When we last saw, heard from, or otherwise interacted with our amnesiac friend Fat Freddie, the oversized Musclechimp from the Miami Mob, he had spoken the word "Chongo" in a rather cryptic fashion. Is this a harbinger of some kind of breakthrough? Is it a sign that Fat Freddie is regaining his mental faculties after being brainwashed by Big Daddy Malone's rendition of "The Big Rock Candy Mountain"? Is he going to remember who he is and ruin the author's trite, pat, contrived dependence on the old amnesia chestnut?

Nope!

Now, when Fat Freddie said "Chongo", you probably thought he was remembering something about his current Mob assignment - something to do with Chongo Chimp, Primate Eye - right? Wrong! Actually "Chongo" is not just the name of the hero of this story, but the name of a popular snack-food item marketed only in the South Florida area.    Fat Freddie was merely having a purely Pavlovian response to the mention of one of his favorite food items. Look, when you're a big guy like Fat Freddie food is number one and "Chongo" brand yogurt and carob dipped sun-dried banana slices are number one among all the other number ones. Trust me. The guy don't remember squat. His brain is fried, finished, kaput and otherwise no longer part if this story. Repeat after me, "Bye-bye Fat Freddie's brain!"

However, that overly garrulous little speed-freak Capuchin monkey whose mention of the word "Chongo" prompted Fat Freddie's reaction doesn't know that! He's from Chicago and he's never even heard of "Chongo" brand yogurt and carob dipped sun-dried banana slices. The word "Chongo" only means one thing to him. It means "money". In his seedy little monkey brain there has to be a connection between his occasional employer, Chongo Chimp, Primate Eye, and the very large but very dumb Chimp sitting beside him at the Salvation Army mess hall table and mumbling, "Chongo." The exact nature of the connection between the two is uncertain, but that's of no concern to the Capuchin. The possibility that there might be a finder's fee associated with his facilitating their reunion is, however, of rather sizeable concern.

"So," jibbered the Capuchin, "you know Chongo, huh?"

"Chongo!" replied Fat Freddie while staring blankly into his bowl of extra-watered-down potato soup.

"You an' Chongo friends? You like Chongo?"

"Like Chongo!"

"Ya wanna go see Chongo? He should be in his office by now. I know the way. I'll take ya there, big guy. Right to yer ol' buddy Chongo. But, er, it's a pretty long walk, ya know. Ya wouldn' happen t' have cab fare or maybe a couple of bus tokens or somethin' like that, wouldja?"

"Chongo."

"Yeah. That's what I thought. Well, I guess a little walk never hurt anyone."