"Wow!" gasped Rosie. "Are you seeing all this, Henry?"
"I love New Year's!" gushed Henry. "It's a chance to start over on a clean slate. You know the old saying: new year, new me!"
"Wise words, Henry." Stephen smiled. "Hey, are you setting any resolutions?"
"Yeah, just one. I'm gonna try not to be so worrisome. What about you?"
"My resolution is to not derail as much. I need to be more careful about stones on the track."
Rosie was puzzled. "What are you two talking about?"
"Uh...our New Year resolutions?"
"Oh, okay, great. Quick question: what are they?"
"Oh. Well, Stephen's is to not derail as much, and mine is-"
"No, no, I mean what are they? What are New Year resolutions?"
"A New Year resolution is a promise you make to yourself, something to help you better yourself in the future. Anything you want to set?"
"I don't think so," thought Rosie, "truth be told, I can't think of anything I need to improve."
"Hmm..." smirked Henry. "I can."
"Eh?"
"You're a great shunter, but sometimes you can leave the yard a little...messy."
"What's that meant to mean?"
"...that you sometimes leave the yard a mess?"
"Do I? Well, maybe that can be my resolution. I'll try to be more careful in the shunting yard!"
The first morning of the new year shone over Sodor, and Rosie was determined to keep her resolution. And whenever she set her mind to something, nothing could stop her. She got up early that morning and got straight to shunting.
“Morning, Rosie.” yawned Henry. “What are you doing at this time?”
“What’s it look like, Henry?” smirked Rosie. “I’m sorting the coaches!”
“At this time?” blinked Henry. “It’s half past six in the morning. My driver doesn’t even get here until nine.”
“Well, I figured if I want to start being more careful, I may as well get a head start!” explained Rosie, excitedly. “Because I made a promise, nay, a resolution to improve my craft, and that’s what I’m gonna do!”
“…okay, first of all, never say “nay” again,” scowled Henry, “and second, you’re not off to the best start.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look.”
Rosie looked ahead of her. The coaches were all mismatched - branch line coaches mixed up with express coaches, brake coaches at the front of the train, it was pandemonium.
“Oh no!” gasped Rosie. “How did I even do that?”
“Maybe you should start being more careful on a full night’s sleep.” chuckled Henry. “A couple hours sleep will do you good.”
“Alright.” Rosie conceded. “I’ll just take a quick sleep before the workday actually kicks off.”
“There ya go!” smiled Henry. “I promise, your work towards keeping your resolution is only gonna improve later in the day!”
It didn’t. It wasn’t as bad as it was that morning, but it wasn’t still pretty bad. Trucks laying around in the open. Coal dust covering the wagons. It took Rosie a couple of hours to sort out the coach mishap. And when Sir Topham Hatt found out, he was not happy.
“Honestly, Rosie, you’re usually one of my most reliable shunters,” he scolded, “but how did you leave the shunting yard in such a pigsty? I’ve never seen it in such a state!”
“Sorry, sir,” Rosie sighed. “I’ve been trying to be more careful around here. It was my new year resolution. But I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!”
“My theory is that you’re putting too much pressure on yourself,” suggested Henry. “I know you’re trying to keep your resolution, but all this rushing about could be because you’re trying a little too hard.”
“Maybe.” thought Rosie. “I never thought keeping a resolution would be so tricky.”
“It always is.” chuckled Sir Topham Hatt. “That’s why most people don’t tend to keep them. Last year, my resolution was to update my wardrobe, and yet here I am still in my finest black jacket and hat.”
“Most people give up on them?” Rosie gasped. “But…that’s not fair. If they give up on their resolutions and their promises, how are they going to grow as a person? I won’t let that happen with me! I made a resolution to be more careful, and that’s what I must do!”
And funny enough, she didn’t. A couple days passed and Rosie was as good as her word. It took some practice, but she managed and before she knew it, she was making a vast improvement. Trucks and coaches were no longer mismatched. Nothing was covered in dust or soot. The yard was totally, 100% clean.
“There we are! Clean as a whistle!” smiled Rosie as she put away a group of trucks.
“Wow.” gasped Henry as he entered the yard. “I’ve never seen this place so tidy.”
“Really? You like it?”
“I love it! Well done, Rosie!”
“Thanks. So, uh, how’s your resolution going? To not be as worrisome?”
Henry gulped. “Uh…well, about that…”
“You broke it already?”
“I didn’t mean to! There was this cat on the line, and he jumped onto my footplate…”
“A cat?!” Rosie burst out laughing.
“I didn’t want him to scratch my eye out!” Henry rolled his eyes, defensively. “I actually like seeing the rails in front of me!”
And the two set off again to officially kick off the new year.
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
