1961

Joe Esposito sat on a red leather sofa in Graceland, peeling a banana.

“I can’t shake ‘em no more, Joe” said Elvis

“Whaddya mean King?” asked Joe.

“My legs Diamond... my legs. I just can’t do it no more” replied Elvis. “Ever since that plane flight. Something happened up there Joe.”

“Ah come on King, we talked about this. It was just a weather balloon or some shit. You’re tired, that’s all, forget about it. You can shake your legs all you want. Nothing happened on the plane.”

Elvis’ pet chimp Scatter rode in on a tricycle, and started eyeing Joe. Joe stared back, and mouthed the words ‘no way.’

“There’s something I never told you before Joe. Something I never told anyone.”

Joe was still staring down Scatter. He said “Oh yeah?” without knowing truly who he was addressing.

“Yeah man. I seen those lights before. It was 1954. We were on some radio show after ‘That’s All Right’ came out. People were phoning in all night. We got booked to do our first shows. It was crazy man. I went outside for a cigarette. Then I saw it...”

“You piece of fucking shit chimp!” yelled Joe. Scatter had grabbed his banana, taking ¾ of it and leaving one mashed piece in Joe’s hand.

“God dammit Joe are you even listening!?” demanded Elvis.

“Sure King, ‘That’s All Right’, I love that song” replied Joe. He swung his arm at Scatter but missed him.

“No man, the lights! They blinded me man, I damn near had a heart attack!”

“It was probably just a truck or something King. You were confused, that was a wild time for you, remember?”

“No man, it was something else. My legs, they just started shaking! The boys came out, they thought I was acting the fool or something. I couldn’t control it! I was so scared, I just pretended I was playing.”

Joe wiped the remainder of the banana into a tissue. He threw it on the coffee table. “Then what happened King?”

“Then every time we played, it happened. My legs, they just went crazy. It was like a power, but I couldn’t control it. It just happened, you understand? Until...”

“Until?”

“Until that plane flight Joe. Over Italy. Those were the same lights man. And now it’s gone. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

“Relax King,” said Joe. “Like I said, you’re tired, you been working too hard. We’ll take a trip to Vegas and it’ll all be alright, you’ll shake ‘em again, you’ll see. You’re just stressed, that’s all.”

“Maybe I am Joe, maybe I am...”

Elvis slumped on the opposite sofa, and stared blankly into the shag carpet. Scatter eyed the tissue on the coffee table.

Meanwhile, in Italy...