fireman abandoned him.
"Everyone look out!" cried Isobella as everyone in the vicinity ducked for cover. Then, it was too late as CoCo's brakes came into effect at the very last moment.
"AARRRRGGHHH!" she cried as she then crashed into Percy's flatbed. The force of crash was so fierce that it pushed and de-railed Percy and broke the Statues into smithereens after the safety straps broke in an instant from the impact. The Statues remnants littered the Ceremony area as Lady Hatt was aghast to see what had happened. The Ceremony Manager and the Architect couldn't believe it either. The crowds were shocked too and immediately went over to the dazed CoCo and complained loudly at her.
"Spoilsport!" called one person.
"You silly Diesel!" cried another.
"You've wrecked a very nice day..." then called a more familiar voice.
"Oh dear..." muttered CoCo. "Its him..."
"Indeed I am..." scowled the Fat Controller. "CoCo, you were beginning to show something here on Sodor that could have let you stay, but this is the final straw. You've ruined the hard effort of the Architect and the Ceremony Manager aswell as my Wife's...this plus being argumentative and rude tops it all off, CoCo! You will be leaving Sodor!"
"B...bu...but..." stuttered CoCo before giving up. Her driver tried to explain that the accident wasn't their fault, but he didn't help matters by arguing with the Fat Controller. He and Lady Hatt immediately returned to the office to call any other Controllers about wanting CoCo. As for the scene of the accident, Harvey was dispatched and it would take a long time to clear up.
It was late into the Evening before the Fat Controller finally got someone to take CoCo away from him. She would be leaving first thing in the morning and for the Fat Controller, it wasn't a moment too soon.
"She was never cut out for Sodor..." he said to Lady Hatt.
"Neither were our Statues then..." sighed Lady Hatt as she stared out of the office window. It was clear she was sad about the Statues being destroyed as so much effort had gone into them.
"Never mind, dear..." comforted the Fat Controller. "We'll get them sorted in no time at all..."
Next morning, CoCo got the news from her driver and despite being badly bruised and bent in the accident, she was in high spirits and whooshed along the line faster than she would normally. She tooted her horn one last time on Sodor before joining her new Railway on the Mainland. There, she is the Pride of the Line and often takes Passenger Trains, much to her own delight. She doesn't miss Sodor and Sodor doesn't miss her. As for the Statues, it was a few weeks later when everything was attempted again at the Second 'Official' Unveiling.
"I declare our Statues...officially unveiled!" announced the Fat Controller proudly at the Ceremony. The crowds cheered and admired the Architect's stunning work as Lady Hatt just couldn't believe it as the likeness was stunning. The Statues had only come about because Sodor Residents wanted something commemorating the work both the Fat Controller and Lady Hatt do for Sodor.
"It makes you proud to live here..." said Lady Hatt to her Husband as they admired the Statues for the rest of the afternoon...