The Vulture by Gil Scott-Heron

Author:Gil Scott-Heron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grove/Atlantic, Inc.

June, 1969

‘You workin’ for John?’ Cooly asked.

‘Yeah.’

‘Whattaya do?’

‘I deal.’

‘Thass why you don’ hang out no mo’?’

‘Yeah, I’m too busy.’ I lied and exaggerated a bit.

I was working part time for Lee. It started at the end of May, when he went down to take his physical for the service. He had had some appointments to make that couldn’t be canceled, so he sent me to deliver the stuff and started to use me as an errand boy after that. To no one’s surprise, he didn’t pass the physical and beamed on the block about his 4-F.

I spent as much time as I could watching Lee. He had become good at smelling the Man and staying out of trouble for almost a year. The closest he had ever come to getting nailed was the night I burned the car. I was learning all that I could.

‘In other words, you ain’ gonna be with us no mo’?’

‘In other words, brother,’ I told Cooly, ‘I ain’ got no mo’ boys on the block. I’m gittin’ into a thing where yawl don’t fit in. In a year or so, maybe less, yawl gonna all be movin’ on yo way, an’ there ain’ gonna be no big thing. I’m jus’ leavin’ a l’il early. I’m sorry if it looks bad, but . . .’

‘Fuck it,’ Cooly said. I watched him closely.

‘I’m seventeen, man,’ I said.

‘That ain’ no hundred,’ Cooly drawled.

‘Spade an’ John Lee ain’ much older! I got to move!’

Cooly laughed. ‘You still wanna be the man?’

I didn’t comment. The way he said it made it sound like a comic-book hero.

‘Lemme tellya,’ he said. ‘Lee an’ Spade may not be much older than you inna way, but in other ways they ten times yo’ age. Can you dig that?’

‘The only way to learn iz to find out.’

‘The hard way?’

‘If thass the quickest way.’

‘You ain’ comin’ to no mo’ meetin’s an’ tell the gize?’

‘No.’

Cooly started off across the park. He turned back long enough to shake his head.

‘Man, you ain’ never gonna be another Spade,’ he said.

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