Don't Cry Daddy - Chapter Two
This is still from Elvis Presley's daughter's view after his death. Experience it from her point of view.
I kept starring straight ahead. Nothing they could say nor do would make me stop this tantrum. Daddy had always given me what I wanted. Mama and her two dollar cracker jack boyfriends were lame. Maybe it was just me I thought wearily. Maybe I should have just stopped long ago trying to make them happy. Now it was if they expected me to do what they said. Daddy was dead so why should I do anything to satisfy them? Mama sat down on the edge of my bed, "Lisa can’t you just respect me enough to do what Mike says, baby?"
I just looked at her wondering if she knew deep down what she was asking me to do. I shook my head clinging to the teddy bear Daddy had brought me at a fair he had gone to, "No I will not! He doesn’t like me Mama and he even called me a little Elvis wantabe. Daddy would never stand for that but you’re still sitting there asking me to accept someone Daddy would hate." Oh I knew if Daddy knew that Mama’s boyfriend of the week was telling me what to do he would have hit the roof. It was then I got up and knew my temper. It was the temper of my father. I wouldn’t cave beneath them. I threw the bear at her and she cringed, a look of sadness crossing her pale features.
Mama had lived in Daddy’s shadow all her life and she couldn’t stand it. She wanted Daddy all to herself and she didn’t want to share with Daddy’s fans. Daddy loved the stage and his fans, it was who he had been. I got up and trudged out of my bedroom and downstairs to Mama’s office. She was getting ready to go on a set and film a part of a soap opera. I had drama’s like that but then again I also hated that she was heading in the same direction of my father. At some point I would have given anything to just have Daddy home all the time. I picked up the phone and dialed my grandfather’s number at Graceland. He didn’t answer which didn’t surprise me but I told the housekeeper to tell him to call me back as soon as he came home.
She replied she would and I hung up. Mike stood at the door with a belt in his hand. He looked down at me glaring, "I thought your mother told you to come downstairs and eat your breakfast and get ready for school. Today is the day you are to return to school. Your father is not coming back, Lisa Marie." How dare he, I thought bitterly. I glared at him right back and it was the same stare my father had given to many people. I got up and went across to him as he stood there. "You don’t tell me what to do and you are not my father! My father would beat you down if he knew you were threatening to hit me with that belt. I dare you to and you will see what my Grandaddy will do!"
He raised it to hit me and I braced myself for what I knew would come. It never came because my Grandaddy stood behind him and grabbed his hand. I smirked as Grandaddy took his hand and hit Mike across the jaw. It sounded with a thud as his knuckles connected with Mikes hard jaw. Mike was literally knocked out as he landed on the floor of the office. Grandaddy picked me up, "Are you alright Lisa?"
I nodded and wiped the tears from my eyes. I hated to see anyone fight and it brought me to utter tears that my mother’s boyfriends would treat me this way. "I’m alright Grandaddy. Will you take me home?" He looked into my blue eyes, "You mean home to Graceland?" Grandaddy nodded, "Yes honey we’re gonna get you outta here. I see now someone isn’t good enough to take care of you." Suddenly deep down I hated my mother with a passion. I wished at that moment that Daddy was there but Grandaddy was gonna take me home back to Graceland. Graceland, was Daddy’s sanctuary. He had always loved it and called it home. I would as well and when I mentioned going home from then on Mama and Grandaddy knew I spoke of Graceland. Graceland was a child’s dream because I wanted for nothing. Daddy made sure of that. I was the heir of everything and it would come to pass in the year of 1983.
But something happened before then that disturbed me greatly. I was watching TV one day at my friends house when I saw a commercial on the News advertising a woman that was saying she had seen my Daddy and he wasn’t dead. I was devastated and went home asking Mama why Daddy would fake his own death. She assured me that he wouldn’t and even though I knew he was dead deep down I still couldn’t embrace it. Deep down I thought he was still alive. He had proved to be alive in my head.
That night after arriving at home at Graceland, Grandaddy took me upstairs to my Daddy’s room and set me down, "Lisa I don’t want to scare you but do you know what happened to your Daddy?" I nodded, "He took an overdose on sleeping medication and had a heart attack. I am not as stupid as people think I am, Grandaddy. I know what happened and I heard where he died too." Grandaddy nodded choking up, "Oh baby I’m so sorry you had to witness all this. If your Daddy could have protected you he would have." I gulped and wrapped my tiny arms around his neck, "It's ok Grandaddy. I know Daddy loved me and he would have tried his best to keep me from the horrors of the world but I have to grow up." I said this in all seriousness but he only laughed at me. I may not have had my Daddy but at least I had my grandfather.
I just looked at her wondering if she knew deep down what she was asking me to do. I shook my head clinging to the teddy bear Daddy had brought me at a fair he had gone to, "No I will not! He doesn’t like me Mama and he even called me a little Elvis wantabe. Daddy would never stand for that but you’re still sitting there asking me to accept someone Daddy would hate." Oh I knew if Daddy knew that Mama’s boyfriend of the week was telling me what to do he would have hit the roof. It was then I got up and knew my temper. It was the temper of my father. I wouldn’t cave beneath them. I threw the bear at her and she cringed, a look of sadness crossing her pale features.
Mama had lived in Daddy’s shadow all her life and she couldn’t stand it. She wanted Daddy all to herself and she didn’t want to share with Daddy’s fans. Daddy loved the stage and his fans, it was who he had been. I got up and trudged out of my bedroom and downstairs to Mama’s office. She was getting ready to go on a set and film a part of a soap opera. I had drama’s like that but then again I also hated that she was heading in the same direction of my father. At some point I would have given anything to just have Daddy home all the time. I picked up the phone and dialed my grandfather’s number at Graceland. He didn’t answer which didn’t surprise me but I told the housekeeper to tell him to call me back as soon as he came home.
She replied she would and I hung up. Mike stood at the door with a belt in his hand. He looked down at me glaring, "I thought your mother told you to come downstairs and eat your breakfast and get ready for school. Today is the day you are to return to school. Your father is not coming back, Lisa Marie." How dare he, I thought bitterly. I glared at him right back and it was the same stare my father had given to many people. I got up and went across to him as he stood there. "You don’t tell me what to do and you are not my father! My father would beat you down if he knew you were threatening to hit me with that belt. I dare you to and you will see what my Grandaddy will do!"
He raised it to hit me and I braced myself for what I knew would come. It never came because my Grandaddy stood behind him and grabbed his hand. I smirked as Grandaddy took his hand and hit Mike across the jaw. It sounded with a thud as his knuckles connected with Mikes hard jaw. Mike was literally knocked out as he landed on the floor of the office. Grandaddy picked me up, "Are you alright Lisa?"
I nodded and wiped the tears from my eyes. I hated to see anyone fight and it brought me to utter tears that my mother’s boyfriends would treat me this way. "I’m alright Grandaddy. Will you take me home?" He looked into my blue eyes, "You mean home to Graceland?" Grandaddy nodded, "Yes honey we’re gonna get you outta here. I see now someone isn’t good enough to take care of you." Suddenly deep down I hated my mother with a passion. I wished at that moment that Daddy was there but Grandaddy was gonna take me home back to Graceland. Graceland, was Daddy’s sanctuary. He had always loved it and called it home. I would as well and when I mentioned going home from then on Mama and Grandaddy knew I spoke of Graceland. Graceland was a child’s dream because I wanted for nothing. Daddy made sure of that. I was the heir of everything and it would come to pass in the year of 1983.
But something happened before then that disturbed me greatly. I was watching TV one day at my friends house when I saw a commercial on the News advertising a woman that was saying she had seen my Daddy and he wasn’t dead. I was devastated and went home asking Mama why Daddy would fake his own death. She assured me that he wouldn’t and even though I knew he was dead deep down I still couldn’t embrace it. Deep down I thought he was still alive. He had proved to be alive in my head.
That night after arriving at home at Graceland, Grandaddy took me upstairs to my Daddy’s room and set me down, "Lisa I don’t want to scare you but do you know what happened to your Daddy?" I nodded, "He took an overdose on sleeping medication and had a heart attack. I am not as stupid as people think I am, Grandaddy. I know what happened and I heard where he died too." Grandaddy nodded choking up, "Oh baby I’m so sorry you had to witness all this. If your Daddy could have protected you he would have." I gulped and wrapped my tiny arms around his neck, "It's ok Grandaddy. I know Daddy loved me and he would have tried his best to keep me from the horrors of the world but I have to grow up." I said this in all seriousness but he only laughed at me. I may not have had my Daddy but at least I had my grandfather.
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