Elvis Lives

Chapter 16 - I Should've Done That A Long Time Ago

Every single person in the room wanted to meet him. I didn't think he has gotten more hugs by old people in a two-hour span. Minus the family members who came to see him, there was maybe around thirty older folk in the room, and he greeted all of them. I happened to see him talking with a man who looked older than all the other seniors there, and I saw him hug the man. I would have to ask him what that was about later.

"As expected, he's very popular," Mom commented as she stood next to me and we watched him say hello to people. A lot of the seniors had left by this point, so it was mostly the family members who were talking to him, and he was smiling and having a great time. He was in his element, greeting people and making them happy.

"Yep," I agreed to what Mom said. "Makes sense. He's the person that a lot of them listened to growing up. I mean, they don't know that it's him. To them, he looks exactly like their favorite singer."

I saw Mom eyeing me. I know why she was. "Hannah... you still believe that he's really the Elvis Presley?"

"I do, Mom, because he is. I know that it's hard to believe, and I know you may never come to believe it, but... he really is him. It wouldn't make sense for him not to be. I mean, you remember when he stood next to the TV when we were watching King Creole."

"He's only a guy who looks like him," she argued. "Hannah, time travel isn't possible."

I met her blue eyes, her gaze firm and serious. I wouldn't be swayed. "I think people have tested it and failed since they haven't found the right way to do it. Elvis is the only person in history who has, and he wasn't even trying. It happened on accident."

Mom pursed her lips. She did that when she had nothing else to say to me, or she had given up trying to convince me of something. Elvis was real. He was not some guy pretending to be him.

Elvis came up to us, a beaming smile on his face. "Wow, the people here are so wonderful and kind. They all had nothin' but good things to say 'bout me and my music. Why haven't I come to this town before?"

"Because it's a small town in southern Washington that only people who are from this area know about," Mom said. "But yes, this town is full of good people. I like to say that we have a reputation for it."

"I think I'm gonna come back and visit here after I go home and meet some of these people again."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "You want to do that?"

"Yeah, I do, especially the older folk. They all would be around, wouldn't they?"

"If they grew up here in Woodland, yes, and I think a lot of them did. You may be able to run into Debora. I saw her in here earlier. I said hi to her."

His eyes widened, and his mouth opened in realization. "Do you think she would be here if I come back to visit?"

"Again, if she grew up here, you might be able to. Wait... where did she say she was when we talked to her in Walmart? Like when she told us about your concert?"

His features saddened. "She was in California. But even so, I wanna come back here again."

"I'm not quite following what you two are talking about," Mom said. "If people grew up here, he would be able to meet them if he comes back to visit?"

Elvis and I exchanged glances. I explained to Mom, "When he goes back to 1958, he's going to want to come back and visit Woodland and meet these people again, only they would be a lot younger. This lady Debora, we met her in Walmart the other day. She's a fan of Elvis and went to one of his concerts when she was a teenager. He had quite the crush on her." I gave him a sly, pointed look, and his cheeks turned a bit pink.