Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[Wanda June Hill]

2nd page. received in 11/1979

[quote] My mother and father who was the Mayor (asked not to say or use her last name) of city, my married sister and I went backstage to give Elvis the Keys To The City. Elvis was stunning, wearing a dark blue suit with silver studs all over it. He looked like a god from Athens, more handsome than Apollo! He was friendly and warm, holding my father's hand the whole time he was giving him a welcome to our humble city (my father said a handshake told a great deal about a man; if it was brief, limp or encompassing and he was pleased with Elvis' firm, warm grasp.) I could not take my eyes off Elvis as he spoke to my mother, then my older sister who was graduating college and a cheer leader; Elvis asked about the football team, listened with interest and wished her team well. Then he turned to me and my limbs were shaking as he removed his glasses, looked into my eyes for what seemed a long while and then took my hand and held it. He smiled and then softly said : Well, well, little one, they didn't find you under any cabbage leaf-man you are beautiful! You look like your momma and your sister honey, just beautiful! My sister was always the "beautiful one" while I was merely "the cute little sister" and He said that- how could he say that about me?
I don't know how I managed to speak to him, but I said something like you are so handsome and he said, "I hope so, spent a couple hours getting ready for this", and then he bent close to my ear and said, "chance to meet a beautiful woman like you. Can I have your phone number?" He straightened up, looked into my surprised and dazed eyes, smiled and nodded his head asking, Please, with those eyes. My sister who was close enough to see what was going on was nudging me with her elbow and smiling at Elvis. My father was talking with one of Elvis' men and my mother was listening to them. Elvis asked, "Do you have a pen?" My sister handed me a piece of paper and a pen but I couldn't remember my phone number! Elvis took the paper and wrote his hotel name on it with "Ask for John Carpenter's room, please."EP He folded it and gave it to me with the pen, bent quickly and kissed me on the lips, then kissed my sister who later said, it was if a bolt of lightening had struck her and went from head to toe.
With that done, he turned back and joined the conversation with my father, thanking him and my mother for bringing their daughter's to meet him. He put his hand on my father's shoulder, looked him in the eyes and said, "Sir, I asked your daughter to call me at my hotel; may I ask her to have dinner with me?" I stood there stunned, speechless and it was like seeing through a haze. My sister thought I was going to faint and put her arm around my waist. My father looked at me, at my mother who was smiling at me and said, "I'm sure she would be delighted Elvis, thank you for letting us know." And he shook his hand again. Elvis thanked him, told my mother she sure had beautiful daughters and they looked like her so much. Of course she was beaming. Elvis looked very satisfied as he glanced over at me and winked. I hadn't managed to say a word!
I don't remember much about his show, my sister and parents said he was fantastic and when he thanked the audience he mentioned having met their mayor, his wife and lovely daughters. I didn't hear anything; it was all I could do to watch him. My eyes were laying all over him, that's the only way I can describe how it felt-as if I were touching him with my eyes.
I had dinner with him. I had breakfast with him and I went with him to the next two cities. Those shows I remember well, he would look at me sitting behind the curtain stage side and I always stood up and gave him the go-go-sign. He'd grin really big and nod his head ever so slightly at me. We slept in the same bed with him wearing pajamas, top and bottom and me wearing a robe and pajamas at his suggestion due to his room being very cold. He kissed me gently goodnight before we went to bed and he held my hand while we chit-chatted briefly, but he didn't make any moves on me until the second night when I asked him why he wanted me to stay, didnt he want to do anything more than talk and sleep? He looked at me very seriously and said, "I was waiting for you to-to give me some kind of sign or something-is this it?" I was dumbfounded and he explained that he didn't want to "scare me off". He didn't know how I felt about being with a guy twice my age and he didn't want me to think he was some kind of "dirty old man or something" so he was waiting on me. I told him I wasn't a teenager-I was 24 and his eyes kind of snapped and he said, "Really...you look like you're about 18 or so. God, I'm getting old 'n blind too." Then he smiled, held out his hand and very softly said, "Come here darlin'...show me it's okay to turn into that dirty old man."
Elvis wasn't a "dirty old man", he was sweet, funny and very sexy; he didn't disappoint in any way. I told him he was the best looking dirty old man I knew and he laughed. I loved being with him and I told him I would stay as long as he wanted but he could only take me with for the next 2 days because he was going home after that; his little girl would be waiting and she didn't like it when he brought other girls home because she wanted to be his only girl and she hadn't seen him in a while. He laughed about her possesiveness and showed me pictures of her, how she'd wait on him hand and foot until she "got tired of him" then she'd go play with her friends. I showed him pictures of my son who was turning 4 years old in a few months and who lived with his father and his parents. He asked why; I explained his father and I had not married; I wanted to finish college quickly. That my son was physically impaired but not mentally; he required specialized care and I could not provide that on my own and get my degree in 3 years. I was with him every summer and most weekends and would have him more when I graduated and as an RN I could handle his physical problems myself. My son had the best of both his parents and was very bright, lively and doing well for all his problems. Elvis wanted to know if I knew what caused it and when I said it was genetic, we didn't know about it until it happened and my son was the first in our family that we knew of to have the problems. Elvis' eyes filled with tears, he hugged me and was trembling with compassion for me and for my son. I'll never forget how he felt hugging me, so completely and so heartfelt and his whispered, "I'm so sorry, so sorry, oh God, you are so brave, so good, I'm so glad you told me." He asked if he could help, was there anything he could do? Money or help with care for him? He wanted to know if he could meet him some time, maybe the next time he came back to town. I said yes, and gave him my telephone number.
For the next two days he was so tender, loving and seemed to second guess in my behalf, waiting on me, doing little things for me. At breakfast I found a rose beside my plate and after the show that night, a little box tied with a blue ribbon was setting in my plate. He was like a kid waiting for me to open it and then jumped up to fasten on my wrist a lovely gold bracelet that was set with my birthstone. I was so thrilled, I jumped up and down like a silly girl, and he giggled like a teenaged boy. Needless to say, we ate that meal cold and it was delicious!
Elvis didn't make it back to our city, he died two years later. He called a couple of times and we talked for about two hours each time, giggling and laughing, talking about our kids and he mentioned wanting to see me and to meet my son but didn't know when that would be and he said he was "fine" when I asked how he felt. He wasn't well; my father told me that he had learned through the Administrator of the hospital that was checked out inn our city in case Elvis needed emergency services, that Elvis had something serious wrong but they were to keep it "quiet". I asked Elvis what was wrong; he said it wasn't anything important; that he'd had problems off and on but it wasn't a big deal and he changed the subject. After that conversation, I didn't hear from him again. Maybe he didn't want to lie about his condition and was afraid I would ask.
I'll always love Elvis, so will my son Brandon who is still doing well; went to college in his motorized chair, graduated with honors and holds down a computer programing job. I married and am very happy with my family. I still love Elvis; he has a very special place in my heart and can live there forever. When I wish I still can hear him saying "Maggie, sweet, Maggie, you stole my heart and made me love you..." in that soft sexy voice in my ear and I wear his bracelet often.
I thank you for putting your memories in a book for those less fortunate than you or I can read about his kind and loving goodness, and wonderful sense of humor. I wish I had known you were letting other people pen their stories; I would have loved to tell how very compassionate and caring was that precious heart beating inside that beautiful spirit called Elvis Presley. Maggie [end]

[Lighthouseseeker]

wonder if it was just her beauty and sweetnes that made him choose that girl.Or an invisible scar he saw in her spirit which caused by her son's tragedy..whatever it was,in a very short time they gave each other some happy time I guess..how nice

[Blue Moon]

Thanks for posting this letter Wanda. It's very touching. I do hope some of these letters can make it into one of your books. I know you've mentioned that you've lost contact with many of the authors and so can't use w/o their permission. I hope some will come across this site and get in touch with you again to give permission.

[Wanda June Hill]

I think when they say as did this lady, they wish they could have joined in penning their stories in my book, that they do give permission so long as I do not use their last names or use their 'pen names' as some choose to do nor do I use their state or city-it seems to me that they would like to be able to say these things for others "less fortunate" to read. If I get in trouble some day, then I'll deal with it but for now, I feel okay with what I have used here and in the books. I am going to use her letter and a couple of others in the next one. They show his spiritual nature, kindness and also his sense of humor and that he did have personal convictions even though he was with many women throughout his lifetime-as short as it was. He liked to choose and I agree with Lighthouse Seeker that he SAW something in her, something touched him besides her beauty-he removed his glasses before looking into her eyes-he wanted to see clearly-without the tinted glasses and I think he was looking into her inner being-her spirit/soul which ever and that he saw her suffering and hurt deep down and he wanted to give her joy, excitement and something unique and different in her life-something he could give her and it wasn't just for sex-or he wouldn't have been waiting...he probably would have continued "waiting" if she had not given him "the sign". I believed him when he said sometimes women were with him for days, and there wasn't any thing physical going on-just friends, having a good time talking and just being together, sharing memories etc:. He "just let things happen they way they were going to happen" was a phrase he used a few times.

[Amanda Viola]

What a tenderly beautiful letter! Thank you Wanda, for bringing it to us.

I would like to be able to thank to that Lady her openess to you, that enabled us to know a little more about Elvis' life. Yes, maybe she is attending this Forum and already knows. Hope so.

[Wanda June Hill]

I have been looking through my file cabinet and the boxes I had in my office with some letters in them for one I can sort of remember from a young woman who was 19 at the time I think. She thought she was ugly and she wore thick glasses like they did back then-now they have the new lens that aren't so thick and heavy when you need lots of correction. She said she had thin, naturally "greasy" hair and no matter if she washed it every morning by night it was "greasy" again and that it was because she was from some country in Europe which I don't recall-it was "normal" for her relatives and her to have that kind of hair. I only thought Indian types had that-whatever. Anyway, she was also scared on her face from a childhood "scalding" accident but she said they weren't bad, just she knew they were there and it was hard to put enough make up on to hide and if it was hot, it didn't do much good anyway. She met Elvis working for a cleaning service in LA and he was recording some songs in a studio where she cleaned things. They met in the men's room-she was in there working and he came in to use the place and he joked about meeting her over the "john". He was surprised and so was she to meet each other-he was already unfastening his pants she said when both realized they weren't alone. She said he looked at her, she looked at him and he said, Honey, I been waitin' too long to stop now...you better get!" He had his cigar clenched between his teeth and she said he was "cute as a bug". She went out and he knocked on the door to let her know it was okay to come back in. He was washing his hands, his face, running his wet hands through his hair and then asked if she happened to have a comb or a brush or something he could use on his hair. It was hot in the studio, he just was cooling off some. She gave him her small purse comb and he took it with him.
She found a note on her car and had no idea how he found out it was hers, that had his phone number with a request to call him. She was afraid to call him for weeks
and ran into him again as he was leaving the studio parking area in his car. He backed up, got out and came back in to talk to her, this time asking for a date. She couldn't believe HE would want to date her and declined.
She was afraid to date him, she was too "ugly". Anyway he persisted and finally they went to a private screening of a movie. She said she spent a fortune at a beauty salon trying to look beautiful for him-it didn't help she said. But he asked her out again, then to his home where they had dinner, just the two of them at a big long table and all the lighting was pink tinted, (the 60's) and then he took her motorcycle riding up in the hills of Hollywood to sit and look at the stars. Anyway, I want to find that letter and use it too. He told her she raidated beauty and that there was nothing wrong with her hair, the fact she needed glasses or her skin, she was everything a woman ought to be-etc: and he gave her one of his rings that had a white and a pink stone set side by side. And she wrote what he said they represented and that's what I want to find. Darn it. Where are you-come to me! He told me when you lose something, that's what you ask it to do-and it will come, might take it a while...but it will come-because you own it, so command it. Okay, I am. wjh.

[Lighthouseseeker]

OMG!! !IF IT'S NOT I'M IMAGINING THINGS,HE MIGHT HAVE ASKED HER COMB ON PURPOSE.. I'M SURE SHE NEVER THOUGHT SUCH A MAN WOULD WANT TO USE A COMB WHICH BELONGS TO A PERSON WITH GREASY LOOKIN HAIR..
WE'VE BEEN OVER LUCKY TODAY ,WITH ALL THOSE PRICELESS MEMORIES..THANKS A MILLION WANDA..

[Wanda June Hill]

I thought that too Zey! I thought she was going to say he said he had something of hers and needed to return it? But maybe he took it because it was hers-her viberations? Who knows, maybe he just wanted to be able to keep his hair combed! Anyway, he made her feel beautiful and cared for and not because he had to, but because he wanted to and he saw her inner beauty and that she was beautiful throughout, she just had no self confidence-He was a great confidence builder-fer sure!
His guys used to make the grossest comments about some of his dates - that he "picked up on the road"...I think he just looked past the outter shell of people and was attracted to the inner being- he saw lots of beautiful, I mean really beautiful outwardly women-and some of them, probably a great number, didn't have any thing inside that rated all that outter beauty. From the time he was becoming the king etc; he said it was what was inside that counted, the heart and soul of a person, not what was shown on the out side. He was 21 when he said that in an interview in one way and then again when he wrote a letter to the little girl who was the one in Touched by Love. wjh

[Lighthouseseeker]

you're right Wanda..some interviews when he was so young was always impressed me deeply..I thought how mature, how wise his comments and words were, for a very young man or a boy I may say..there were signs for sure,from the very beginning for people who care enough to see ..

[Amanda Viola]

It moves me deeply Wanda, to see how Elvis used the healing energy of Love. As El'vis Rhama Azul, this is the energy he is mastering. We have been told about that. His example is a exceptional one to follow. keeping our hearts open to others needs and attending them with Love, in whatever way our intuition guides us to do.

Again, let me thank you for what you are doing, Wanda. Without you, we could not know first hand what Elvis did and thought in such a definitive way. There are many stories about him, positive stories, around. But without your apportation, one could not tell lie from truth, it could be taken as exagerations or dreams dreamt by lonely souls.

You are making Elvis a "real" person for us. You bring many pieces that, together, make a whole image of him. So, others stories gain in coherence. thus helping us to know and to trust.

[Amanda Viola]

It moves me deeply Wanda, to see how Elvis used the healing energy of Love. As El'vis Rhama Azul, this is the energy he is mastering. We have been told about that.

I repeat this part because I saw in my desk that the blue I chose was difficult to see and I think that it is a significative point to consider.

[Rainbow Light]

MANY THANKS, WANDA FOR SUCH PRICELESS AND BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES OF OUR BOY! SO POSITIVE AND TOUCHING TO READ SPECIALLY ABOUT THE LADY'S SON: SHOWS ELVIS' DEPTH OF COMPASSION FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND ALSO WITH ALL THE OTHER MEMORIES TOO, BEING ABLE TO MAKE OTHERS FEEL SO MUCH BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES!

[Wanda Mc]

Can't help but think about Priscilla's insistence again that Elvis was neglectful sexually after Lisa was born because he could not make love to a woman who had had a baby. I've scanned Joyce Bova's book in our public library (can't bring myself to check it out and actually read it cover to cover) and she makes a similar claim. Maybe she just repeated what she'd read in Priscilla's book, 'cause I sure don't get that impression from some of these other women. Also read somewhere recently that an interviewer called Priscilla on this during an interview and she kind of laughed it off like she'd never said it and somewhat implied that the statement was true on its face but that she didn't mean to imply that they didn't do anything, that Elvis was very playful and "creative." I don't doubt that last part, but I think what she was saying was an attempt to blow off what she'd said before which seemed an attempt to justify her indiscretions.

[Wanda June Hill]

Elvis said that he told her to "explain their problems any way she wanted" but to remember that they had a daughter who would grow up and read. He didn't want to read any stuff about her or him that would embarasse their child in later years. He especially didn't want his daughter to think badly about her mother in any way...that was his biggest concern...even when she was seeing so many guys and carrying on etc; and it was in all the rag sheets-Elvis wasn't happy about any of that... I think her story about Elvis and women with babys was just that-justifying her actions and maybe she thought he would accept that idea better than the truth of the matter and it was easier for their child to accept? Maybe it was her way of "honoring" his wish that their daughter would never think poorly of her mother? That was easier to accept than her mother just up and cheated on her daddy? I don't know, I have only his words to go by and he wasn't about to ever blame her-it was all his fault and that was that as far as he was concerned. Once he got over being angry and one uping with her, he took the blame and carried it right to the end. It was never his beautiful little "Cilla's fault" it was his, because he loved being Elvis Presley so much he didn't notice she was "dying inside" and that he was "ignoring" her too much. He said he could have done better, he could have made sure she knew how proud he was of her and that she meant more to him than life it's self but he failed to do that-he just thought she knew-and that "ever day I was doin' things for my family, workin' and trying to be what I had to in order to provide for my family. I thought she knew I loved her, I was doin' things ever day a man's supposed to do for his family." But he just didn't give her enough pesonal time alone with him, and he finally did realize that and added it to his list of faults and guilt. wjh

[Amanda Viola]

I have to agree with Elvis, even I'm not for "guilt" of any kind.

Elvis had that empathyc quality that worked so well with other people, but not with his most loved one. How is it that it didn't work with her?

In a more superficial level, it could be that his need to belong was so high that he became blind to anything else. He tried to build his family kingdom, in a castle of his own to preserve it from the world, which bridge would only be layed down for him to cross it in and out. I have the feeling that he loved the whole idea of it, because of his need. He put his attention on this wholeness other than in Priscilla-individual. I think that he considered her his Queen and she went along, thus not being, either of them, able to see what was going inside. He dreamt this dream and lived it as real, feeding it.

I think Priscilla had other needs and thus, hers must be have been other dreams. At some point, their dreams could have matched, but soon the bubble broke for her as her own dream was not being developed. So she had to part to look for it. She was in the search of herself (for some reason, specially in relation with the world) and the castle did not serve her anymore.