I close this log thinking about my whole life. A difficult but fully lived life that has given me so much joy as well as suffering. In this little book I have written it all down and I hope my wife will use it to the best of her ability to write our love story. It is 15 August 1977 and I know that I will soon join my mother after nineteen long years. Am I happy? On the one hand yes, because I will leave this aching body forever, but I am also sad because I will leave my daughter and wife alone. Will I be forgotten? I have no idea and that terrifies me.

At 7 p.m. I call my cousin Billy and tell him that I would have liked to see the new film about General Mac Arthur, played by Gregory Peck, but the cinema has no copies to give me. I watch some television with Eileen and Lisa. At 10:30 p.m. I get ready to go to the dentist for a cleaning and treatment of a couple of cavities accompanied by Eileen. When we arrive at our destination, the doctor fixes my teeth and she does the same. The fillings don't particularly bother me but, as a precaution, I take a couple of codeine tablets anyway. It is midnight when we return home. It is 16 August 1977, my wife's birthday. Knowing that I would not live long and that this would be my last year, during our holiday in Hawaii, I bought her something very precious: my star. Elvis.

«Eileen Van Der Meer Presley, I know that these are my last hours of life and this star will serve you when you are lonely. Look at it up there shining and think of me. I will be there to protect you and love you. I know the first days will be difficult but you must never give up and take care of my most precious possessions: Graceland and Lisa, I don't want her to be alone with Priscilla. As I told you during the wedding, my life with you has been extraordinary. You have lifted me up in difficult times and made me feel happy. Don't cry because I will no longer be there, but smile because I have lived. You must always smile, honey. Thank you for everything you have done for me, I love you.» She starts to cry beating her fists on my chest and I hug her. It's okay for her to let it out. The pain needs to come out. When she has calmed down, she puts a book she bought A Scientific Research for the Face Of Jesus into my hands. My eyes light up and I promise her I would read it tonight. We talk for a long time until I start complaining of tooth pain so Eileen calls Nick who brings me some Dilaudid with the recipe he has prepared.

A few hours later I call my cousin Billy to ask him if he and his wife would like to play racquetball, and they accommodate me. We play for a long time until the game becomes a pastime in which I try to hit my cousin, until I hurt myself, hitting myself with the racket on my shin. While I feel a lot of pain Billy jokingly quotes one of my favourite proverbs: 'Where there is no blood, there is no pain'. At this point we all laugh. There is a piano in the room inside the racquetball building, and I sit down to play a few songs, including Unchained Melody and Blue Eyes Crying in the rain, which Eileen joins in on. Soon after, I ask her to wash my hair because her touch is very gentle. After we are both showered, we sit on the bed and I talk to her about various topics, but most of all, I make her laugh because I know I will never hear her laugh again.

Ricky Stanely then arrives with the first ration of medicines prescribed by Nick, which are intended to make me sleep many hours at a time. The medicines I have to take are: Seconal, Placidyl, Tuinal, Valmid and Demerol. A couple of hours after taking them, I am still awake and Ricky brings me my second ration of medication. Still having no effect, I want the third ration, but Stanley is nowhere to be found and I ask Eileen to look for Tish at the doctor's office. Having got the medicine I get up and go to check for the last time on my daughter who is sleeping blissfully in her room. I say goodnight to her and a small tear wets my cheek. She will have to grow up without me and that destroys me. I then head to the bathroom telling my wife that I would read her book. I close the door behind me and once I am sitting on the toilet I feel a sharp pain in my chest. I realise it is my heart and call out to Eileen with what little strength I have left. She immediately arrives and takes me in her arms. My last words to her before I die are:

«I am going home...» Afterwards, I feel nothing and I know that I have left my body forever. I see everything as if I were a third person: the pain of my father, Eileen, Joe and even little Lisa. Then I feel a gentle touch, I turn around and it is my mother. I embrace her, crying all the tears of happiness. I take her hand and we meet again at Graceland.

I am back home.