"My worst memory, and the worst day of my life has to be the day Priscilla took Lisa Marie away from Graceland," says Schilling. "To this day, that image still haunts me..."
Minha pior lembrança ,e o pior dia da minha vida foi quando Priscilla levou Lisa Marie embora de Graceland",diz Schilling."Até hoje ,aquelas imagens me assombram...."On October 9, 1973, after 5 years of marriage Elvis and Priscilla were divorced. It was Elvis who filed for the divorce, as token gesture to save Priscilla the embarrassment as she was the mother of his daughter, Lisa Marie, who only 4 years old at the time.
Em 9 de outubro de 1973,eles se divorciaram,foi Elvis quem pediu o divórcio ,livrando Priscilla de uma situação já embaraçosa,uma vez que ela era a mãe de sua filha de 4 anos.,"It was I very sad day for all of us," says Schilling. "I remember how Elvis just stood in Lisa's bedroom and watched in silence as Alberta (Graceland's cook) helped Priscilla pack Lisa's clothes and toys into several suitcases... Elvis said nothing, but I could see the pain in his eyes," recalls Schilling.
"Foi um dia triste para todos nós,diz Schilling." eu me lembro de Elvis no quarto de Lisa observando em silêncio enquanto Alberta ( a cozinheira de Graceland) ajudava Priscilla a fazer as malas com as roupas e brinquedos de Lisa.....Elvis não dizia nada,mas podíamos ver a dor em seus olhos.",recorda Schilling."Suddenly, he yelled out to me and Joe (Esposito) to help Priscilla put the baggage into the car. Elvis just couldn't bring himself to carry the bags out to the car, himself," whispers Schilling.
"De repente ,ele gritou para mim e Joe,para que ajudássemos Priscilla a colocar as bagagens no carro. Elvis não conseguiu fazer isso sozinho," sussura Schilling.Unaware of the happening between her parents in her bedroom, Lisa Marie played happily with her nanny outside the grounds of Graceland.
Sem saber do que se passava,Lisa brincava com a babá nos jardins de Graceland.In an aim to spare Lisa the sorry of their separation, Elvis and Priscilla had told her that she was going away on a vacation with her mother to Los Angeles, where she was going to attend school. "It broke my heart to see Elvis, a man who had everything, suddenly be lose the most important person in his life - his daughter."
Num esforço para poupar Lisa do sofrimento,Elvis e Priscilla disseram a ela que iria passar férias com mãe em Los Angeles,onde ela iria para escola também."Partiu meu coração ver Elvis,um homem que tinha tudo,de repente perder a pessoa mais importante de sua vida,sua filha.""Lisa was more important than life itself to Elvis." Now she was being taken away from him," says Schilling.
" Lisa era mais importante do que a vida para Elvis." Agora ela estava sendo tirada dele",diz Schilling.Although, the court ruled Priscilla gets custody of Lisa Marie, Elvis believed his daughter would be far better off raised with small town of values in Memphis, just like he was, than in a big city like Los Angeles.
Apesar da custódia da menina ter sido dada á mãe,Elvis acreditava que ela seria melhor educada numa cidade pequena,Memphis, que conservasse os valores,como ele fora, do que numa cidade grande como Los Angeles."Elvis just stood watching as we load up Priscilla's blue Mercedes.
"Elvis ficou observando enquanto Priscilla colocava as malas no Mercedes azul." Until that finally moment, Elvis was still composed, but when it was time to bid farewell to his daughter, Elvis broke down and cried as he swooped his beloved Lisa into his arms. Elvis held Lisa tight for a very long time. "Be a good girl, Button-head," whispered Elvis. (Button-head was Elvis' pet name for Lisa) "You come and visit often, you hear," said Elvis trying to hold back the tears. Then out of sheer desperation Elvis insisted, "Get mummy to teach you how to use the phone, so you can call me everyday, okay."
Até os momentos finais ele parecia conter-se.Porém,quando chegou a hora de despedir-se da filha ele desabou em lágrimas ,enquanto abraçava a filha.Ele a segurou durante um longo tempo."Seja uma boa garota,Button-head",Elvis susurrou.(Button-head era o apelido que Elvis deu a Lisa)"Vc vem me visitar sempre,está ouvindo,"Elvis disse tentando conter a lágrimas.Então em desespero Elvis insistiu:" Peça a mamãe que lhe ensine a usar o telefone,então você pode me ligar todo dia,okay."As Schilling recalls, "Lisa Marie, was always a very perceptive child. She realised this was not the usual way her daddy said goodbye. Normally, Elvis would says, 'Button-head I'm off to work. What do you want daddy to bring you back, this time?'"
Schilling recorda,"Lisa era muito perceptiva,ela percebia que auela não era a forma habitual de seu pai dizer adeus.Normalmente,Elvis diria:"Button-head,eu estou saindo para trabalhar,o que vc quer que o papai traga na volta pra vc,desta vez?""This day was strange, and Lisa knew it. She looked into her daddy's eyes and asked him, 'Are you crying, daddy?"
"Este era um dia estranho e Lisa sabia disso.Ela olhou nos olhos do pai e perguntou:"Vc está chorando ,papai?"At the point, Elvis flashed Priscilla a look that could kill, then delivered Lisa into her mother's awaiting arms, turned on his heels, walked back into the house, without looking back.
Neste momento,Elvis lançou um olhar para Priscilla que poderia matá-la,e entregou a menina nos braços dela,virou-se e entrou em casa,sem olhar para trás.
"I'd seen that look before in Elvis eyes," says Schilling. "It a look that still sends a chill went down my spine, when I think of it... It's was a look of pain, anger, desperation and hurt."
"Eu já tinha visto aquele olhar de Elvis antes,"diz Schilling."Ainda sinto um arrepio na espinha,quando lembro daquele olhar.....um olhar de dor,raiva,desespero e mágoa.""For the rest of that day, till about 4 am that night, Elvis closed himself up in his bedroom. He wouldn't eat or take our calls."
"Pelo resto daquele dia,até as 4 da manhã ,Elvis ficou fechado no quarto.Ele não comeu nem atendeu nossos chamados.""We got very worried. We thought maybe he had knocked myself out with a whole lot of sleeping pills."
"Nós ficamos muito preocupados,pensávamos que ele pudesse dar um fim a vida com todas aquelas pílulas.""From time to time, Joe and I would sneak up to his bedroom and listen at the door. Once I heard him cursing. Another times I heard him screaming. But mostly we heard Elvis just sobbing."
"De hora em hora ,Joe e eu íamos até seu quarto e ficávamos ouvindo na porta.Uma vez eu o ouvi xingando,outras gritando,mas a maior parte das vezes nós o ouvimos soluçar,chorando..."Finally, Schilling admitted, "I now know, that day was the beginning of the end for the Elvis I had met."
Finalmente,Schilling admitiu: "Agora eu sei que aquele dia foi o começo do fim do Elvis que eu conheci."
