ON THE ROAD TO MEMPHIS
                                                                             BY
                                                                 PATRICIA KEILLER

Copyright 2011 (C) This work is the property of the author and permission to reproduce or use it in any way can only be granted by the said author.
ON THE ROAD TO MEMPHIS
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FADE IN:-
EXT.  A DESERTED ROAD ONTHE OUTSKIRTS OF MEMPHIS  -  NIGHT
It is late one evening on a lonely highway, just outside Memphis. MATTHEW RILEY, an Englishman in his mid-thirties, is driving back to his hotel in a hired car. It is raining heavily, and visibility is extremely poor. Suddenly a YOUNG MAN appears from the shadows and stands right in front of the on-coming car. MATTHEW swerves in order to avoid hitting the YOUNG MAN. The car screeches to a halt and MATTHEW winds down his window. The YOUNG MAN approaches the car. The street lighting on this stretch of road is so poor that MATTHEW can only make out the YOUNG MAN'S outline, his features cannot be seen. But from the YOUNG MAN'S voice and demeanour he would appear to be about twenty five. MATTHEW winds down his window. The YOUNG MAN bends down slightly to look in through the window. He is still in shadow, and cannot be seen clearly.
MATTHEW:-
I... I'm so sorry...I just didn't see you! You came out of nowhere.
YOUNG MAN:-
It's okay mister, I'm fine.
MATTHEW:-
It's a dreadful night. Would you like a lift into town?
YOUNG MAN:-
If you're heading into town, I sure would appreciate a ride home.
MATTHEW opens the back door of the car. The YOUNG MAN climbs into the passenger seat, (on the front passenger seat there is a brief case, a lap top computer, and a bundle of papers). Once the YOUNG MAN has climbed in the car sets off.
YOUNG MAN:-
You ain't from these parts, are you?
MATTHEW:-
No, I'm English. I'm here on business.
YOUNG MAN:-
I've always wanted to visit England.
MATTHEW:-
Why don't you?
YOUNG MAN:-
Mostly it's work commitments that are preventing me from going abroad much at the moment. Maybe one day I'll get round to going. (PAUSES) Say, did you say you were here on business?
MATTHEW:-
Yes, that's right. I haven't had much time for sightseeing, although I have been to Gracelands. Actually I'm not a big Elvis fan. I think it's something my wife, Brenda, would have enjoyed more. She couldn't come on this trip with me. My boss was willing to pay for my expenses, but not for the wife and children, and we couldn't afford to finance the trip ourselves. So Brenda's at home with the kids.
YOUNG MAN:-
It's a shame your wife and kids couldn't come with you.
MATTHEW:-
Yeah, I really miss not having them with me. What's made it worse is that we had a massive row the day before I left for the States, and when I speak to Brenda now on the phone there's this distance between us, a sort of awkwardness. (PAUSES) I'm sorry, I don't usually go telling perfect strangers about my personal life.
YOUNG MAN:-
Hey, that's okay. I ain't gonna tell anybody your personal business. Anyhow I reckon, keeping  things inside of you like a volcano that's about to explode ain't good for you. I had a hell of a lot of arguments with my wife when we were together.
MATTHEW:-
You were married?
YOUNG MAN:-
Yes, I was, but you seem kind of surprised. Don't I look the type or something?
MATTHEW:-
Actually, I'm guessing your age from the sound of your voice, and from the sound of your voice you sound young.
YOUNG MAN:-
Too young to have loved and lost, you mean?

MATTHEW:-
Something like that. But you know, the street lighting is virtually non-existent at the moment, and I'm having trouble seeing you or anything else properly right now. This torrential rain must have sent down some power cables, I suppose.
YOUNG MAN:-
I'm not as young as I sound.
MATTHEW:-
What was your wife like?
YOUNG MAN:-
She was, and still is, the prettiest girl you ever saw. And she wasn't just pretty, she had something else....class, I suppose you would call it.
MATTHEW:-
It sounds to me like you're still in love with her.
YOUNG MAN:-
I'll always love her.
MATTHEW:-
Perhaps there's still hope that you might get back together, if that's how you feel about her.
YOUNG MAN:-
No, I've lost her forever, (SIGHS AND PAUSES).  What is your wife, Brenda like?
MATTHEW:-
She's not what most people would call beautiful, I suppose, although she's beautiful to me. Brenda's my best friend. I value what she thinks, Brenda possesses a sort of inner wisdom. She's very rarely wrong about things. I trust her judgement. I wouldn't know what to do without her. 
YOUNG MAN:-
I envy your relationship.
MATTHEW:-
We did have a close relationship once, but just lately I've felt as if it's all slipping away. It's a combination of things really. We both have stressful jobs. Mine involves very long hours. When I get home from work the last thing I feel like doing is talking. Even when we do find time to be together we're concentrating so much on the children and their needs that we find we have very little time or energy left over for ourselves.
YOUNG MAN:-
Well, I still think it doesn't sound too serious to me, nothing that can't be fixed anyway. You just need to work on your relationship a bit more.
MATTHEW:-
That's easier said than done.
YOUNG MAN:-
I know it ain't easy, but you've got to show her that you care, that you're not taking her for granted, that you haven't forgotten about her needs and wishes. In your heart she's still special and beautiful, but you've got to show her that your love for her isn't dead.
MATTHEW:-
But what about Brenda? She's just as guilty as I am of letting things slide away, of not talking or showing her feelings.
YOUNG MAN:-
That maybe so, but you've got to take hold of this situation before the thing that makes your relationship unique and precious dies. (PAUSES) I should know, I loved my wife, and yet she ended up leaving me. If I'm honest, i can't say I blame her for going. I didn't spend enough time with her. Even when we were together there always seemed to be other people around. I didn't pay enough attention to her, I didn't show her that I cared.
MATTHEW:-
You sound full of regret.
YOUNG MAN:-
I have a lot of regrets in my life. That's just one of them. (PAUSES) You can let me out here.

The car has driven up to a huge white building with ornate gates. It is GRACELANDS.   MATTHEW looks up at the building surprised.
MATTHEW:-
But this is Gracelands! I thought you said to give you a lift home.

The light from the building now illuminates the figure of the YOUNG MAN stepping out from the car. As he turns to face MATTHEW his face can be seen clearly for the first time. The YOUNG MAN is ELVIS aged about twenty five.

ELVIS  (YOUNG MAN):-
(SMILING AND WAVING TO MATTHEW) Goodbye Matthew. You take care, do you hear me!

As he says this ELVIS begins to fade away. MATTHEW is left staring in shock at the empty space where ELVIS once stood. FADE OUT to the music of 'Are you lonesome tonight?'