Page 6 - The Jazzsipper Novel

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THE JAZZ SIPPER

discussing with her from the good, bad, or ugly. And, then would let him
choose the course of action he was going to take.

One particular time Vance remembered discussing with his Aunt Jessie,
about wanting to get back in touch with Ben. She just simply asked are you
prepared to deal with the Ben of now. Because, the Ben you knew seven
years ago may not be the same Ben. Or, would you rather remember him the
way you knew him seven years ago.

Vance, thought about it, she was right, it had been seven years since his
mother had passed. And he remembered how he’d change in the last seven
years, as his Aunt Jessie would say it had been good, bad, and ugly. He was
17 years old now and the year was 1979, and summertime in New Orleans.

Vance was taught too always stand on his own moves no matter what the
situation. He had wounded and been wounded in ongoing gun battles in the
streets that he lived in, socialized in, went to school in and was still in.

He remembered when he got shot all he could think about was how hot the
bullets felt inside of him. He remembered Babu carrying him and saying don’t
die; and you’ll going to be alright. Babu kept saying it over and over. The next
thing he remembered was being pulled out of a car. And the last thing Vance
remembered was looking up into this white man’s face who was wearing some
sort of mask asking him his name, age, and the date. He heard the man
shouting we’re losing him, we’re losing him. Vance began drifting closer and
closer to the complex sounds of John Coltrane cut Giant Steps.

When Aunt Jessie heard that Vance had been shot, she fainted with the
telephone still in her hand, it was Uncle Frank who took over and got Aunt