The 'Priest' They Called Him-William S. Burroughs/Kurt Cobain

[00:03.56]William S. Burroughs [00:06.23]Kurt Cobain [00:52.95]"Fight tuberculosis, folks." “ [00:55.36]Christmas Eve, an old junkie selling Christmas seals on North Park Street [01:01.89]The "Priest", they called him [01:03.97]"Fight tuberculosis, folks."“ [01:11.82]People hurried by, gray shadows on a distant wall [01:15.86]It was getting late and no money to score [01:19.50]He turned into a side street and the lake wind hit him like a knife [01:25.47]Cab stop just ahead under a streetlight [01:30.13]Boy got out with a suitcase [01:33.77]Thin kid in prep school clothes [01:36.40]"Familiar face," the Priest told himself, watching from the doorway“ [01:43.27]"Reminds me of something a long time ago." “ [01:47.17]The boy, there, with his overcoat unbuttoned, reaching into his pants pocket for the cab fare [01:55.57]The cab drove away and turned the corner [01:58.45]The boy went inside a building [02:01.95] [02:04.88]The suitcase was there in the doorway [02:08.47]The boy nowhere in sight [02:10.70]"Gone to get the keys, most likely, have to move fast."“ [02:15.04]He picked up the suitcase and started for the corner [02:18.37]Made it. Glanced down at the case [02:21.88]It didn’t look like the case the boy had, or any boy would have [02:27.05]The Priest couldn’t put his finger on what was so old about the case [02:33.48]Old and dirty, poor quality leather, and heavy [02:38.69]"Better see what’s inside."“ [02:41.17]He turned into Lincoln Park, found an empty place and opened the case [02:48.91]Two severed human legs that belonged to a young man with dark skin [02:55.48]Shiny black leg hairs glittered in the dim streetlight [03:00.34]The legs had been forced into the case and he had to use his knee on the back of the case to shove them out [03:07.97]"Legs, yet," he said, and walked quickly away with the case“ [03:13.49]Might bring a few dollars to score [03:21.04]The buyer sniffed suspiciously [03:23.72]"Kind of a funny smell about it."“ [03:26.40]"It’s just Mexican leather." He shrugged“ [03:31.05]Well, some joker didn’t cure it." [03:34.05]The buyer looked at the case with cold disfavor [03:38.09]"Not even right sure he killed it, whatever it is“ [03:42.04]Three is the best I can do and it hurts [03:45.23]But since this is Christmas and you’re the Priest…" [03:50.30]He slipped three bills under the table into the Priest’s dirty hand [03:59.09]The Priest faded into the street shadows, seedy and furtive [04:05.01]"Three cents didn’t buy a bag, nothing less than a nickel [04:08.60]Say, remember that old Addie crooker told me not to come back unless I paid him the three cents I owe him [04:16.70]Yeah, isn’t that a fruit for ya. Blow your stack about three lousy cents." [04:25.44]The doctor was not pleased to see him [04:28.28]"Now, what do you WANT? I TOLD you!"“ [04:31.66]The Priest laid three bills on the table [04:35.08]The doctor put the money in his pocket and started to scream [04:38.83]"I’ve had TROUBLES! PEOPLE have been around! I may lose my LICENSE!"“ [04:44.46]The Priest just sat there, eyes old and heavy with years of junk, on the doctor’s face [04:53.87]"I can’t write you a prescription."“ [04:56.30]The doctor jerked open a drawer and slid an ampule across the table [05:01.71]"That’s all I have in the OFFICE!" The doctor stood up“ [05:06.21]"Take it and GET OUT!" he screamed, hysterical“ [05:11.43]The Priest’s expression did not change [05:14.36]The doctor added in quieter tones [05:17.24]"After all, I’m a professional man, and I shouldn’t be bothered by people like you."“ [05:22.92]"Is that all you have for me? One lousy quarter G? Couldn’t you lend me a nickel or…?"“ [05:30.81]"GET OUT, GET OUT, I’ll call the police I tell you."“ [05:33.82]"All right, doctor, I’m going." [05:40.90]Of course it was cold and far to walk, rooming house, a shabby street, room on the top floor [05:48.04]"These stairs," coughed the Priest there, pulling himself up along the bannister“ [05:54.31]He went into the bathroom, yellow wall panels, toilet dripping [05:59.31]and got his works from under the washbasin, wrapped in brown paper [06:04.45]back to his room, get every drop in the dropper [06:09.06]He rolled up his sleeve [06:11.59]Then he heard a groan from next door, room eighteen [06:16.32]The Mexican kid lived there [06:18.95]The Priest had passed him on the stairs and saw the kid was hooked [06:23.64]But he never spoke [06:25.12]Because he didn’t want any juvenile connections [06:28.35]Bad news in any language [06:31.53]The Priest had had enough bad news in his life [06:35.92]He heard the groan again, a groan he could feel, no mistaking that groan and what it meant [06:43.97]"Maybe he had an accident or something“ [06:47.06]In any case, I can’t enjoy my priestly medications with that sound coming through the wall." [06:53.98]Thin walls you understand [06:56.81]The Priest put down his dropper [06:59.44]cold hall [07:00.81]and knocked on the door of room eighteen [07:06.37]"Quien es?" [07:07.73]"It’s the Preist, kid“ [07:09.25]I live next door. [07:11.27]He could hear someone hobbling across the floor [07:14.92]A bolt [07:16.34]slid [07:17.60]The boy stood there in his underwear shorts [07:21.19]eyes black [07:22.40]with pain [07:24.12]He started to fall [07:25.83]The Priest helped him over to the bed [07:28.47]"What’s wrong, son?" [07:30.41]"It’s my legs, señor，“ [07:32.23]cramps, and now I am without medicine." [07:36.24]The Priest could see the cramps [07:38.31]like knots of wood there in the young leaning legs [07:42.76]Dark shiny black leg hairs [07:46.96]"A few years ago I damaged myself in a bicycle race“ [07:50.55]It was then that the cramps started." [07:54.06]And now he has the leg cramps back [07:56.89]with compound junk interest [08:00.98]The old Priest stood there [08:02.96]feeling the boy groan [08:06.65]He inclined his head as if in prayer [08:09.54]Went back and got his dropper [08:12.37]"It’s just a quarter G, kid."“ [08:14.90]"I do not require much, señor."“ [08:23.45]The boy was sleeping when the Priest left room eighteen [08:28.05]He went back to his room and sat down on the bed [08:32.80]Then it hit him like heavy silent snow [08:38.01]All the gray junk yesterdays [08:42.25]He sat there received the immaculate fix [08:47.17]And since he was himself a priest [08:50.87]There was no need to call one