Adaptation of the Chameleon

by Douglas A. Schmitt

  A while after Becca delivered the message to Dana, the sound of a drunken depressed woman demanding attention was heard from the kitchen. The only three sober people in the house walked into the dining room, taking a seat around the small wooden table. They watched as Dana spooned a hefty helping of supper onto her plate and slurred, “What the hell are you guys looking at? Dig in. I don’t want this meal to go to waste.”

  Luke became the second person to pick a burnt shell and fill it with the darkest meat he had ever seen. He placed the taco on his solid green plate and, while taking a deep breath, he took his first bite. He looked at Becca and Anna observing his every twitch as he attempted to swallow the burnt food.

  Anna and Becca finally chose their share of the meal and carefully consumed the contents. They were each at the middle point of their tacos when Dana spoke up.

  “That bastard. You know he cut me out of his will? That son of a bitch… I knew he would take that shit to his grave.”

  Luke looked at Dana while placing his glass of sweet tea on the table. He wiped his mouth and asked, “Take what to the grave?”

  Luke could feel Anna’s eyes begin burning into his skull. He continued looking at Dana as she slid her tongue to the left side of her mouth and said, “I take it Anna didn’t tell you? That’s okay, it’s probably best if I say it. When I met Stuart, he was a married man. He had two daughters and a beautiful wife. We met while attending a yoga class in downtown Oxford. I fell for him instantly. My father found out through his sources in Oxford that I was seeing the husband of his partner’s daughter. He didn’t take that very well. He summoned me to Memphis and sat me down and told me that as long as I am with Stuart, I will be without him. So, I had to choose between the man I loved and my father. So,” Dana took a moment to belch, “we all see the end to that story.”

  Luke focused his attention on the empty plate in front of him as he processed the information. Feeling nervous that his emotions towards the tale were starting to show on his face, he removed his napkin and placed it below his nose. He sat and thought for several moments before Becca said, “Sorry, Luke. I’m sure that that was a lot of information to take in all at once. If it makes you feel any better, Dad and his first wife, Annabelle, are still friends.”

  Luke looked at Becca sitting across the table and smiled. He began to laugh and was soon accompanied by the ladies sitting around him.

  That night, as Luke slept peacefully in his bed, he began to dream. He walked into a building on campus and past a beautiful young woman with blonde hair. She looked at him and smiled. Luke continued until he approached the elevator. He pressed the button for the second floor.

  As Luke waited for the elevator to arrive, he heard the twisting of metal followed by vibrations. He looked to his right and noticed the woman with both her hands pressed against the stone wall. She looked at him and laughs. They continued to wait until the elevator arrived and slid open its metallic doors. Luke began to walk on board, but is stopped by the blonde woman. She pulled on his arm and directed him to the top of the high vaulted ceilings. She pointed up and said, “Those cracks weren’t there before. I think something is wrong. Maybe you should get out of here.”

  Luke looked up to see small pieces of mortar falling toward him. He jumped out of the way and ran towards the large glass doors at the front of the building. He reached for the doors, only to trip and land on his chest. He began rubbing the blood coming from his forehead. He swiped the red away from his face and then looked up to see a large ten by seven piece of marble hurling toward him.

  Luke woke to sweat and tears drenched on his face. He rolled over to check the time on his phone: 7 a.m. He assumed his original position and felt his heart beating faster and his sweat continuing to pour. While staring at the solid white ceiling, he thought about the dream and tried to identify the meaning.

  Luke soon fell back asleep until Anna entered his room, using her cellular phone as a light. She slowly walked to the center of the room and towards Luke’s bed. She placed her phone on the nightstand and climbed into the bed next to Luke. The tired young man woke to the smell of her beautiful scent and turned his head towards hers.

  “Hey. Good morning, beautiful.”

  Anna smiled as she wipes half dried beads of sweat from Luke’s face and responded, “Did you sleep okay honey? You are sweating. Is it too hot in here for you?”

  “No,” Luke explained, “I had a weird dream. It just, uh… just kind of freaked me out.”

  Anna pouted her lip out while continuing to wipe Luke’s face. She reached for his hand and pressed it against her lips and asked, “What was it about, baby?”

  Luke directed his attention back towards the ceiling and while suddenly feeling the urge to cry, he answered, “I don’t know - I just don’t know.”

  A few hours later, shortly after breakfast, Dana called for a group meeting in the living room. She instructed Luke, Becca, and Anna to sit on the couch. Dana took a seat in a solid black leather chair across from them and began.

  “Okay. I talked to my mom today; they decided to not have a funeral. She said that dad wanted to be cremated and spread into the Mississippi River. I say why not? That bastard is already halfway there anyway.”

  Luke and the two young ladies look at each other, all three showing the disbelief for how callous Dana was acting. They continued to sit back and listen as Dana continued.

  “So the ceremony is tomorrow night. Until then, we will have to stay occupied.” Dana then looked directly at Luke and continued. ‘I hope that leaving Monday night is okay with you, Luke.”

  “Yeah,” Luke answered, ‘it shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t have class until Tuesday afternoon anyway.”

  Dana took a moment and looked around the room before finishing her speech.

  “Okay then. I think it’s going to be alright. So, we need to find some things to do until then.” Dana looked towards the window and continued, ‘It looks like it is going to rain. Why don’t we finish getting ready and find something to do in Memphis? On the way out, we can get some lunch and then when we start heading back, we could shop for something to make dinner with tonight.”

  It was a quarter to twelve before the group headed out the door and began their trek towards town. Before leaving, Anna searched online to see what was going on in Memphis that weekend. She printed some events that were taking place in or around Memphis and presented them to Dana and the rest of the group. Standing in the opening between the family and dining rooms, she went through the sheets of paper and declared, “Okay, so here is what I think would be good to do today. We could go to the market around the corner and eat lunch, then we could go into town this evening to see some Duck Walk thing at the Peabody Hotel. It says here that it is one of the big tourist attractions…” Anna paused for a moment before turning to Luke and winking, “…we could also go see Graceland.”

  Luke’s eyes began to light up at the idea that he would finally get a chance to see the last home of one of his biggest idols. Being very careful, he looked around the room to see if he was alone in his enthusiasm.

  It was to Luke’s surprise to see Dana and Becca both jump in agreement to the idea. Dana rushed towards Anna and lifted the sheets of information from her hands. She scanned the page and began almost salivating at the photos of the interior of the compound. She handed the packet back to Anna and said, “Guys, we are going to Graceland today. I have always wanted to go. You know, I remember when he died. I was sitting in this room and watching the television with my parents….”

  Dana paused for a moment. Becca, noticing her mother tearing up, asked with a concerned tone, “Mom, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,’ Dana explained. “It’s just Dad really loved Elvis. I remember when Elvis died, my dad he uh… he cried. It was the first time I ever saw him really… cry.”

  Anna began rubbing her mother’s back in an effort to calm her down. Her mother embraced her and signaled for Becca to join in. Luke reached for the box
of tissue and handed it the ladies. He walked up the stairs to allow them some privacy.

  They were soon on the road and decided to follow through with Anna’s plan and eat at the local market before heading to Elvis Presley Boulevard. They pulled into the parking lot of the open outdoor café. Luke escorted Anna and her family through the dual glass doors and towards the counter.

  After looking over the options, they all decided to order the same quick meal of turkey sandwiches and chips. They sat next to a tall stained glass window sitting on an off-white sill. The attendant arrived with four plates and placed them in front of each person. She walked off as Dana announced, “Wow. This is either going to be disgusting or really good.’ She takes a bite of the sandwich and continued, “Yup, this is good!”

  They completed their meal just as the building was filling up with new patrons. They loaded into the SUV and continue driving towards downtown. Luke brought along his GPS due to still having difficulty with Memphis’s strange road arrangement.

  With every turn and at every stop light, Anna could see her lover struggle and second guess the electronic tour guide. Anna reached into her purse and pulled out a map of Memphis to help Luke get her family and her to Graceland safely. She looked over the map and said, “I know it is old school and all, babe, but I couldn’t find my phone this morning. According to this map, I think if you take a right at this next light, and then a left, you could get back on the interstate and head south. The exit will be like two miles from there.”

  Luke looked at Anna sitting nervously in the passenger seat. He reached his hand over the center console and took hold of Anna’s cold, shaking hand. He placed his fingers in between hers and smiled.

  They arrived at Graceland just as three large buses filled with tourists pulled into the large parking area. Luke found a parking spot in between two identical maroon colored vans. He looked to his left to see a Louisiana tag on one and turns to the right to see a Georgia tag on the other. He focused more on both and realized that together they spell “Carpe Diem.” He grinned while lowering his eyebrows and said to Anna, “Either these guys know each other or this is just going to be a really good day.”

  They rushed towards the overhang and stepped into line, beating the heavy crowd by just over a minute. They waited patiently as the line moved slowly. Looking through the windows that lead into the diner, they could see a group of elder women all wearing similar outfits of glittered Elvis shirts with long white stretch pants. Their hair was done vertical and each had a pair of dark sunglasses covering their pale innocent eyes.

  Luke was soon able to purchase the tickets for the group. He guided the ladies to the curb and waited for the bus to take them through the gates of Graceland. While Luke stood to the left of Anna, both affectionately holding hands, Becca turned to her mother and said, “That’s not appropriate. We are here to say goodbye to a loved one and there are like a hundred old ladies here. What would they think if they saw those two standing there, holding hands?”

  Dana turned away from her view of the gift shop and focused on Anna and Luke. She smiled and gently responded, “They will think that they are in love.”

  Becca scoffed at her mother’s response, wrapping her arms tightly around her chest. She continued to stand in disgust as the buses pull in.

  Shortly after arriving on the grounds, the tour guide led the group through the front door and into the main foyer. She allowed them to listen to the tour as it played on their automated sound device that was issued once they purchased their tickets. The information presented relief for the guide and ensured her that she didn’t have to repeat the same information several times a day.

  Luke walked through and immediately looked to his right to see a family room. The same furniture and same décor, frozen in time, made Luke and the rest of the group feel as though they had walked through a time machine. Anna looked deeper into the room from behind the red velvet rope that separated her from the space. She looked at Luke and said, “Could you imagine? This is what Elvis saw when he was living?”

  Dana interrupted. “It looks like it’s what he is seeing even after he died - looks like they made sure to keep everything exactly the same.”

  The tour continued through the house, taking the tour members from the first floor to the basement and then outdoors, which showed them Elvis’s outdoor office and archives. They were then lead through the backyard and into an area that was transformed into a trophy room.

  Finally, the tour members were shown a large hallway complete with every outfit and poster from the king’s movie career. The glitter under the low light shone through the glass barriers that catered to the curiosity of the outside world. The space was completed with several handmade dedications from fans, as well as letters that would dig deep into the hearts of even the most callous of people.

  The tour ended with a walk through Elvis’s private plane. Tourists could see, covering the wing, the initials TCB. Anna stood in confusion at the meaning of the acronym. Luke chuckled for a moment before helping her translate.

  “It means ‘taking care of business’.”

  “Oh,” Anna continued, “that makes a lot more sense, I guess.”

  The two laughed and went onboard, witnessing the gold faucets and queen sized bed that was placed at the end of the plane.

  After the tour, Luke drove the women back to the house. They pulled in just when the rain began to make its appearance. After running into the house, Luke walked up the stairs to relieve himself. Dana, Anna, and Becca remained downstairs, debating on what to have for dinner. Dana looked into the refrigerator.

  “I knew we forgot something. We needed to go to the store. You guys can argue further on what to have. I’m just settling for an easy dinner. I’m thinking that we get the stuff and make hamburgers and fries.”

  “Fine,’ Becca replied, ‘but I’m staying here. I don’t want to go back outside.”

  “Well then, why don’t we do this?’ Anna suggested. “Mom and I will run to the store real quick. We will be back in no time. I don’t know where my phone is, so if there is an emergency, or you think of something else that you want with dinner, just call Mom’s phone. Tell Luke I will see him soon enough!”

  Dana and Anna walked out the door as a flash of lightning lit up the Memphis sky.

  Several moments later, Luke washed his hands and walked back into his bedroom. He looked towards his bed and was a flashing light. Curious, he walked towards it to see that it was Anna’s phone. He picked it up and while holding it at his side, he yelled towards the hallway, “Anna! I found your phone! I think you have missed call or something. It might be your dad!”

  Luke unlocked the device to discover a text message. He opened the file and began reading the message.

  “Hey sweet cakes. Glad you texted me earlier, I’ve been thinking of you all day!”

  Out of curiosity, Luke scrolled down to read the previous message sent by Anna.

  “Hey sweetie! I’ve been thinking about you all day! Can’t wait till I see you again, :) just a few more months!”

  Luke read on and found a very displeasing conversation between Anna and a person saved in her phone as Calvin Quigley. He could feel the sensation of anger and disappointment as he continued reading messages that Anna had written to this mystery person. After reading the last saved message again, he dropped the phone on his bed and stared at it with disbelief.

  Luke heard someone as she walked into his room. While still focused on the phone and the emotions that represented it, he said, “I found your phone, Anna. Calvin wanted you to know that he appreciated your message.”

  Luke then turned towards the door to see Becca standing in the entrance way, wearing only a towel as it wrapped around her body. She looked at Luke with a scandalous smile covering her face. She dropped the towel and said, “Anna is not here. She and mom went to the store. I figure with the rain and the fact that neither one of them could drive worth a damn. We have maybe another fifteen minutes to do a
nything we want to one another. You can trust me, Luke. I won’t tell.”

  Luke diverted his eyes towards the ceiling. He could his blood begin to boil further. He turns away from Becca and asked, “Becca, who is Calvin Quigley?”

  Becca continued standing in the doorway, feeling the brush of rejection as it pushed down her ego. She grabbed her towel from the floor and wrapped it tight around her body. She looked at Luke and noticed the pain as it consumed his being. She walked further into the room and answered.

  “Calvin? That is Emma’s friend in Oxford. He is a frat boy and…” Becca stopped for a moment and discovered why Luke would ask such a random question. She looked at the phone for a moment and then redirected her attention to Luke and continued, “Oh… he is nothing to worry about. He is, um, he is just some gay guy that Emma introduced me and Anna to. Why do you ask?”

  “Well…’ Luke continued, ‘from these messages, he doesn’t seem gay. In fact, it looks like he wants my girlfriend.”

  Becca thought for a moment before responding, “Oh, don’t worry about that! He is just one of those flaming gay guys. I get messages like that too from him. That is just the way he is… a total girlfriend.”

  Luke could feel his emotions becoming balanced with every secure word that Becca spoke. He exhaled a breath of relief and said, picking up Anna’s phone, “Thanks, Becca. I tell you what: let’s start over with this whole shenanigan between us. Let’s just forget about everything and move on. We can start with you putting some clothes on.”

  He laughed, handing Becca the phone and asking her to put it next to Anna’s bed. Becca snickered and said to herself as she walked down the hall. “I am so sorry, Luke.”