Elvis 2065

Chapter 4 - I Have a Good Feeling About This

I told Elvis and his friends and family some personal things right off the bat, not just spouting it out like in my previous interviews. It was that sense of comfort that I felt around those people, especially Elvis. After I got over the shock of being in his presence, I was pretty comfortable around him. It was like I knew him for years. He just had the effect on people, even after just meeting him. It felt like you were his best friend. That was what I felt, and it was an incredible feeling. In fact, I felt welcomed by everyone in Graceland. Mostly everybody.

"Mr. Butler, it is my turn to have a private word with you."

Elvis told me to head on back to the house and finish settling in as he spoke with his father. As I was walking back to the main house, I saw Colonel Parker walking out of the back door. He stood in front of me, halting me.

"Yes, of course, Colonel Parker," I said, and he indicated one of the lawn benches on the back covered patio. We both sat down in one with him on my right.

"I bet this is quite the experience for you, Mr. Butler."

I sat with my hands clasped in my lap. "Yes, it is. It's more than what I could ever hope for."

He was silent for a moment as he studied me, his eyes narrowing under that fedora in scrutiny, and his posture tall like a school principal. The man knew he was intimidating, and he knew that I was intimidated by him.

"I see," he said. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you know who I am?"

Was that a trick question? "Yes. You're the manager and sponsor to Elvis."

"And do you know for how long? Or better yet, do you know the whole story?"

My hands started to become sweaty in my lap, and I could feel my heart beating a little faster. "Um, well... I wouldn't know the intimate details, but what I do know is that you encountered Elvis in 1955, and you became his manager the next year."

"Do you know where I first encountered him?"

I had an idea of why he was questioning me, but I would go along with it. "I believe so. It was at the Louisiana Hayride. You worked at a carnival, and you spotted him and thought that he would become something great. You wanted to be the person that would make that happen. Right?"

He nodded. "Yes, that is correct. He was different, a great attraction, and I wanted to promote him. Do you know the first song he ever sang in front of an audience?"

The first song he ever sang in front of an audience? I really had think back to what I knew about him. "Um... I know it was when he was just a kid, like around ten, I think, but I don't remember the exact song." He waited as I thought. "Oh, yeah. It was 'Old Shep' right? He sang it for a school event."

"Impressive. How about his first song on the radio?"

My heart started going faster, and I thought about Elvis's comment about being interrogated in a police station. "I, uh... I think he was also a kid, but I don't know what song he sang."

The Colonel sat there staring at me for a moment, and I feared I failed his test. I expected him to correct me, but he smiled and laughed. "Mr. Butler, I don't even know what song he first sang on the radio. But, like you said, it was when he was a child on Mississippi Slim."

I broke a smile, remembering that. My nerves eased down a bit. "Yeah, that's right."

"Do you know why I asked you those questions, Mr. Butler?"

"I believe I do. You're just lookin' out for Elvis like a wise manager should. I admit, I'm a bit sketchy at the moment."

"And by that you mean strange and questionable?"