Trouble at the Operahouse - ThomasNATION Fanstory
September 23, 2023
"Well, whaddya reckon, Tommo?" asked Shane. "Is Sydney mental or what?"
"It's incredible, Shane!" laughed Thomas. "I never knew there was so much to do here."
"Yeah, well, Australia isn't just one big old desert, mate," chuckled Shane. "there's loads to see on this end. You got the Harbor Bridge, the Hornby Lighthouse, the-"
Shane was interrupted by Thomas' gasp. "What's that?" He gestured to a beautiful and sleek building. "It kind of looks like a bunch of bowls stacked together."
"Oh, because it is!" joked Shane. "They're the dishes of what we call The Aussie Sea Serpent!"
Thomas rolled his eyes. "What?"
"Yep. Erwin, we call 'im. He lines them up like that every day to give 'em a good scrub."
"Okay, okay," Thomas chuckled, "what is it really? I know it's not really a bunch of plates for a sea serpent."
"Ah, ya caught me!" smirked Shane. "That there is the Sydney Operahouse. The jewel of Australia, and, wouldn't you know it, there's an opera going on tomorrow night!"
"Wow!" gasped Thomas. "That's incredible, Shane! I love opera music!"
"Really?" asked Shane as the two pulled into Sydney Central. "You always struck me more as a freeform jazz fan."
As the two laughed, the Australian controller walked over to give everyone their tasks. "Alright, lads, listen here. Dame Bella Canto and her orchestra are going to be here tomorrow morning, and if the night isn't a complete success, my superintendent will not let me hear the end of it."
"Who's going to take her, sir?" asked Thomas.
"My next point, Thomas," said the controller. "I've already assigned it to an engine, someone reliable and especially useful."
"Who do you reckon that is?" asked Shane.
"I really hope it's me!" smiled Thomas. "I've already attended one of Dame Bella's shows in Italy! She's incredible!"
"Actually, Thomas," said the controller, "I've got another job for you. You need to take the orchestra to the operahouse."
"Oh." frowned Thomas.
"And you, Shane," the controller continued, "you have to take the instruments."
"So who's taking Dame Bella?" asked Shane.
"I've asked Tamika to take her from the airport." said the controller. "Now, off you pop, cobbers."
Shane wasn't all that happy about having to take some instruments. "That doesn't seem fair, Tommo, does it? I've got the strength, you've got the experience, both of us should be taking Dame Bella! I bet Tamika was only chosen because she's got a coach built into her cab."
"So, is this a bad time to ask to borrow Aubrey and Aiden?" asked Thomas.
"Be my guest, mate," sighed Shane. "I don't think coaches are the best transport for instruments."
The next day Shane picked up the instruments and was on his way, though he was still a little upset over having to take instruments to the operahouse. This is something that Ace noticed upon passing him on the road.
"What's the prob, cob?" asked Ace. "Not like you to be so down in the dumps, especially on the night of an opera."
"I know," Shane complained, "but I really wanted to take the singer over to the operahouse, but no, I'm stuck delivering instruments!"
“Instruments?” asked a confused Ace. “What’s wrong with that?”
“I highly doubt anyone goes to operas to hear the instruments,” scoffed Shane, “they wanna hear the singing. She could sing the whole concert acapella and it wouldn’t make a difference.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” mumbled Ace. “Anyway, I’d love to stay and chat, but I gotta get goin’. There’s a rally up at Byron Bay, and I gotta be there when it happens!”
Ace sped off, leaving Shane by himself until Tamika pulled up alongside him.
“G’day, Shane, you alright?” she asked. “I hear you got the instruments.”
“Yeah…” groaned Shane. He wasn’t in the mood to hear what little Tamika had to say. “So where’s the great Dame Bella?”
“I’m on my way to pick her up, mate.” replied Tamika. “Honestly, between you and me, I really wanted to take the instruments.”
“Oh, you’re just saying that to make me feel better!” Shane snapped.
“Alright, cool your pistons,” said Tamika, shocked at the usually laid-back giant’s outburst. “I’m just saying.”
“Sorry, it’s just that I wanted to take Dame Bella with Thomas.” sighed Shane. “And now look at me, pulling horns and violins and…whatever a marimba is.”
“You’re the lucky one in my eyes, Shane,” said Tamika, “a lot of engines would kill for your job.”
“Sure, sure,” muttered Shane. And with that, the two went their separate ways.
Shane’s luck was cut even shorter when his journey was cut off by some repairs to the line. At a loss of ideas, he noticed a line cutting through a rainforest, wasting no time going through. That’s when trouble came around. The tracks were covered in leaves and rocks from a recent storm, making the tracks bumpy and slippery. Thankfully, Shane was able to make it through, unaware that behind him, he had lost his van full of the instruments. He finally pulled into Sydney Central where Thomas, Tamika, Aubrey and Aiden were waiting.
“Shane!” cried Aubrey.
“Now it’s a party!” laughed Aiden.
“G’day, everyone!” chirped Shane. “Is Dame Bella here?”
“She’s just doing some vocal warmups in the operahouse.” explained Thomas. “Have you got the instruments?”
“Got ‘em right here, Tommo!” Shane said, proudly.
Thomas and Tamika looked behind Shane. They couldn’t see any instruments. “Um…where?”
“Whaddya mean, they’re right…” Shane looked behind him and immediately noticed his mistake. “…oh.”
“Shane, did you lose the instruments?” asked Tamika.
“I’m sure it won’t make a difference.” Shane replied. “As I told Ace, Dame Bella can do the show acapella and everyone will still love it!”
“Shane, the instruments are the most important bit of a performance!” whimpered Thomas.
“…what?” gulped Shane. “But what about the singer?”
“The singer can’t perform without the music!” protested Thomas. “Without the instruments, there can be no concert!”
Shane felt really guilty. He didn’t consider the instruments important enough, and now look what’s happened. Thankfully, he did have a plan.
“Well, it’s a good thing I know where to look, Tommo!” he boasted. “I had to cut through a bit of rainforest to get back to Central. We go there, we find the instruments!”
“You two better hurry,” cried Tamika as Shane and Thomas left. “The show begins in a few hours!”
“No worries, Tammy!” Shane laughed. “We got plenty of time!”
Shane and Thomas looked everywhere on the track Shane took, through bushes and through trees, but there was still no instruments.
“Let’s keep on looking, Tommo,” said Shane, “they can’t have gone far. It’s not like they grew legs and walked away.”
“Are you sure we’re on the right track?” asked Thomas.
“Positive, mate.” replied Shane. “I’d recognise these bumps in the track anywhere.”
“Well, what now?” asked Thomas. “They’re clearly not on this stretch.”
Shane thought for a bit. This was the same stretch of track, right? The same bends, the same bumps, the same slips, everything added up, but where were the instruments? “I don’t think I know, Tommo.”
“Maybe they’re not here,” suggested Thomas. “We’ve searched high and low for them.”
Wait a minute. High…and low. “Maybe not high enough!” exclaimed Shane.
“What are you talking about?” asked Thomas.
“We need to look higher!”
“How? We can’t climb trees. There’s no way for us to get high enough.”
“Exactly!”
“…I don’t follow.”
“There’s no way for us to get higher. We gotta find Isla!”
With a new plan set, Thomas and Shane set off and found Isla. They quickly told her their dilemma and she was ecstatic to help. While Shane and Thomas looked on the ground, Isla looked in the air. At first, their search was fruitless, but eventually…
“Shane!” cried Isla. “Was your van blue by any chance?”
“More of a teal, really!” called Shane. “Why?”
“Well then, guess what I found!” laughed Isla. The two engines followed the plane over to the van.
“There it is!” Shane cried as his driver inspected the van. “And everything’s where it was!”
“So, what do we do now?” asked Thomas.
“Well, as the saying goes in show business,” chuckled Shane, “the show must go on!”
That night, the show was in full swing. Dame Bella sang her heart out, accompanied by the most amazing score Shane had ever heard.
“Would ya just listen to that, mate?” Shane whispered to Thomas.
“I know,” Thomas whispered back, “isn’t she amazing?”
“Not her,” Shane rolled his eyes, “the instruments! They sound amazing…considering they spent the day in the rainforest.”
“What did I tell you, Shane?” Thomas smiled. “The instruments really are the most important part of the concert.”
Shane couldn’t help but agree as he continued listening to the most beautiful music he had ever heard in his life.
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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