The Billy Goat Hill Pundits Ch. 03

He played and sang 'Comeuppance,' the dark mood was broken, and new ideas for a fourth album were sprouted.

By Friday, the contents from the garage practice room in Austin were in the tack room, their clothing and supplies were in their rooms, the rented furniture had been picked up from their apartments, and the penalties for breaking their leases were paid. Sound baffles and acoustic panels had been placed in the tack room / studio by workmen, overseen by Lina and Lila, while they were in Austin.

Barry wasn't too pleased with their decision, but accepted the promise they would make all their scheduled dates and keep him in the loop. He, his latest girlfriend, and all of the team techies were invited down for a 'pachanga' to celebrate the success of their first two albums and the associated earnings.

Also on Friday, Donald Bradley Smitherman was served with an order restraining him from coming within 500 feet of Andrew and/or Saralyn, and it was reported that he went berserk. The things he said to and the threats he made against the deputy serving the papers got him arrested and taken to jail.

Raul Medina wasn't one of the deputies owned by the Smithermans, his body camera was turned on, and he seemed to relish taking down and handcuffing the arrogant and abusive scion. The sheriff was somewhere in Montana hunting, without cell service, and therefore unavailable to intervene.

The booking process was long and humiliating, but it was watching the door slam shut on his cell that most affected Donny-boy

Donald ranted and raved, but there was nothing he could do until the arraignment the next day, so his son spent the night in the same jail Will had, after he beat Donny's sorry ass to a pulp. Sitting there, experiencing the glares and nasty, threatening comments of inmates in the cells on either side of him, for the very first time in his privileged life he felt small, humble, and afraid.

Dawn brought a return of his overconfidence; Daddy would handle this - no one could treat a Smitherman this way!! Daddy did get him released on bail - of a quarter million dollars - but they learned that the charges he faced were enough to send him to jail for years. Disorderly conduct, threatening a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest - add it up and he could be in jail for three years!

Daddy was not pleased with his son, but he was furious with the piss ant cop and the penny ante judge who read his son the riot act! 'Who the hell do these people think they are?' he asked himself. 'Do they not know who we are? Smithermans own this town, this county - I'll crush them all!' he promised.

Three hours later, Donny, buoyed by his father's anger and half a bottle of Crown Royal, decided to call their bluff. Court order be damned, he would return to Will's house, fuck Will's wife, beat Will's children, and teach them all proper respect, by god! And if Will tried to stop him, the.45 in his belt would end that assholes life!

He barely noticed the vehicle parked down the street, but when he pulled his Escalade onto the driveway of Sara's house and got out, the Tahoe marked Cow County Sheriff sped toward him with red, white, and blue lights flashing.

"Sir! Get back in your vehicle and leave the premises immediately! You are in violation of a court order!" screamed the tinny voice from the SUV.

He thrust his middle finger in the air, yelled "FUCK YOU!" at the top of his lungs, and tugged his.45 out of his belt. He began waving it around, and yelling for the cops to get away from his fuckin' house right fuckin' now!

They called for backup, and took positions behind the SUV.

"Put your weapon on the ground and lay down on your stomach! We don't want to hurt you, but you must obey my command immediately!"

No one will ever know what went through his incensed brain before he assumed the shooting stance he had been taught at the shooting range and started blasting at the deputies. They didn't immediately return fire, hoping he would run out of bullets without hurting anyone. But when a bullet struck the center post beside Deputy Gipson's head, Deputy Guerrero opened fire.

The first bullet hit Donny in the right shoulder, spinning him around. The second hit his left hip from the side, knocking him to the ground. He was still cussing a blue streak and threatening to kill them, so they warned the additional units on the way that the suspect was armed with a handgun and had fired at them.

Sirens and lights announced the arrival of two more units. They waited behind their vehicles while Deputy Gipson gave orders to the suspect: "Throw your weapon to the side and raise your hands in the air! We don't want to hurt you worse, but if you fire again, we won't have a choice."

By this time, the pain had hit and Donny was terribly afraid of his injuries. He needed help! The scion of the powerful Smitherman family couldn't die on a concrete sidewalk, killed by cops his family had always owned!

He weakly tossed the pistol aside, raised the only hand that would move, and cried, "Don't shoot - I surrender! Help me!"

****

What a Christmas morning! The 12-foot fir in the lodge was surrounded by presents. Many were for the Pundits or the grandparents, but most were for Will's children, who had already gotten one present on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas. The grandmothers tried to fuss at him for spoiling the kids, but he reminded them he hadn't been allowed to give them presents for their birthdays, Valentine's Day, Easter, school promotion, or Christmas for more than fifteen months, so he was just catching up!

The grandmothers, with Lila and Lina, had prepared a Christmas feast that lasted through the two meals that day. Woody's new / old girlfriend, Samantha Parker, was wrapped around Woody or sitting on his lap most of the day, and they disappeared into his house mid-afternoon.

She had reappeared on December 16, after school let out for the break - she was an elementary teacher - and they had immediately gotten back together. Now they were inseparable, and she was applying for jobs in Pleasanton ISD, near Woody's ranch, for the next school year.

Sara spent Christmas morning and afternoon alone, weeping and remembering the good times before she let wealth and power tempt and seduce her. She had celebrated with her children and parents last night, but today they were all with Will. Her Will. The Will she had loved from childhood, but had thrown away for Donny! What was she thinking!

And so she wept more.

Even though he was handcuffed to a hospital bed in San Antonio, Donny was getting two presents for Christmas: a new shoulder joint, and a new hip. Oh, he didn't actually get them on Christmas Day, but the shoulder surgery was scheduled for the 27^th, and that was the closest to a present he would get this year. The hip replacement was months away, after a lot of PT on his shoulder. That was fine with him, because it meant he wasn't in jail if he was in the hospital.

That he had a urinary catheter and had to use a bedpan for number 2 was embarrassing, but... still better than jail. He knew he would have plenty of time in that place after his trial. If only he hadn't gone after Sara out of spite for Will!

The Billy Goat Hill Pundits drew an overflow crowd along the banks of the San Antonio River, and the local ABC television station broadcast their performance live as part of its NYE coverage. The crowd was in full roar all night, but the only thing that drew greater applause than Will's triumphant 'Comeuppance' was when he pulled Lila up from her keyboard, set her in a chair that suddenly appeared mid-stage, knelt down, and proposed to her.

That 'brought down the house' in the crowds along the river, and in the many south Texas homes watching the broadcast. She said yes, of course, and then he sang a love song he had written for her. And so the legend and lore of the BGH Pundits grew even more expansive as the new year began.

The pachanga they hosted for their friends and fans on Super Bowl Sunday only added to the lore, being as how it was held on top of Billy Goat Hill, but that's another story. This one was about Will's anguish and his attempt at vengeance - it's done.

****

Thanks for hanging in and reading my effort. Here's wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Your 7^th generation Texican.

Donald Bradley Smitherman IV (now Donny, in HS Brad)

Not divorced - hearing pending; Donny living in his house with Sara

Social worker is Sara's cousin

Judge - Donny's uncle

Danny - drummer

Gary - numerous instruments, including horns, banjo, steel guitar

Lila - keyboard, guitar, and more

Lina - violin/fiddle, banjo,