The Passion That Lies

I swim to the ledge of the pool, and raise myself out of the water. I breathe harshly sucking in as much as air as I possibly can. I go to my locker, and shower when I’m done I call my dad to and come pick me up. I wait outside in the chilly fall air he pulls up in our small beat up, red pick up truck.

“How was your swim?” Dad asks once I'm settled into the passenger side seat.

“I think I’m getting better,” I reply.

“That’s good,” Dad exclaimed.

Later on that day when I’m back home, I grab a snack from the cupboard. As I’m reaching up my vision begins to blur. I blink my eyes rapidly trying to get rid of the blurriness, but it seems to only get worse. My vision is black now, and  I loose my balance, and fall to the floor my eyes are completely open, but I’m unable to see a thing. my dad must have heard the fall as I hear his scrambling feet behind me.

“Lucie!” He shouts behind me I feel his hands picking me up I’m on my feet, but I don’t see anything this has been by far the worse blackout I’ve had. I put my face in my dady chest as I wrap my arms around his torso he rubs my back soothingly. I open my eyes, and I’m glad to see my dad's face.

“Are you okay?” He asks concerned. He kisses the top of my forehead like I’m a small child, but I don’t complain.

“I’m okay now,”

“Let me get you something take a seat,” I do as he says, and then a few moments later there's a big bowl of chocolate ice cream in front of me.

I hear the familiar buzzing noise indicating that the race has begun. I jump into the water determined to win I swim as fast as I can to the other end. I go up for a breath, and repeat until I’ve touched the end. I kick off the wall going around one more time. i can hear the crowd from underneath the water chanting for their children to win.

Pitch black takes over my eyes, and I'm blinded. I stop my movements, and resurface to the top of the water. I blink rapidly again, but each time it happens I can't help, but think that this might be the last time I will see again. I gasp for air as the other components go on without me I slap the water freaking out for my vision to come back. I hear the room silence and people yelling that there is something wrong. I hear a splash in the water, and then someone grab me wrists.

“It’s me your coach you’re okay,” he pulls me out of the water, and wraps me in a towel. I feel another pair of hands on my shoulders, and I know instantly that there my dads. We’re in the car again, and my vision slowly comes back I know where we're going, and I dread it.

“Her diagnosis is untreatable I’m sorry, but it will only get worse with time,”

“Is there anything you can do to slow it down?” My dad asks my eye doctor.

“Macular Degeneration is untreatable we’re are still looking for a cure, but for right now you can be with your daughter, and enjoy every passing second,” even though we have been told many times before that it’s untreatable we always pressure him each time. I’ve been diagnosed for a long time I was used to it, but everyday the blackouts get worse. It’s a matter of time before I no longer have vision, and my career of swimming will only be a passion.

“Lucie?” My dad asks through my bedroom door.

“Yeah come in,” I put my book to the side, and face my dad.

“Get up we're going somewhere,”   

“Where?”

“You’ll see get some long pants on,” I change into my clothes, and meet my dad outside in the car. It's a while before we get to our destination, but when we get there, and I know the place all too well. It's the place my mom, me, and my dad would all go for a picnic in the mountains.

“Why did you bring me here?” I ask I already know the answer, but I just want him to say it aloud.

“I just felt like coming here with my daughter,” We get out of the truck, and my dad walks me to the ledge of the cliff he wraps his arm around my shoulders, and we just look. The sun was going down, and the horizon was an array of different colors. I could see the top of trees from so high up I will miss it all, but things happen for a reason. I will want it back, but I couldn’t be any more happier in this moment with the person I love most.

Biography

       Elvis Aaron Presley, was born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo Mississippi. Elvis was supposed to have a twin brother named Jesse Garon but was stillbirth; therefore his brother was never born. His parents had little money and they moved from place to place. He was raised to have a strong faith in religion and went to church every Sunday. At church, he always sang with the gospel music group. 1954 was the year Elvis started his singing career at Sun Records label in Memphis. Elvis kept a side job for money and went to night school to be an apprentice electrician.

       Elvis’ first single was with Scotty and Bill. They did a sped up version of “Arthur Big Boy Crudup’s.” and “That’s All Right.” Elvis, Scotty and Bill all quit their day jobs to sing as a group. On October 16, 1954, they appear on Louisiana Hayride, a live Saturday night radio show. Scotty, Elvis and Bill then continued to do live shows with other famous singers and Elvis began to get more popular as his career grew. Elvis signs a management contract with RCA Records and got a recording studio. His first song was “Heartbreak Hotel”  “By the way I Was the One” was released on January 27, 1956. He sold over 300,000 copies in the first couple of weeks.

       March 24, 1958, Elvis was drafted into the U.S. Army at the Memphis Draft Board and was stationed there for six months. After his training on his first leave, he recorded a song called “A Big Hunk O’ Love.” He then played in his fourth movie “King Creole.” His Mother named Gladys became sick and hospitalized. Elvis leaves his training for an emergency and he visited her for the next nights until she died early in August. In October 1958, Elvis boarded a train to New York called the USS Randall and goes to Germany. March 2^nd 1960, Elvis left the Army and arrived in New Jersey for a press conference. Afterwards, Elvis recorded a “Welcome Home Elvis” on the Frank Sinatra show and is paid 125,000 for his appearance on the show.

       Elvis began filming videos for his songs and played his audio in his fifth movie “GI Blues.” While he was in the army, he had an interest in Karate and he became a black belt. He carried it in his wallet until death. Elvis’ soundtrack for GI Blues hits number one and remained that way for ten weeks and was his most successful album. “Blue Hawaii” was the biggest selling album during his life, he sold 2 million copies in the first twelve months. On March 25, 1961, Elvis went to Hawaii for a press conference and then had a small concert at the Bloch Arena at Pearl Harbor.

       In 1996, Elvis marries a woman named Priscilla and they had a child Lisa Marie. For a Christmas gift he gave Lisa a horse. They later on moved to Mississippi and buy a 163- acre ranch house. Elvis was so busy making movies he didn’t have enough time to perform his songs in front of a live audience. He finally went back on stage after more than seven years. The 68 Special opened with Elvis singing his new version of the gutsy “trouble” from his film “King Creole.” When he sang his songs, he poured out frustration and creativity, he showed a lot of emotion. In the early 70’s, Elvis and Priscilla divorced and Priscilla left with Lisa Marie.

       November 11^th, 1970, Elvis’ 32^nd movie “That’s The Way It is” opened in theaters and it got great reviews. The following year, Elvis attended an award banquet. He and nine others accepted the honor of being named one of the ten outstanding men by the Nation of The United States. In January 1973 Elvis made television on “Aloha From Hawaii.” His show is performed at the Honolulu International Center Arena. The show broadcasted live in Australia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, South Korea and many more places. His show was so famous that it was showed in more American households than mans first walk on the moon. 1973 Elvis and Priscilla made a court date. They divorce but stay close friends. They get joint custody of Lisa Marie, he and his daughter will spend time together regularly.

       March- July 1974, Elvis was on tour most of the time and was busy recording music. His song “How Great Thou Art” went on to win his third Grammy Award. After that, he continued to go on tours. Elvis bought a Convair 880 jet and renamed it after his daughter Lisa Marie. Elvis didn’t get the chance to ride his jet from being too busy. On the night he opens his show in Vegas but cancels because he gets hospitalized in Memphis until September 5^th. Elvis finally gets the chance to ride in his jet he named after his daughter for the first time.

         Also in March through July 1974, Elvis had very many concerts, mainly in March. In one of his concerts he played a new live album, which caused lots of excitement for his fans. On August 16, 1977 Elvis’s health is worsening and a picture comes out to public and they all know he will be only lasting a little while longer. Elvis went to his last concert and then went back to his suite and died later, while on the toilet. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, but after they tried to revive him 3 times it didn’t work and he was announced dead.

       The autopsy showed that his cause of death was “cardiac arrhythmia.”

       It was later shown that Elvis’ death was caused from to many prescriptions of pills that no doctor would prescribe to him. Elvis went to the dentist the night he died, and his dentist gave him codeine, which he had an allergic reaction to before and they thought it played a part in his death.

       Elvis was then buried in Memphis Tennessee next to his parents and other members of his family.