A/N This chapter's one that's not easy for my Thomas sensitive self. Even if he's been naughty, I still feel bad when he cries.
Hello, it's me, Thomas again. This story's quite unpleasant for me because of the events, but it happened to me, so I get the job of telling it. It's the story of how I met Terance one autumn and needed help that winter, which came in the form of a bus who became a friend and Terance.
Autumn had come to the Island of Sodor. The fields were changing from yellow stubble to brown earth.
And a tractor was hard at work as I puffed along.
Later I saw the tractor close by.
"Hello," said the tractor. "I'm Terence. I'm plowing" I saw his odd wheels and so I said something about them.
"I'm Thomas. I'm pulling a train. What ugly wheels you've got", I said to that Terance the Tractor.
"They're not ugly, they're caterpillars," said Terance. "I can go anywhere. I don't need rails."
"I don't want to go anywhere," I said. "I like my rails, thank you." I had my branch line and my fellow engines and that was enough to make me happy. Pulling trains on my rails suits me just fine even now. Even if I do that as long as I shall live, I'll never tire of it. I was built for shunting and pulling trains a short distance as long as they're not too heavy. We've got our limits, tank engines like me, because we're little engines.
Winter came with dark clouds of snow.
"I don't like it", said Driver "A heavy fall is coming. I hope it doesn't stop us."
"Pooh!" I said. "Soft stuff, nothing to it." And I puffed on, feeling cold but confident. I admit, I do have my pride, like when it came to snow.
We finished our journey safely but by now the country was covered.
"You'll need your snowplow for the next journey, Thomas," said Driver. I was far from pleased.
"Pooh! Snow is silly soft stuff- it won't stop me." Even a tank engine weighs tons so could snow stop something my size, I wondered.
The snowplow was heavy and uncomfortable and made me cross. I shook it and I banged it- and when we got it back, it was so damaged that Driver had to take it off.
"You're a very naughty engine," he said to me. I hated that snowplow.
Next morning Driver and my fireman came early and worked hard to mend the snowplow, but they couldn't make it fit.
I was pleased. "I shan't have to wear it, I shan't have to wear it," I puffed to Annie anc Clarabel.
But they were rather worried, my coaches. "I hope it's all right, I hope it's all right," they whispered to each other.
Driver was worried too. "It's not bad here." he said to the fireman, "but it's sure to be deep in the valley."
"Silly soft stuff," I puffed. "I didn't need that stupid old thing yesterday and I shan't today. Snow can't stop me."
I rushed into a tunnel, thinking how clever I was. But there was trouble ahead, I soon found out.
"Cinders and ashes," I said. I'm stuck"- and I was.
"Back, Thomas. Back," said Driver.
I tried, but my wheels spun and I couldn't move. I was unhappy.
The conductor went back for help, while everyone else tried to dig the snow away. But as fast as they dug more snow slipped down until I was nearly buried. It made me very upset with my silly self.
"Oh, my wheels and coupling rods. I shall have to stop here till I'm frozen. What a silly little engine I am." And I began to cry. It started with a single tear.
At last, a bus came to take my passengers. I felt very lonely and sad, so Driver comforted me as we waited. I'm old enough to have had more than 1 driver, but I've always been able to depend on my driver when we're together to dry my tears when I cry or give me advice. Someone told me once about engines who are alive, but don't have drivers. They miss out on the comfort and advice we get, us Sodor engines. I'm not afraid of emotions, so I'm not afraid to cry around those I trust, like Driver or my friends. So, in my upset, lonely and sad feelings, my eyes were wet with tears. When I get sad, to cry and be comforted helps me feel better. If I feel I've got to cry my eyes out because I feel bad, I shall cry.
Terance came to my rescue. Snow never worries him.
He pulled the empty coaches away, then came back for me.
My wheels were clear, but still spun when I tried to move. Terance tugged and slipped and slipped and tugged, and at last dragged me clear of the snow ready for the journey home.
Thank you, Terance, your caterpillars are splendid," I said. I now understood what those "ugly wheels", as I said of his caterpillars, were good for.
"I hope you'll be sensible now, Thomas," said Driver.
"I'll try," I said, and I puffed slowly away.
A/N Drivers comfort their engines in the classics, which this story is. Respect my Thomasverse if you choose to review this chapter. The part about him being not afraid of emotions comes from a Fanfiction buddy's personality typing of him.