KG's Hideaway

A few people know, but most don't. Last August, Austin was arrested.

(Just a little back story) His whole life I've told him that I better not ever get a phone call that he'd gotten into a fight... and I damn well sure better not get a phone call that he was in JAIL for a fight. It was a great sentiment, I think.

He always walked away from confrontations... always. Just a month after he graduated from high school a guy he knew tried to start a fight with Austin up at the rec center after he heard that Austin made a comment about his girlfriend. (To be honest, Austin DID say it... a year before that) Austin had a soft cast on his hand because he'd had surgery two days earlier. The guy hit Austin once on the side of his head and knocked Austin's hat off. When Austin just bent over to pick up the hat rather than fight back, all their friends started laughing at the guy and calling him a wuss. That enraged him and he hit Austin again. This time, a cop was standing there. He patted Austin on the back for not fighting. The second time was about 6 months later when Austin showed up at his girlfriend's house to get his stuff because they'd broken up (she'd started doing drugs). One of the guys there was coked up and hit Austin right above the eye then turned and punched out Austin's window on one of his back doors. Austin didn't press charges and just asked the guy to pay for the window.

Now, to what happened that night. Austin was with a family friend because the kid had gotten himself into a mess with a friend (some friend!!) and was Austin was trying to talk him out of it. The kid (Zach) told Austin that this other guy (Will) wanted to talk to him and they were meeting him up where he worked. So Austin took him but when they got there Will immediately hit Zach and knocked him out COLD with the first punch. Then Will jumped on him and kept punching even though Zach was unconcious. So Austin tried to get Will to stop hitting hiim when he couldn't defend himself but Will was just going off. No one else would try to help, so Austin picked up a stick and hit Will. It did nothing so he swung again. This time it caught Will in the back of the head, but he still kept fighting. A few minutes later some guy came out of where Will worked and they were able to pull them apart. It all broke up and everyone left.

About an hour later Austin got a phone call that both Zach and Will were at the police station so he went up there. About 10 minutes into it they arrested him. The charge? Assault with a deadly weapon. Class 1 Felony punishable by up to 99 years in prison. I got the phone call about midnight and went up to the police station (two blocks from my house). The cops were pretty cool about it and said only Austin and Zach were charge. They said they didn't charge Will because he was "hurt." WTF??? So anyway, all this time we've been scared shitless. But the case was finally dealt with and the judge told the deputy DA that only in Crowley would that have amounted to a felony rather than a ticket, so most of it was dropped and Austin was given probation with deferred ajudication (meaning if he doesn't get in trouble it all falls off his record when he's done).

Since it all happened Austin has stayed away from Zach and Zach has gotten himself into some pretty deep crap. He's just trouble... but I still see that little boy who was just SO cute and just wanted his parents' attention. Maybe he's finally gotten it.

Oh i forgot... the whole thing about getting that phone call? I always swore I'd let him sit there if he got popped for anything (but especially fighting) but when that phone call came I was damn near panicked. They let me see him right away-with glass between us- and he just had tears running down his face. No matter what I said (cuz I was going between crying and being mad) he just kept saying, "Momma, I'm sorry" and shaking his head. The last year has been hard on him. At time's he's been pretty depressed, but now there is a VISABLE weight off his shoulders and I think he's learned a pretty tough lesson.

Me, too.