We didn't know where Lucio and the Ape worked. I knew it wasn't a circus, because when you work at a circus you live there too – I found this out from Lucio, who was always talking about circuses. Perhaps they both worked in a restaurant somewhere (but who would let an Ape in a kitchen?) Maybe they played snooker for money, or stood on a street corner somewhere, The Great Lucio calling out to people to come and see the Ape perform Fantastic Acts (I never did find out what Fantastic Acts the Ape performed). Whatever work they did it can't have paid much, because they could barely afford to pay for their room, even though it was just old crap like typewriters.
One night, when Lucio was forced to give over his pocket-watch, we heard him say to the Ape: "That's enough, we will have to get a boarder."
I wondered what they wanted the wood for.
When we went downstairs that night for the pocket-watch (we never sold it because we hoped to give it back to Lucio some day), we saw that it was sitting on a note.
To the Managers,
Due to unforeseen pecuniary Tribulations, we are writing to request Permission for a paying Guest to reside with us, enabling our continued occupation of your Establishment. If you deem this Arrangement in any way inappropriate, we will respectfully honour your Wishes, and vacate as soon as is practical.
We eagerly await your Reply,
and remain,
Your humble Servants,
The Great Lucio
(and his Fantastic Ape of the Orient)
"What does it mean?" I said.
"I think they want someone to come and stay." Sophie said.
I read the letter again. It gave me a headache.
"We have to write back to them," Sophie said.
So me and Sophie went up to the typewriter and typed a letter to Lucio and the Ape.
To the Great Lucio (and his Fantastic Ape),
We are writing to give you Permission for a paying Guest to reside with you. We hope you can Stay.
Your humble Hoteliers,
Ben and Sophie
xoxo
It was Sophie who added the kisses and hugs. I told her you can't put that kind of thing on serious letters, especially for people as Great as the Great Lucio, and as Fantastic as the Ape, but she got pretty poisonous over it, and I wasn't about to type out the whole thing again, so I let it drop.
We left the letter in the office. When we checked the next day it was gone.
This was how Ginger Jane came to live with The Great Lucio and his Ape.