Truth Is Like the Sun

Chapter 3

Carol Ann watched as her son go through the stack of books he had insisted upon checking out at the library on Friday. He selected the thickest ones and threw them into the suitcase Carol Ann had given him for his non-clothes and toiletry items in an attempt to involve him in the process.

She should have figured that he was going to pack as many books as he could so he could read the week away and have nothing to do with Elvis and by extension Carol Ann. She was the one who was making him go after all.

"You want just books, son?" Carol Ann asked carefully. "Nothin' else?"

AJ shrugged his shoulders.

"Why don't you take your baseball stuff?"

"But there won't be any other kids at that ranch."

"Well, no . . . "

"If there's no one to play with, then I don't need no baseball."

The temperature was pushing one hundred degrees today and the air might erupt into flames at any moment. AJ's mop of golden hair was disheveled already though she had made him comb it in the morning.

"Nothin' to do outside that you wanna bring?" Carol Ann tried again.

"No," AJ intoned. "Books n' records."

"I don't want you to take yours records, Aaron."

"Does he have a TV?"

"Yes." She'd never been there, but somehow she knew that there would be a TV at the ranch. This was Elvis after all. "But you're not gonna be watchin' TV a lot while you're there. That's not why we're goin'. It's—" Carol Ann groaned inwardly when she felt a presence behind her. "Mother, please save it."

"Why ever since that man showed his dirty face again you started treatin' your mother like dirt. Ain't I always been there while he was off gettin' married and God knows what?"

"He is Aaron's father," Carol Ann repeated what felt like the ten millionth time in the last few days. It had been World War Three at their house ever since Louann found out that they would be going to the ranch with Elvis.

"I'll see ya tomorrow, boy," Louann told her grandson.

"I don't wanna go," AJ complained.

"Aaron," Carol Ann cut in. "I have somethin' for you. You'll really like it."

AJ reluctantly got to his feet and trudged over. Carol Ann nearly shivered under Louann's stone cold gaze, which she found she still feared nearly as much as she did in her youth. She did her best to ignore it while she zipped up AJ's suitcase and then picked it up. She led her son down to the kitchen, where the rest of their suitcases were waiting.

"Guess what it is?" Carol Ann tried to sound as cheerful as humanly possible, but AJ wasn't having any of it.

"What, Mama?"

She threw open a kitchen cupboard and pulled out an instant camera. Every time they went anywhere, from the carnival to trips to see her brothers, he begged for one. Relief flooded through her when his face lit up and a grin spread over his lips.

"Thanks! I'll save it for the fair."

"Don't you wanna take it?"

"Why would I take pictures there if the fair is comin' soon? It's just some ranch."

"Well, why don't you take it just in case you change your mind?"

"I have no room in my suitcase now."

"I'll put it in mine," Carol Ann told him. AJ gave a brief nod of agreement. "I don't feel good," he whimpered.

"You just got the jitters. It'll all be fine."