ME & ELVIS

5. Elvis Started The Fire

Today was the first day of summer, its been four months since I last saw Dixie. Elvis and I have become closer. We were going steady and have been for the past three months. We only kept it secret from my father because there would be no telling how he would react. I also didn't want to drag Elvis into what my father was like behind closed doors.

Goliath finally has a roof over his head, big and comfortable it only took me two days to build, but two months to save for it, my father kept garnishing my wages to feed his habit and it was getting bad to the point where I couldn't get the money to him fast enough. I had to lie to him and tell him that we hadn't gotten paid yet due to some maintenance problems at work so they would make it up to us in a couple weeks. He bought it, but definitely took it out on me in the end.

It was worth it however when I got to take care of Goliaths shed and get his shoes redone. He was my first priority. 

........

Summer has come and gone Elvis and I found ourselves down at the pool hole nearly everyday. We had been going steady for six months at this point and even a little bit more daring with the relationship, meaning I would sneak him over to the house when my father wasn't home and would cook us a meal. 

Of course in order to prepare for him to come over I would do a deep clean of the main areas we would be using such as the kitchen, living room, and bathroom (should he need to go
). He's even ridden on Goliath a few times and that was a huge step for me.

I found myself falling for him more and more every time we spent time together. He had asked me to be his girl the third date we went on, this was the type of town where everyone knew each others business. So to my surprise it took a long while to reach my fathers ears about us.

He came home in such a rage I feared for my life, and got what felt like the beating of a lifetime. I ended up having to go to the hospital for stitches in several places along my back and on my eyebrow. When Elvis saw he was very upset. So upset that he called the cops.

That leads to me to where we are now. The exchange program refused my fathers request, somewhere somehow amongst the chaos he tried to send me through. They denied his request when child services stepped up to the plate. 

That's when life took a darker path. They located my mother's cousin Betty whom was out in Germany, her husband was a military man therefore they were stationed there. I mean I always wanted to travel, but not relocate. They were shipping me off a week before school started, in the mean time I had many goodbyes to say. I was dropping Goliath off to a well off family with a big farmland. Glady's knew them from church and made them promise they'd take care of him till I graduate. I told them once I got a job over in Germany I would send money their way to help with his upkeep.

I had little to no time left to spend with Elvis. I felt like the love of my life was being ripped from me. It almost felt like I was loosing my mother all over again. That pain was unbearable.

"I can't believe they are forcing you to leave," Gladys stated, I could hear her frown from her.

"I will call and write as often as I can, I don't know what this all girl school will entail for me, but hopefully it won't change me too much."

Elvis chuckled, "You? You're like a wild stallion, there is no chance they'd have of that."

I giggled and grinned at him, savoring his presence while it lasts, Vernon spoke up, "How do you kids plan on continuing this...relationship of yours."

"We planned calls and letters," I told him with a small smile before directing my attention to Elvis.

"Long distance, are you sure you're up for that? I mean what if one of you meet someone else are you gonna let each other go?"

"Dad," Elvis spoke up, he knew my fears and Vernon just threw them up there. I was scared that the calls and the letters wouldn't be enough. What would happen if Elvis did meet another girl while I was away. What would happen if he realized I wasn't worth waiting for?

"Baby?" 

"Mmm?"

"Hey, let's go take a walk."

......

It was only a few hours before I was being picked up and brought to the airport, I was only allowed one suitcase of things and half of it contained pictures in frames. I was upset, devastated even that these were my last minutes in the states.

I spent too long saying goodbye to my coworkers, it was tearful and heartwarming all at the same time, we had all gotten along and they became a family to me.

I walked towards Elvis's house where the car would be picking me up after I said goodbye to the Presley's. When I arrived Elvis was not home, I felt upset because I knew the clock was still ticking. 

I spent the time with Gladys and Dodger, even Vernon was there to see me off. So where was Elvis?

We spent our time hugging and crying, not Vernon of course, he did give me sad glances though and I knew in his way that meant he'd miss me too. 

It wasn't until a car horn sounded outside that I glanced at the clock and realized it was time, but Elvis still wasn't here. I handed Gladys a letter to give to him that I may have cried on while writing, I informed her to give it to him as soon as he got home and to tell him that I loved him.

When I walked out I had my suitcase in hand, tears staining my face. The social worker was the one who was picking me up. He quickly took my suitcase shooting me a sympathetic glance as he placed it in the trunk of the car. Gladys gave me one last squeeze. I opened the back door to the car when I heard Elvis's laughter. I looked up and saw the one and only Dixie, his arm wrapped around her waist like nothing had changed between them.

I was frozen, the sight before me shattered me, Gladys followed my gaze. She let out a whimper, "Oh Elvis!"

Elvis heard his mama and looked up with that god damn smile on his face. The social worker was already in the driver seat waiting on me.  Elvis looked over and saw me and it was like he finally came back down to earth. He stepped away from Dixie like her touch burned him. 

"Gracie? Baby?" he started and headed towards me, I shook my head quickly and jumped into the car slamming the door demanding the man drive as I threw myself down on the bench and sobbed. This was heart break. This is what it felt like. He started the fire and burnt my whole world with it.