I leaned across the railing, watching the wagons of the circus passing through town. It was all I was going to get to see of it and I was just lucky enough that James has sent me down to the apothecary today of all days.
James wasn't my father and Kristina wasn't my mother. They had adopted me right after he had gone bankrupt and they were forced to move. Kristina was used to a certain way of life, with servants. Now, in the small apartment, they didn't have that life. He adopted me to provide her with a servant.
I was eighteen now, but he had made sure I had no prospects. I'd had no schooling at all, no friends, and boys were not allowed to call on me. It was stay there and keep serving them, or go out on the streets alone.
The end of the parade was coming and an old man tottered behind all of it, turning the wheel on a musical instrument as a monkey gathered coins in it's tiny hat. Another, smaller monkey was on the man's shoulder. A baby?
The man coughed and staggered a little, his head down as he rolled the mechanism. He stopped and looked around and the larger monkey ran to him when the music stopped. The man spied the apothecary behind me and turned off the road to go in.
I slipped in behind him, a little in awe. The large monkey smiled at me and held out her hat and I grinned at her. I didn't have a coin to give her, so I just reached out a finger and shook her tiny hand.
The smaller one, the baby, skittered down the man's arm and onto mine, climbing up to my shoulder as it played with my hair. I giggled as I tried to watch it. It was adorable.
"He likes you," the man wheezed.
Thaddeus came to the counter and smiled at both of us, the old man and me. I liked Thaddeus, he always had a kind smile and his eyes were so wise. He was older than James and the smartest man I had ever met. And the kindest.
"Clara, I have Kristina's order ready, just a moment," he told me with his warm smile.
I nodded, happy to wait and play with the little monkey who was pulling on my lip now.
"You are needing something for your cough?" Thaddeus answered to a question I had missed. "Sir, you need more than that, listen to your cough. It is in your chest. You have pneumonia and if that goes untreated..."
"Nnnn," the man shook his head. "Don't try and gouge me now, boy. I have coin enough for a cough."
"Sir, I will not charge you extra for the medication you need," Thaddeus told him gently. "It will be only a moment while I prepare it."
The old man went into another coughing fit as he turned to look at me on the floor now, playing with the little monkey.
"He really does like you. Old man like me ain't long for this world, even if this potion of his does work," he wheezed, coughing again as if to prove his point.
Theodora came out, Thaddeus's twin sister. "Hello!" she called brightly.
Theodora wasn't a beauty by any means, but I thought she was lovely. Always so sweet and nice, even to me. A no one. The unpaid servant of a washed up and shunned once noble family. They wouldn't be hated as much as they were if they hadn't almost ruined so many others along with them when they went bankrupt.
"Hello Theo!" I smiled happily, laying on the floor so the little guy could play in all of my hair. He made a happy little squee noise.
"Aren't they cute!" Theodora cried, looking over the counter. "I assume Thad is helping you sir?" she asked the old man.
He nodded, holding his chest as if he were trying not to cough.
"And you, Clara? Here for Kristina?"
"Yes, Theo. She is out of her sleep helper and she claims her back is hurtin' awful bad."
"She is pregnant, her back is going to hurt!" Theodora laughed. "I will tell Thad, he will find something to help her. Are you with the circus, sir?" she asked the old man.
He nodded again and looked back down at the monkeys. "You want the little one, girl?" he asked me.
"What?" I asked, shocked. I sat up, pulling the little one out of my hair.
"You want him? I'm good as gone and they won't take care'a him. They'll take Molly there, she ain't no trouble't'all. He takes a bit a work and they won't wanna do it. They'll toss'm out and let'm starve. I think you'd care for him though. Wouldn't ya?"
"Yes! Of course!" I agreed, still in awe. Would James and Kristina let me keep him?
Thaddeus came back out and handed the old man a bottle. "One spoon every two hours for your cough and chest. No more than four spoons in a day. If the circus is still here, come back and I will refill it before you go."
"How much?"
"You already paid me, don't you remember?" Thaddeus smiled.
The old man looked up at Thaddeus like he knew he was lying, but just nodded. "Thank you. And you, girl. You take care'a him. He aint a whole lot different than a babe."
He tottered out, Molly going with him. The little one watched them a moment, then went back to playing with my hair.
"Did he just dump that baby monkey on you?" Thaddeus asked incredulously.
"Dump?" I asked. "No! Look't him! I love him!"
"Clara... do you know what goes into taking care of a monkey?"
"He said it's like a baby," I answered with a shrug.
"A bit... are James and Kristina going to allow it?"
I shrugged again. "I will sneak him into the crawlspace."
"You can't just leave him in the crawlspace all alone!" Theodora cried.
"He won't be alone! I'll be in there with'm! That's where I sleep and where my things are."
"You... sleep in the crawlspace?" Theodora asked.
"Yes? Always have. They knew they wanted a baby of their own, they been trying so long. The extra room has always been for the baby. I'm small, I don't mind. It's enough room for me. And him. What should I name him?"
"Clara," Thaddeus spoke gently, his face looking sad now. "A monkey is a LOT of work..." he trailed off, his eyes looking at me, looking at my face. He let out a sigh.
"She has so little happiness," Theodora whispered.
He gave a small nod. "Step back here, Clara, and I will tell you all I know about primates while I get things ready for Kristina."
I grinned and followed him, listening while he worked. Theodora sat next to me and played with the monkey as well, though he wouldn't leave my arms.
After a moment of Thaddeus being quiet, Theo turned to me. "How old are you now, Clara? You have been coming in for Kristina and James for so long, but it seems you have hardly aged?"
"Eighteen. Nineteen in two months."
"Really?" she cried.
"Why are you still there?" Thaddeus asked.
I shrugged. "Where else would I go? I don't know nothin'' about nothin''. I cain't read or write. James won't let any boys come round askin' after me. Henry DuPont came round last and I was happy when James told him to leave off. He's not very nice."
"Pretty girl like you could have her pick of boys!" Theodora said in shock. "You don't need James' permission, you are a woman now!"
"He don't really let me out much unless I'm runnin' errands for him. This little dropper will really work like a little bottle?"
"Yes, and stick to the foods I listed. He will want more foods, but don't give them to him. He's just past weening. What will you do if they say no?"
I shrugged. "You said I was a woman grown. They want me to stay, I'll say if he has to go, so will I. It's a bluff, but they cain't care too awful much about me just having a little friend like him. He won't bother anything and they'll know I'll be stayin on. Specially with the baby comin."
Thaddeus nodded sadly. "If they give you trouble over it, bring him back here."
"Clara..." Theo began.
"Theo," Thaddeus snapped quickly.
Theo went quiet and I wondered what she had been going to say.
"Here's her medicines. If she needs anything else, come back anytime. When the time comes, come get me no matter the time. Just ring twice in rapid succession and I will know it's important and answer," Thaddeus told me.
"Thanks!" I called happily as I hurried out the door. I looked at the little guy clinging to the front of my dress as I walked home. "You need a name," I told him, petting his head with a single finger as he looked up at me. "How bout... Todd? No. You don't look like a Todd. Billy? No. Felix? Ben? No. Too... peopley. You need a monkey name, but not too silly."
He climbed up my shoulder and ducked under my hair and around the back of my collar to come out the other side.
I giggled again. "Ok, little dodger, I get it. Dodger. You like that? You're my little Dodger?"
I pushed open the door on the first floor of the three story apartment building and went in. I could hear Kristina moaning from the doorway. I hurried in and James looked up and glared at me. "What took you so long?"
"There was a line and he had to mix the new stuff."
"What is that?" Kristaina shrieked, pointing. James noticed the little brown face in my brown hair then and stood up in horrified shock.
"This is Dodger, the baby monkey."
"Get rid of it!" Kristina yelled.
"He's my new friend and he was given to me! I want to keep him. He won't hurt anything, I will keep him out of your way and I'll take care of him."
"NO!" James yelled.
"It aint much to ask for one friend in this world! If... if he ain't welcome then I ain't either!"
"Where would you go?" James sneered.
"I'd take him and join the circus here in town. Teach'm to do tricks and make kids laugh. And you wouldn't have anyone to take care of you, cook for you, clean for you and run all your errands!"
James scowled.
Kristina huffed, but looked thoughtful. "Fine. But you have to keep it out of trouble and no messes! And when the baby comes... if it gets anywhere close to my baby, I will snap it's neck in a rat trap! And I don't want to hear it! If it's noisy, it goes! I hardly sleep as it is!"
I wanted to roll my eyes. All she did was sleep! "I'll keep him out of trouble. Doc Ferris said if you need anything else, he'd see to it quick," I told her, changing the subject. "I'll start dinner!"
