CHAPTER 3
Pearl and Lilac could not believe how well they had done! The morning’s work was almost over and in a few hours and they would each have eight copper coins to put in their pockets. That meant sixteen copper coins between them, and they knew exactly what they were going to do with every single one. First, they would give half their earnings to their Mum, which would mean they would still have eight left for themselves. Next, they would find a safe place to hide six of the remaining coins and still have two copper coins to buy all kinds of treats for Tiger Lilly’s birthday tea.
Even though they had arrived at the Shanghasi Circus early that morning, it was already as busy as a beehive on a summer meadow. And what a scramble it first seemed! Workers were hurrying and scurrying and bustling this way then that - but this was the Shanghasi Circus and everyone knew exactly where he was going and what to do next. And why not? They had done it a thousand times. Still, hard to believe that this had been an empty field two days ago, parched dry and lifeless. Now it was filled with stalls, tents and marquees of all shapes, colour and size and spread out like the spokes of a wheel to cause an explosion of colours the like of which the town of Yeltsin had never seen.
‘Like flowers with their heads reaching to the sun,’ said Lilac who saw everything in pictures.
A line of men, stripped to the waist even at that hour, was pulling hard on the ropes of the Big Top. ‘Heave Hoe,’ they grunted. ‘Heave Ho!’ ‘Heave Ho!’ Then, even louder, there came a high pitched, singsong call. ‘Line up, line up. All new workers form a line!’ It came from the tallest man they had ever seen. ‘Boys on the right, girls on the left and make it lively if you please – we have no time for slow-stepping snails around here!’ He tried all he could to sound stern, but today was to be a very special day and he was a long-time Shanghasi man who was finding it hard to hide his excitement. ‘No,’ he repeated. ‘No a minute to spare! It’s not every day we have royalty visiting, and we want everything to be perfect.’
‘So you two girlies!’ he called, pointing to Pearl and Lilac. ‘Best I remember you were the first to arrive, so off you go to that stripey orange and yellow tent you see over there. Over there on your right. The food and drinks tent. We Shanghasi folk call it the Rumble Tum Tent and you’ll find our Mister Tommo ready and waiting to tell you what to do.’
Mister Tommo was indeed waiting for them. He, too, was tall, but slightly stooped and with piercing blue eyes that danced over the rim of heavy framed glasses; eyes filled with curiosity. He rubbed his hands together:
‘Well you two seem a lively enough pair and I have to say I like your smiles, so it’s welcome to the Rumble Tum.’ he exclaimed. ‘First thing is for you to tell me your names. Pearl and Lilac Santino you say? Pretty names! Next thing is for you to listen while I tell you - and it is something we explain to all those who join us – is that the Shanghasi Circus is so called because it is owned by a gentleman called – no prize for guessing - Mr Shanghasi. Now our Mr Shanghasi is a very private man and there are few who can truly claim to know him. However, I have to confess that I am one of those few – probably know him better than most, I should think - and there are one or two others around here who also know him well. Old timers like me who have been with the Shanghasi from the very first days.
So then, what can I tell you about our Mr Shanghasi? Well, first off, I have to admit that he can be something of a grump at times – especially when he thinks people are not enjoying his circus because it is not being run quite as well as he thinks it should be. When I say people, I really mean children for he loves children and insists they are the only reason he built the Shanghasi Circus in the first place. He is also – and he would be the last to deny it – what you might call a little odd, but he is very rich and, though he has business interests all over the world, the Shanghasi is the most important one of all to him. The one he loves best of all. There are even rumours that he sometimes takes it upon himself to travel with his circus as one of the workers so that he can be sure everything is being done exactly as he would wish. Always, of course, incognito. That means in disguise, if you didn’t already know. Others say it is a made up story, a myth, and it might well be. Anyway, true or not, myth or not, it keeps us all on our toes and, though you might find working here a little hard at times and often out of puff, I hope you will enjoy working with Mrs Tommo and me here at the Rumble Tum.’
‘Speaking of whom,’ he continued. ‘She could be here any minute now and I’d like it we could have as much done as possible for when she arrives. Truth is, I have an itchy spot at the end of my nose that tells me this is going to be a real hustle, bustle of a day especially as I understand His Royal Highness Prince Xavier and young Princess Serena are to visit us today. Not that it is a particular worry – the visit I mean, not my itchy nose – for we are quite used to having important people visiting us. The main problem is our silly fruit machines - cantankerous, spiteful things they are with minds of their own! But there I go, carrying on with myself like an old parrot when I should be explaining exactly what we do at the Rumble Tum.’
With a quick wave of hand that said to follow, he led them to a corner of the Rumble Tum where he pointed accusingly at what Pearl and Lilac at first thought was a jumble of old bins held together by a tangle of wire and knotted string. ‘Trouble is,’ he said, slapping the nearest bin and causing the whole pile to shake, ‘we have tried time and time again to replace this little lot with more up-to-date machines and what a waste of time it was! Paid the earth we did, but the taste of the juices was never near as good, not by a mile! What’s more, I think they know it! Can’t begin to say how many other machines we’ve tried.’
‘Anyway, you take that lot,’ he said to Lilac pointing to a huge tub of lemons that was standing close by. ‘And you – Pearl, I think you said that was your name, and a pretty one it is – you squeeze the oranges. ‘It’s easy enough – stuff the fruit in the funnels you can see on the top and then push down on those handles. Hard! Also, be ready to give the blessed things a good old kick every now and then. Stops ‘em jamming, makes ‘em behave.’ He turned to point to a far corner of the tent. ‘What I would really like is for us to have filled those two trolleys you can see over there by the time Mrs Tommo arrives.’ He indicated two small carts painted in colours to match the Rumble Tum, each with a large kettle-like container on top. ‘Later and hopefully before the crowds start pouring in,’ he added, ‘we’ll have those two carts places at the busiest spots we can find and be up and ready to start selling our juices fast as we can. Also, we might have some buns or tarts to sell – depends whether Mrs Tommo has found time to do some baking. Oh, one other thing - and it’s a something to remember if you start feeling a little tired - is that all of the profit we make by selling our drinks and our buns and indeed everything we earn at the Shanghasi Circus goes straight into what Mr Shanghasi calls his Good Cause pocket. What the causes are he doesn’t say, but you can be sure they will have been well chosen.’
‘Anyway, back to Mrs Tommo,’ he added, glancing at his watch. ‘As I said, she should be here any time now and she will be more than pleased if the carts are anyways ready by the time she arrives. Right now, though, I’m off to have a look around, see if I can spot a couple of likely spots for our carts.’
Lilac looked at Pearl as soon as he left he tent. ‘I hope Mrs Tommo is as nice as Mr Tommo,’ she said.
‘Now don’t you start in on your fretting,’ replied Pearl, using her big sister voice. ‘We can only try our best.’
The sound of Mrs Tommo’s ‘hellos’ and ‘good mornings’ could be heard long before she busied her way into the Rumble Tum. Round she was with a round and smiley face to match, hair a shiny black. ‘Goodness me,’ she exclaimed, as she hurried towards them. ‘Someone has surely been busy and’ . . . she suddenly stopped, stayed stock still for a moment. A moment, no longer. Then, almost as suddenly, she was smiling again and patting them both on the shoulder: ‘My gosh, you h
ave worked hard – why there’s enough juice to see us way through the morning!’ She turned to Mr Tommo who at that same moment had arrived back at theRumble Tum. ‘We are pleased, are we not Mr Tommo?’
‘Yes, very pleased,’ she repeated before he had a chance to answer. She seemed to hesitate, but continued: ‘See those stools over there? Well bring two of them over here and have yourselves a little sit down while I fetch my baskets. I’ve baked an extra batch of buns for today and I’ll go get a couple for you to try.’ She smiled a huge smile. ‘From a new recipe: ginger buns with a touch of apple and I’d like to see what you think.’ She turned to Mr Tommo, gave his arm a squeeze: ‘There, I told you I had a good feeling for today, thought we would have the best of help. So let’s go get our baskets while the girls have a rest.’
Pearl and Lilac sat waiting for their buns.
‘There,’ Pearl said. ‘I told you not to worry and I was right. Mrs Tommo is as nice as could be, could not be better. So nice that you’d think she has known us for ages.’
‘Yes nice.’ Lilac replied. ‘Really nice.’ She chanced a sideways glance at her sister. ‘You don’t think she’s a bit too, you know. . . . .’
Know what?’
‘You know, a bit too nice, sort of fussy maybe?’
‘Yes, all right, perhaps she is,’ Pearl replied, ‘but maybe that’s just the way she is,and far better fussy than being a nasty pants. And you can’t help liking her, whatever she is.’
‘Oh I like her, I really do and I can tell she likes us too. Seems to have taken a real shine to us, as Dad would say.’
Yes, everything was fine, better than they had expected and as they continued to wait, they thought of Tiger Lilly. No doubt about it, they agreed, their Mum and Dad would have told her everything by now, would have explained how they had crept from the house and left her sleeping because they were hoping to get a day’s work at the Shanghasi. And why! Because today was her birthday and maybe, fingers crossed, they would be able to make today a special day with a birthday tea to remember. A tea with tangy meatballs and ice-finger sponge cakes and two colours of jelly and with a huge bag of those fruity chews she liked so much - the kind of tea she could only expect on the very best of good harvest years. They tingled at the thought. First, though, and as soon as they had finished working in the fields, Mum and Dad would be bringing her here to the Shanghasi and then, after a visit to the Big Top and a try on the rides, it would be home again for her tea. And, who knows, later in the day they might be given chance to slip away from the Rumble Tum long enough to buy her an extra birthday present from one of the gift stalls. Yes, and to heck with saving six of the copper coins. Anyway and whatever, present or not, they were determined that Tiger Lily was going to have the most marvellous of birthdays.
Or, so they thought.
Soon the sit-downs were over, and Mr and Mrs Tommo were back with two large baskets crammed to the brim with buns.
‘Sorry girls,’ exclaimed Mrs Tommo, gasping for breath as she dumped her basket on the floor. No time for buns.’
‘ No, no time at all, ’ repeated Mr Tommo as he hurried to load the carts ‘You should see the size of the crowd at the gate!. And no wonder!’ He paused to give the nearest bin a slap ‘Well, you heard the announcement, I suppose.’
. ‘You didn’t?’ He gave the bin another slap. ‘No, I don’t suppose you did - the noise these stupid things make. Anyway, what the announcement said was that all children under the age of fifteen are to be allowed in free of charge for the rest of our stay in Yeltsin. And what’s more they won’t even have to pay for any of the rides.’
He turned to Mrs Tommo, gave her a smile; ‘Yes, the message from Mr S, came through late last night, and so I think we’d best be up and ready for one of the busiest days ever. Yes girls, I’m afraid your buns will have to wait until later, it’s lickety split from here on!’
‘Excuse me,’ said Lilac, remembering her manners. ‘What is lickety split, please?’
Mrs Tommo reached high on her toes to kiss Mr Tommo on the cheek. ‘It’s only what we have grown to expect from our Mr Shanghasi,’ she said. ‘And lickety split means as fast as we can.’ She turned on her heels. ‘So here we go,’ she cried. ‘All we have to do – thanks to all your hard work this morning – is finish loading the carts then push them from the Rumble Tum and out into the crowds. Don’t worry, we’ll stay with you until you get the hang of things; after that it’s up to you. .Remember to smile your biggest smiles, call out that your buns were made in heaven, and Mr Tommo and I will be waiting to reload the cart the minute you return. Oh yes, and make sure you give the correct change.’ She leaned towards them with a whisper: ‘Here at the Shanghasi we usually employ people by the day, but it’s entirely up to Mr Tommo to decide, so who knows! If he is really pleased, he might ask you to come back tomorrow, might even ask if you would like to work here the rest of the week. He’s even been known to give a bonus.’
‘Please, what’s a bonus?’ asked Lilac.
‘A reward for hard work,’ said Mrs Tommo.
‘I’d like one of those,’ said Lilac.