Henry's adventure across the canal

A piece of home

A week had past since Henry returned from his trip to the SEM. He was hauling his usual trains. Be it sunny or rainy or even a thunderstorm. But something didn't feel right. The engine felt an emptiness. The Drachenzorn's and even some passengers tried to cheer him up. But as well-meaning as it was it didn't help. "I don't know what's wrong with me", moaned the green engine while Johanna Drachenzorn gave him his daily polish. "In my dreams I see Sodor, Thomas, Edward, little Percy, the little Western engines and...Gordon", he looked down at his buffers. "I think you are homesick Henry", the woman soothed him. "I...I...I think so too.", Henry admitted, "But how do we fix...this." "Hmmmm",she pondered then her face lit up, "I might have an idea."
"Really?!" "Just wait and see my big guy" The next day Henry chugged along his line still in a sad mood. He couldn't bring himself to smile. Even the deep greens of the forest couldn't ease his sadness. It reminded him too much of his forest back on Sodor. "It's okay, Henry.", said his fireman in a comforting tone.

At Leipzig Artemis left with the guard and came back with a box, a big board and two bags. They loaded them into the guards compartment and let him run around his train. "Don't worry. It will be fine, boss", the coaches whispered. "Ohhh I dunno...", muttered the engine. During his breaks Henry sat silently. He felt weak. He just stared down at the rails in front of him. In the evening when he rolled into his shed he noticed something on the big gate. A big elongated box was at the upper edge. Then he noticed the board he had seen earlier. He didn't have to wait long for Mrs. Drachenzorn to arrive. She had a laptop under her arm and held a sketch pad and metal pencil case. She climbed onto Henry's ponytruck. And sat down on the left corner. She opened the lid of the machine and turned it on. "What are doing?", asked the green engine suspiciously. "You'll see soon enough", with that she pressed the button on a remote and from the long box near the shed door a big white screen slid down. Then she pressed a button on another remote and a black screen appeared. "Let's see...", she pressed another button on the same remote, then did something on her laptop. Henry frowned. All this modern technology was a bit too abstract for him. He wanted to ask again what Johanna was up to when suddenly he saw a picture of him and his coaches flare up on the screen. "Oooohhhh what is this picture for?", Henry asked amazed by the pictures quality. "It's for this board right there", Mrs. Controller replies and points at it, "And you can chose which pictures we will put up, because it's all yours." "For me? Thank you!" "No problem. Let's pick some pictures shall we?" "Yes please, Johanna!", the green engine was excited. After an hour they had picked the best. Mrs. Drachenzorn saved them onto a tiny little plastic stick. "So that was the first part", she closed the laptop's lid. "And what is the second part?", the engine asked curiously. "You miss Gordon the most right?" "...yes", Henry looked away and sighed, "over the years he became more to me than a friend..." The woman gave the engine a warm, motherly smile, "That's why I would like to suggest to send him a letter." Henry's dark green eyes lit up, "That's. That's a lovely idea!", the engine was growing excited, "I have so many things I have to tell him!" "Well then dictate it, my green boy", she had the sketch pad on her legs and a fountain pen in hand. "Okay well, Uhm....Dear Gordon, I hope you and the others are doing alright. A lot has happened. I don't know-", he stopped and Mrs. Drachenzorn was still hastily writing down his words. "Should I slow down, Johanna?" "Yes, please" After another hour they were done. Mrs. Drachenzorn yawned. "You should be in bed", chuckled the engine. "I should...good night" She jumps off the pony truck, picks up her items and walks out. Suddenly she reopened the door and switched the light off.

The next morning Mrs. Controller came back still yawning. "What did you do last night?", her husband asked confused. "Nothing just helping a good friend", she yawned. The man blinks irritated. "You'll see. Also we will take a picture together with Henry this afternoon", she added now appearing more awake. "Oh okay. What should I wear? A suit or something?",he asked still a bit uncertain. "No no", she chuckled, "Just as you are my strong man" "Sorry to interrupt you two, but we have a train due soon", Henry interrupted politely. "Understood", and Mr. Drachenzorn picked up his wife and carried her to the cab. She didn't say a thing, but her pouty face made Henry chuckle quietly. They got the coaches and they followed along. "Hippity hoppity, Hippity hoppity, Hippity hoppity", the three wagons sang. In Leipzig Mrs. Drachenzorn left and came back with an envelope. "Got the pictures!", she waved with it. "Wow that was fast", the engine was amazed.

At the afternoon Mrs. Drachenzorn set up a camera with a tripod. "Ready?", she shouted "Ready!", Henry and Artemis reply. She runs back to the two and her husband puts his arm around her. They repeated it a few times. The couple looked at them on the tiny camera screen.
"So Henry. Tomorrow we can send the letter to Gordon.", Artemis said to the engine. "Awesome!", chortled Henry.
In the evening the Drachenzorn's pinned all the pictures to board. One was all the Sudrian engines, another showed Henry in his forest, a third one was from when he arrived in Germany, another one was from the time the engines of Sodor visited the mainland. And another one with Henry and Bear hauling a goods train together. And one of the bigger ones was of Gordon and Henry. Looking with pride into the camera it was an old photograph taken many years ago. Last but not least there were pictures made during Henry's stay at the SEM. When they were done the board was nicely decorated, but it still had enough space to add even more pictures. "Danke", said Henry quietly. The Drachenzorn's looked at each other with surprise. "Did you just speak German?", asked his fireman. "Of course he did! Are you deaf or something", teased Johanna. "No, I'm not!", replied Artemis with playful anger. "Ehhhh I'm not sure", she winked towards Henry. Henry grinned. "I think you should get that checked out.", the engine said concerned. "He really should, Henry", agreed Mrs. Drachenzorn. "Meine Fresse. You two are unbearable. Stop it!", now the man was really angry. "Oh look at him. He heard that part.", jibed the big green. Now Artemis had enough. He stomped out and slammed the door behind him. "Ups. I think that will take a lot of cuddles", giggled Mrs. Drachenzorn, "Good Night, Henry" "Good Night" and with that Johanna Drachenzorn hastily followed her grumpy husband.

And as promised the next day Mrs. Controller jumped out, brought the letter to the post office in one of the smaller stations. "Oh a letter to Sodor", the post officer noticed. "Yes", the woman replied. "Well then", the letter got stamped and put into a box. Mrs. Drachenzorn waved goodbye, ran over the platform and hopped into cab. Opened the regulator and loosens the breaks. "Come on, Henry! We have to make for the lost time!", she laughed. "Peep peep yes Johanna", and the big green engine with the number 3 on its tender chuffed out of the station with a big white smoke cloud. Racing towards the early summer sun.