I Saw the Light Page #3

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Where are you going?

Right now, I'm gonna take a piss.

Then the day after tomorrow,

I'm going up to Nashville.

Charlie Holt gave me the name of a guy

who can help me get on the Opry.

Well, I pressed Charlie Holt.

You know that. I told you.

You did. I know, yeah.

That's just swell, Audrey.

Sounds good, huh?

So, when are we going, baby?

Friday.

Friday?

But Mama's bringing Lycrecia back then.

So, there you go.

- Hello, sir.

- Hey there.

- I'm Hank Williams.

- I heard that.

Well, I'll get down to it, then.

Charlie Holt gave me your name.

He said you'd tell me what I have to do

to get on the Opry.

There's only one way to do that,

and that's to audition for Jack Stapp.

Well, I... You know, I sure hate

those auditions, Mr. Collins.

Maybe I could just meet him.

Son, there are no shortcuts to the Opry.

Well, could you tell

Mr. Stapp that I'm here?

Hank, how old are you?

Twenty... Twenty-three

when I last checked, sir.

Well, that's old enough

that you ought to know

that's not how it works.

Now, you're gonna make an appointment,

and then you'll play for him,

and if he likes it, you'll play for Judge Hay.

And then what?

And then Judge Hay's likely to tell you

to come back

when you're hot enough to draw flies.

Well, I just might know how to do that.

Hank, you know Fred Rose?

I know of him.

Roy Acuff's partner.

Among other things.

You might want to know of him

a little bit better.

When he first came to see me,

he played some songs he'd written

and some other folks' material.

Well, actually, I believe Audrey, his wife,

had been calling here quite a bit,

pushing me to see him.

And I offered him a contract

right then and there as a songwriter.

Damn publishing deal.

Ten dollars per song, plus royalties.

Officially a paid songwriter.

So I suggest you address me

as Mr. Hiram Williams from now on.

Where the hell'd Hiram come from anyway?

From my old man.

Got it from King Hiram

of the Book of Kings.

Hiram the First of Tyre.

Can we get some strawberries later?

Lillie never mentions your daddy at all,

you know, like he never existed.

Yeah, she put him in

the Veterans Hospital when I was six.

The one down in Pensacola.

I don't know, it was a...

A war injury from France or something.

But a cousin told me

it was from a truck accident

in a lumberyard he was working in.

Anyway, he was all messed up, and...

That was about it for us.

Night-night, little bastard.

Better watch where you put that thing.

Hmm.

Howdy.

Hi.

I think we might have

a little bronco riding tonight.

Says who?

Says ol' Hank.

Well, I look forward to that event.

You should.

Especially since you're not drinking.

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