July 13, 1954
It was just another day in Memphis for the Presley's at their apartment in Lauderdale Courts, unwinding from another bustling day of working hard to pay bills and put food on the table, more so for Elvis' twin babies who he was raising not only by himself but with the help of his parents and grandmother too. Times were tough but Elvis could always count on his family and vice versa, he had a job too to chip in on the never ending bills and other necessities that required their money. He may only be nineteen but he was always working hard since it's one of the things he's known growing up dirt poor. Work hard for the things you want and that's exactly what he planned to do
"Here darling." Elvis cooed to the five month old, Tilly settling with her wails as she suckled contently from the warm bottle while getting comfortable in her dad's hold
Gladys walked into the kitchen with Jack in her arms, retrieving a bottle for her grandson. "I guess he knew that his sister was hungry too."
"Well they are twins." Elvis mused
Vernon had already left for the day to get to work. He had a job at a dairy farm that was thirty minutes out of town and he usually didn't get back until the evening
"I have to get ready for work." Gladys handed off her granddaughter to Elvis before going to her room to change out of her nightgown
"Mama, Dodger is going to watch the kids today." He called out
"Ok! Do you have to work late tonight?" She answered him from where she was in her room
"I don't know, I'll give you a call if I am." Elvis stood up and took the twins to his room after they ate where he laid them down in their cribs before he himself got ready for work, preening his slick short hair and fixing the collar of his tan Crown Electric shirt and tightening the belt of his black waistline pants
Tilly made a small noise in her sleep which got her dad's attention. He remembered the day that he found out about the twins and how their mother had a far different reaction than he did
Dixie was waiting outside by Elvis' car for him to get off of work on this rather chilly August night, worry evident in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip while deep in thought
Her heart raced when she saw Elvis walking towards her, whistling a tune to himself. He faltered at meeting her gaze when he was only but a few feet away from the vehicle. "Dixie? What are you doing here? Our date isn't until tomorrow."
"Elvis, there's something I must tell you. It's important." She scrunched up her shoulders to keep warm in the chill of the night
"Of course. What is it?" He offered her his Crown Electric jacket which she kindly refused
"I- I'm expecting." She nervously awaited his reaction
"You...you're....Dixie, that's wonderful!" He laughed and moved closer to hug his girlfriend though his excitement faded a bit at noticing she was rather quiet
"Hey, what's wrong? Aren't you excited?"
"Are you serious? We're still so young, I'm not ready to be a mother!"
"Then what are we going to do?"
"I don't know about you but I'm going to give our child up for adoption."
"Please don't do that, I'll take care of the baby." Elvis took a hold of her dainty hands
"Are you sure?" She raised a curious eyebrow at him
"Yes. I don't know how I'll be able to afford to take care of my son or daughter but I'll figure it out. I won't abandon them."
"You're certainly not making this easy, Elvis."
Elvis sighed to himself and parted a hand through his hair. Dixie left him the minute the twins were born and he hasn't heard from her since. It pained him to think they had truly loved each other only for her to turn her back on him and their children
"She's not coming back, but at least you still have the kids." Gladys said from where she was standing in the doorway, knowing her only son was thinking about Dixie again
He fixed the collar of his shirt and tucked the bottom of his shirt into his pants, making sure he looked presentable. "I know. I still feel like a fool for believing that she had feelings for me."
"You're not a fool, Elvie. I thought you two would have gotten married, you made each other really happy."
"Mama, I told you to stop calling me that. I guess I'm meant to grow old alone."
"Don't say that, you're still young. You'll find someone.Have a good day at work, Boo."
Elvis waited on his grandmother to wake up for the day before leaving for work. He was still delivering parts to companies and other clients but was also spending half of his day training to be an electrician and slowly working his way up in the company
It was currently twelve in the afternoon and Beale street was bustling as always like Time Square in the big Apple though nowhere near as many residents. A Crown Electric truck was parked along the curb near Lansky Brothers, Elvis having just finished his lunch in the truck and tossed the crumbled up wrappings to the passenger side floor for now. The windows were cracked so he could listen to the ongoing rhythm and blues songs carrying on through the warm breeze, shaking his left leg and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel until one particular tune popped into his head
"Get outta that bed, wash your face and hands. Get outta that bed, wash your face and hands. Well, you get in that kitchen, make some noise with the pots and pans." He shimmied his shoulders and rolled his fingers against the steering wheel
"Way you wear those dresses, the sun comes shining through. Way you wear those dresses, the sun comes shining through. I can't believe my eyes, all that mess belongs to you." He sang with every feeling in his body. He flinched in surprise when someone lightly tapped on the window, rolling it down some more. "Can I help you?"
"I couldn't help but notice your singing. Do you have a contract with any local companies?" The man asked out of curiosity, adjusting his glasses
"No." El shook his head
"I've heard Sun Records is looking for a few new faces. You should stop in." The gentleman checked his watch for a quick second, smiling at the electrician in training
"Thanks but I'm actually not that good." He rubbed the back of his neck
"Are you kidding? You have the potential to be a star! Think about it, kid." He tipped his derby hat before continuing on with his day, humming a happy tune
Elvis thanked him and pushed that conversation to the back of his mind for he could never consider being a professional singer. He was too shy and nervous about singing in front of people especially large crowds. Besides, who'd want to partner with him in an industry as competitive as the entertainment industry. He checked the time on his watch and started up the vehicle before driving off down the busy street, absent mindedly replaying that scenario in his head
Gladys looked up from setting the kitchen table at her son entering the room, obviously tired from how he was dragging his feet and the dark circles present underneath his eyes. She wished he didn't push himself so hard at work but there was only so much she could say to him
"Hey Satnin. How was work?" She asked
"Long." He sighed and rubbed at his face, sitting down in his usual spot at the table with a groan. "You'll never believe what a stranger told me today."
"What's that?" She moved away to get the cornbread out of the oven
"Well they heard me singing in my truck and said I should stop by Sun Records to try out. He even said I have the potential to be a star. Can you believe how ridiculous that sounds?" He chuckled and shook his head at the absurd idea
"Why don't you stop by tomorrow? You're off aren't you? Your grandmother can watch the kids again and you can go to the studio. What's the harm of stopping in and singing for some folks?" She placed the hot pan on a cooling rack and went to retrieve the butter from the refrigerator
"I guess you're right. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stop by for a minute or two." His left leg fidgeted out of anxiousness
"Even if it turns out to be nothing it could be a fun experience for you since you love music." Gladys flashed a smile in his direction
Vernon and Minnie Mae had now walked into the small kitchen area and sat down at the table, Gladys placing down a bowl of collard greens and a casserole dish with meatloaf before she herself took a seat
"What were you two talking about?" Vernon asked
"Nothing important, just work." Elvis was quick to answer him, not wanting his father to lecture him or be disappointed about their discussion of E going to Sun Records
Elvis got up in the middle of the night to get a bottle of milk for his babies when he saw the light in the kitchen was on and his mother sitting at the table, several bills laid out in front of her. There was no mistake that the older woman was crying though was doing her best to keep quiet as to not wake her husband or son but it was hard for her to go to sleep as she constantly worried about how their bills would be paid, they were just barely scraping by enough as it is
He forgot all about the milk as he went back to his bedroom, the image of his mother crying over the bills still fresh in his mind. Perhaps he could take on another job. A side hustle to bring in a little extra money. He took his mother's advice and stopped by Sun Records the next day, catching the attention of the receptionist as soon as the tall lean young adult walked in the small entryway, an acoustic guitar held firmly by its neck in his right hand
"Hello sir, how can I help you?" The short blonde haired woman smiled politely as she peered at him over the top of her glasses. She knew right then and there that this man had talent by how unique he was. The sideburns, the pompadour hairstyle, the eyeliner accompanied with mascara that was clear as day and the bold clothing that fit his slim figure
"Hi Ma'm. I- I was just stopping in to uh- to sing. A- a song." He stuttered
"Alright, what's your name?"
"Elvis Presley."
"How do you spell your first name, dear?"
After she got a few more questions from him she stood up and went to inform Sam that there was another person who was interested in singing, leaving a very nervous Elvis to himself
She came back a minute later and gestured to the door to his right, Elvis thanking her before stepping into the recording studio. As he made his way to the center of the oddly shaped room, he could see someone behind the glass in the sound booth, staring at him intently
"Alright, Elvis. Whenever you're ready you can start." A man's voice came through the speaker above the sound booth
(I know this was actually recorded in 1953, a year before he started with Sun Records)
Sam dismissed Elvis and thanked him for coming in, telling the nineteen year old that he'd give him a call if he happened to choose him to be with Sun Records, watching as he left the studio. Once he was alone again, he grimaced and leaned back into his chair with a sigh. He didn't care to sign on a singer who sang tender heartfelt mushy hillbilly songs with little to no tempo. He'd have to pass. But Marion had been listening to the recording session and would say so otherwise
At the sound of the front door closing, Gladys poked her head out of the kitchen to peek around the corner, smiling at her dear son. "How did it go?"
"I thought you had to work today, mama?" Elvis tossed his keys onto the small table by the door, slipping off his shoes. He had hung out by the clubs on Beale street to listen to the inspirational music and to calm his nerves after his terrifying performance in front of Sam
"They sent us home early, the sewing machines were on the fritz. Now how was it?" She asked a bit impatiently at his lousy attempt to change the subject
"It went ok. I was a little nervous."
"Just ok? My dear grandson, you need to stop putting yourself down or people will walk all over you." Minnie Mae walked into the kitchen, sitting down at the table
"I know..." Elvis sighed, going straight to his room at hearing the twins cry. He changed their diapers and brought them to the kitchen to feed the hungry Presley kids, sitting down in his chair as he held his daughter while Gladys held Jack in one arm and stirring contents in a pot with the other much like she used to do with Elvis
He looked down at his baby girl when she started to cough, removing the bottle from her tiny mouth and bringing Tilly up to his shoulder to pat her on the back. It didn't seem to help as she continued with her coughs which were now mixed with her cries. "What's wrong, honey?" He cooed, noticing that her eyes were red and her nose was runny
"I'm going to call for a doctor." Gladys hurried over to the phone like the overprotective mother and grandma she could be
A doctor soon arrived at the residence and immediately checked on the baby. "She has whooping cough." He said, concerned by her condition. "I'm sorry but she needs to get to a hospital immediately."
They took the doctors advice and went to the hospital where the Presley girl was admitted and taken to a room so they could start on treating her. Elvis never left his baby girls side, worried that if he left her for even a minute that something worse would happen. He couldn't let anything happen to his darling little girl, his mind becoming a whirlwind as he tried to think of how she could have gotten the whooping cough in the first place
He looked over at the door and sat up at seeing Sam Phillips walk in, confused as to why he was here. "Mr. Phillips? What are you doing here?"
"I had gone to your apartment to talk to you about your performance but your grandmother told me about what happened with your daughter. So I decided to come here though I suppose it's not the best time." Sam had removed a cigarette from his blazer pocket before lighting it
"I'm sorry but I have other things to worry about. Like paying my daughters hospital bill when she's well enough to come home." Elvis carefully ran his fingers over Tilly's soft fair blonde head of hair
"Don't worry about the bill, it's already paid for in advance. If you have a minute, I'd like to talk to you about your singing. Marion's convinced that you have something to offer to this industry." Sam puffed on the cigarette, catching Elvis off guard by his surprising words
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