The Adventures of Ada and Mr. Clovis

The Turk

Ada watched Mr. Clovis take off into the air and she giggled when she saw him bump into a tall man's top hat.

"All aboard!" came a shout from a man in a fancy uniform. A train whistled, the shrill sound echoing off the high walls of the station.

Ada's brown eyes were wide with wonder. There was so much to see in this enormous space. People of all shapes and sizes hustled by without a glance at the little girl sitting on her large suitcase.

Ada watched as a man dressed in a funny hat walked by with a monkey on his shoulder. The monkey noticed Ada and screeched. Ada, intrigued, waved and crawled off her suitcase. 

She unsteadily got to her feet and hurried after the man and his monkey. The monkey crawled onto the man's strange hat to watch the little girl who had waved at him. 

It screeched again as it realized Ada was toddling after them. Its owner stopped to glance at his pet in confusion and Ada, focusing hard on putting one foot in front of the other, bumped right into the funny man and his monkey.

The man looked down with a curious glance and the monkey whimpered and cooed at the little girl sitting on her bottom, her chubby, stocking-covered legs stretched out against the cold marble floor.

"What have we here?" he said after awhile of staring. Ada cocked her head at his voice. There was a strange ring to it which Ada found funny. She giggled nervously and the monkey screeched again.

"Don't scare her, Halil," the man whispered to his monkey. He turned to Ada. "Excuse him. He knows not what he does at times." Ada barely understanding a word, silently nodded and wondered at his heavy accent.

The man glanced at his monkey with narrowed eyes and the monkey whimpered.

"My name is Omer Saban. This is my fellow performer and mischievous friend Halil," Omer said, gesturing to himself and the monkey. He turned to Ada with an inquiring glance. "And you are?"

Ada, having been trained in the arts of politeness and etiquette, was quite used this question and answered with confidence," Miss Ada Elizabette Ross... and I'm this many." She held up four fingers as best she could and Omer acknowledged them with interest.

"That is quite old, Miss Ada. Very impressive, indeed," the stranger replied. Ada, who had never in her life been called impressive, beamed with pride. At the last second, she remembered her manners, enforced by none other than her caretaker, Mr. Clovis.

"Thank you, sir," she said, trying to sound out her 'r'. It didn't sound quite right as of yet.

Omer nodded and Halil hooted. "Have you anyone with you, Miss Ada?" Omer asked, glancing around the busy station. Ada looked around as well.

"Mr. Clovis," she said simply and left it at that. Omer scrunched his eyebrows together in concern. This young girl was quite mature for her age, but that was no excuse for not having someone traveling with her. Many things could happen to a young child, alone and vulnerable, in West Brixton. He knew that quite well.

"Where is Mr. Clovis, Miss Ada?" he questioned and looked down at the brown eyed child. Her chocolate curls bounced around as she shook her head.

"I don't know. He went to fetch my ball and he bumped into a hat," she answered. Omer, at this point, was extremely confused. How did someone come about bumping into a hat and losing their way? Curious, indeed. Omer shifted Halil onto the other shoulder and held out his hand to Ada.

"Why don't we find him, yes?" he asked and Ada glanced at his hand. Strangers were dangerous, Mr. Clovis had said, but Omer wanted to help her. She took his outstretched hand and nodded.

"Yes, let's," she replied bobbing her head up and down in an enthusiastic nod. Omer smiled at her, his mustache rising up on his top lip.

After Ada regained her footing, they began to weave their way through the crowd, in search of 'Mr. Clovis.'