Alain's Watch

The ball flew from his fingertips, spinning through the afternoon air. The the bat whistled through the spot where the ball should have been, and milliseconds later the ball slapped into the mitt.

"Yeah Picardy, here's your chance, whack it with Hudson right here, instead of you all alone in your room tonight," one of the guys in the dugout catcalled. He stuck a bat between his legs and began stroking it and moaning loudly and calling pitcher Cameron Hudson's name out. The team laughed at his bawdy display.

Picardy looked away from the dugout and approached home plate with his eyes on the ground. He knew his fair skin was flushed from embarrassment. He stepped into the batters box and squared off against Hudson. Cameron set, stepped and threw a scorching fastball. Picardy drove it off the barrel of the bat,a solid line shot to right field.

"Shut your hole!" Hudson yelled in irritation. He caught the ball and slammed it into his glove in frustration. His goal in batting around had been to strike out the entire team, and so far he hadn't managed it. He'd come close few times, but fucking Picardy always managed to break it up. Four batters later, the practice was over. Out of the entire team, only Picardy had gotten a hit.

"I'm beginning to think you take it easy on Picardy, Cam. Guy can't hit a barn with a banjo, but he's got your number." Bonville laughed as he clapped Cam Hudson on the back.

"Pisses me off. He barely hits the ball in a real game, but he hammers my fastballs like it was tee ball for fuck's sake," Hudson grumbled as they walked towards the open doors of the school locker room.

"Hudson! Bonville!" Coach yelled to them. They turned and trotted back to him. "Three games left. You know what the deal is right?"

"Damned right. That should be you're whole fucking world right now. Make sure it's everyone elses too. Hit the showers." The players turned from him but turned back as he began speaking again, "I almost forgot, the game against Truman? Scouts. Go."

"Seriously, what the fuck is it that lets him hit my fastball?" Cam groaned. "It's like he knows when I'm going to throw it. If I throw a curveball, he doesn't know. Slider, he never sees it coming. But the second I throw the fastball, he's fucking ready for it. You know," Cam looked at Bonville, "I throw one to him everytime, mix it in there, and he always finds it and puts the lumber to it."

"Yeah, that's what I hear. It's cause I'm so handsome you know, irresistible." Hudson mugged, " I have an undeniable charm."

"Got em from your mom," was the quick reply. They pushed and shoved for a moment, and then stopped as yells and screams filled their ears. They glanced at each other and broke for the door to the locker room. In the distance the coach lumbered after them. The yells and catcalls came from the end of the room, and they ran to the knot of players, pushing through till they found the screams in the center of all the yelling and cheering.

Picardy was trussed up, pink underwear pulled up in a wedgie that must have been painful. In fact Hudson grimaced at the sight of squeezed testicles. His arms were over his head, tied with thin nylon rope which was looped over a pipe in the ceiling and held on the other end by a player still in uniform. Laughter and yelling filled the room while Picardy screamed to be let down, that his shoulders hurt. He was lifting a leg, trying to shield himself with his thigh.

"Put him down!" The coach thundered. Bonville was shoving the fellow holding the rope, who released it. Picardy pulled his arms down, squatting on the floor. He was in tears, using his arms to shield himself.

"No one does anything to damage anyone until after we beat Baptist!" Coach thundered. "Hit the GD showers. Now!" Players scattered, except Hudson and Bonville. Bonville was giving Picardy a towel to help cover himself, Hudson was shocked. Picardy stood unsteadily. His face was a mess, a mix of tears and snot, flushed with embarrassment.

"If he'd hit the ball once in a while, they might not do that," Coach half turned and glanced back at Picardy's wide eyes. "Having a girlfriend wouldn't hurt either. Hit the showers." Coach strode away. Bonville stood up, staring at the coach's retreating back. Picardy pulled the towel tight and stumbled away. Bonville reached out for him as he left, but Hudson stopped him with a hand on his arm and a shake of his head. They watched as Picardy made his way to his locker, and they walked away before he started to change. It just wasn't decent.

Hudson leaned against his car in the parking lot and dropped his bag on the ground. He pulled out his cell and texted his mom that he was done with practice and coming home soon. His mom worried. Bonville dropped his bag and took a spot next to Hudson on the fender.

"Pig," Hudson laughed. "I knew braking up with Gina was a bad idea, now you think you can get in my pants. Is that why you told me to dump her?"

"No, I told you she was blowing Tim Hamilton, and you were kissing that mouth. If you're kissing that mouth, you're not kissing me!" Bonville threw his hand up to ward of any such attempts.

"I told you man, just being gay isn't enough. Why don't you ask Wanda Tipton out?" Hudson's face screwed up in response. "Exactly, but by your logic, she's straight, should be enough, right?"

"Well, if that it's the right thing to do doesn't work for ya, how about it's a little late in the season to find a new short stop?"

Hudson and Bonville climbed on the team bus. Most of the team was huddled towards the back of the bus, except for Picardy who was seated in the second row, just behind the equipment bags. Hudson glanced at Bonville and flopped heavily onto the bench seat next to Picardy and Bonville sat across from him.

"What's going on?" Picardy asked, moving away from Hudson. For a tall guy who wasn't exactly a weakling he sure acted wimpy, Hudson thought.

"Hudson won't sit next to me, he needed to find a seat where I couldn't join him." Bonville winked, "Doesn't mean I won't sit in his lap though."

"Easy you big homo, I'll tell your mother," Hudson pushed him away. Bonville chuckled as he righted himself. "Moms says I'm too good for you."

"No, everyone's mom lies to them. Tells them they are handsome, kind, whatever. They always think no one is good enough for their kid. That goes double for Eriq's mom," Hudson pretended to study the ceiling, "maybe your mom is part Jewish?"

"Yeah, for black folks we have a lot of chutzpah," Bonville rolled his eyes, "You can play the putz if you want though."

"See we can't be related, I don't like matzo balls. You," Hudson pointed at Bonville, "could be. You like balls, I rest my case."

The ball whirled through the air, hurtling towards the plate and, if the pitcher was lucky, the catchers mitt. Hudson could tell you that no matter how good the pitcher was, you sometimes needed a little luck to make sure the ball got to the mitt and not onto the fat barrel of the bat. Sometimes you put the pitch right where you wanted it and the batter guessed right, all there was to it. Bonville was better than most at the guessing game he reflected as the ball violently changed direction and surged over the third baseman's head and down the line.

He clapped as Eriq pulled up at second, held by a strong throw in from the outfield. Picardy stepped up to the plate and settled into the batters box. The score was tied three all in the top of the seventh inning. Hudson was part of a three man pitching rotation, tonight he'd watched a lot of the game while Ryan Canfield had pitched.

The opposing pitcher wound up and threw a curve that Picardy missed. Eriq walked back to second to tag up and await the pitcher coming set for the next pitch. As soon as he started forward, Eriq was running for third. Picardy made contact, drove the ball at the second basemen, one, two hops and it was in his glove. Picardy ran down the line and almost beat the throw, but in reality the second baseman had time to glance at third, realize he had no chance at Bonville and take the easy out at first. It all happened so fast, with Picardy's long legs, it looked closer than it really was.

"Way to move the runner," Hudson said to him as he passed. Picardy took a seat on the bench, far from his teammates. Hudson, for the first time, wondered why Picardy took so much shit. He was always getting hassled in the halls but he never flipped shit and just decked someone. Probably do him good, send a message. Hudson could hear his mom in the back of his head, "Cameron, violence is never the answer." He rolled his eyes.

Hitchcock hit a fly ball to deep center on the first pitch. Bonville tagged up as he watched the ball sail deep, the center fielder tracking the ball, and finally bringing it in. He fired the ball towards home, truly a cannon on his arm, but Bonville beat the throw in a dive that kicked up a good amount of dust. Bonville said his aim in diving wasn't so much to get to the plate, it was to kick up enough dust to make the umpire choke.

Congratulations, high fives were all around. Kessel stepped up to the plate and popped out to end the top of the inning. Hudson's team took the field, the coach calling out his brand of encouragement. Livingston was starting that inning on the hill, one of the relief pitchers they used. Canfield's arm had gotten sore down the stretch, so the coach tried to take him out a little earlier in games to preserve his arm.

Livingston ran the count to three and oh before tossing a fastball down the gut. The batter hammered it over the third baseman's head for a single. The second batter was first pitch swinging and fouled off two before striking out. Next up took two pitches before getting one he liked enough to swing on. He hit a high chopper towards first and by the time the first baseman had it and turned to throw it to Livingston, he found out the pitcher had failed to get over to first to cover. Two on and one out. Livingston, who was uncharacteristically erratic, walked the next guy to load the bases.

Coach called a time out and went to chew Livingston's ass out. Hudson shook his head. Everytime coach yelled at him, it had never helped. Bonville had accused him more than once of crappy pitching just so the coach would come out, yell at him and pat his om the ass before going back to the sideline. For a straight guy, Hudson took a lot of gay crap from Bonville. Maybe he should set Eriq up with a date with Wanda Tipton, that'd shut him up. Nah, he'd probably just whine.

Coach waddled back to the sideline, after delivering his customary pat on the ass. Livingston did not look calmer than when coach had walked out, in fact he looked like he was trying to squeeze a kid out of his ass. He wound up, and threw a pitch in the dirt. Holland, the catcher, smothered it saving a run for sure. Coach threw his hat in the dirt and shot Livingston the hairy eye.

Livingston took a few deep breaths and wound up again. The batter hit the ball, hard. Picardy ranged to his right, dove and scooped the ball. He rolled out of the dive, threw the ball to third who threw to second for the inning ending double play. Was hard to get a ball past Picardy, lisp and limp wrist jokes or no.

The bus ride back was full of horseplay and catcalls, a victory always felt good. Hudson and Bonville kept an eye out for the shortstop, but no one felt like bothering Picardy that night.

The next day, Thursday, the principal announced their win with the morning news items. The team was on a high, only two games away from winning their first title ever. Baptist Union High School was regionally the powerhouse in sports, Edison High was a bottom feeder; that year Edison had surprised everyone in the division and roared out to a commanding division lead that had dwindled as the season went.

"Yeah, lets see you fight off the whole team. He's used to getting his ass whipped, but a coach or a teacher should step up, not practically say it's all right."

"Dude, how would you feel if you were him? Have that happen and coach tells you to get a girlfriend? How about if it was me?"

"Brah, no way that happens to you. Or me. We'd bust some fucking heads, rip their nuts off and shove 'em down their throats. We don't get fucked with," Hudson responded firmly.

"Yeah, that's not the way it is with him though. Plus, with coach 'condoning' their actions, he's got to feel like shit."

"Picardy, what the fuck are you eating?" Hudson asked as he sat his tray on the cafeteria table. He preferred to eat outside, but since it was raining, he and Bonville looked for Picardy inside. Eriq popped down next to him.

"Dude, cool watch, can I see?" Hudson asked before taking a bite of his pizza. "This shit is worse than normal," He commented with his mouth full.

"Thanks," Picardy mumbled. He dropped his food and looked back and forth between Hudson and Bonville, "What the fuck is the deal? If you guys are going to dump me in a garbage can or spraypaint my locker or give me a fucking swirlie just do it already! I can't take this cat and mouse bullshit!"

Hudson and Bonville sat stunned for a moment. Eriq recovered first and replied, "We think what the guys did was bullshit, we just looking out for you."

"Really?" Picardy said sarcastically as he threw his uneaten lunch into his container, "Then what? Going to help the team dye me blue again? Or just talk to the coach long enough that they can strip me and hang me by the wrists again?" Water shimmered in his eyes.

"Dude, if it's stressing you out, I'll go. I don't mean anything, peace out," Hudson stood with his tray and left the table. Bonville eyed Picardy with sympathy and then gathered his tray as well.

"I know you don't believe us, but we got your back." He paused and looked him in the eye, "And coach stopped us, there's going to be scouts at the Truman game. We didn't know."

Practice was held inside the gym, due to the rain. The team exercised lightly having played the day before and with a game the following day. Hudson and Bonville jogged together, keeping an eye out for Picardy, despite his misgivings.

"I applied to Pitt, I'm hoping they'll be there when we play Truman. I hear the ratio of guys to girls at Pitt is like, three to one." Hudson glanced skyward, pretending to imagine all the lovely girls.

"Brah, you're math skills suck ass. If the ratio of guys to girls is three to one, that means three guys for every girl. Unless you gonna be swingin', sounds more like my kind of school."

"Fuck," Hudson considered, "You serious? That right?" Bonville laughed at his friends sudden loss of interest in the University of Pittsburgh.

"Hey, I know when I get to a dorm I'm hoping for a teammate or two to cuddle with, it gets cold in Pittsburgh don't it?"

Practice seemed to drag that day, the rain held court outside and the great grey clouds could be seen hanging over the landscape outside the cathedral windows. Sneakers squeaked on the wooden floor, catcalls from bored guys echoed around the gym. With just two games left the team was loose, but the rain left no outlet for all their energy. Pitchers took turns warming their arms and working the kinks out of their mechanics. Fake bases were set up and the coach was conducting base running drills.

Hudson spotted a few of the guys coming up from the locker room, but readily dismissed it since the bathrooms were down there. He glanced around quickly and couldn't find Picardy. He trotted over to Bonville, waving the person off who was catching him at the moment.

Bonville nodded and just as they turned, coach blew his whistle signaling the end of practice. The team made a shambling, disorganized flow of tired players heading to the locker room. Hudson and Bonville hit the room first, the hallway leading to the locker room was echoing with voices and at first they heard nothing unusual. They swept through the room, looking for Picardy. A disgusted shout filled with surprise filled the air, then laughter followed by more as the team made their discovery. Hudson and Bonville pushed into the bathroom to find Picardy.

He was tied with the same nylon rope as before, pulled out of the tops of the equipment bags, and this time used to tie him to the sink. Strands ran over his back and neck, were wrapped around his wrists and lashed him to the pipes under the sink. His face was pressed sideways against the faucet and in black marker on his back was the words 'Fuck Me, I like it' and an arrow pointing down to his ass. His pants were puddled around his ankles.

"I'll tap your asses, right after I tap your fucking skulls, motherfuckers," Bonville said as he stepped into the room with a bat. The ones closest to the doorway backed off, and there was a smattering of nervous twittering and the scent in the air of animals that were no longer sure of their prey.

"Back off before my brah starts bashing heads." And so saying Hudson turned his back on the team � his team � and walked over to Picardy.

"Don't touch me!" Picardy screamed as Hudson came into his field of vision. Someone in the locker room echoed the cry, in a falsetto.

"Wait. Please." Alain's eyes closed tightly and, with great embarrassment he whispered, "Please pull my pants up first."

"Sure." Hudson bent down and grabbed the top of the sweats and pulled them and their resident underwear off the floor, guided them up Picardy's legs and over his exposed behind. Picardy murmured a thank you, which Hudson ignored. He was embarrassed himself, how do you respond to someone who just thanked you for pulling their pants up for them? Was 'you're welcome' really enough?

Hudson set to work freeing up Picardy's hands, and the cord binding his chest to the sink. Once freed, he slid off the sink and slumped to the floor, silent tears of shame running down his face. Hudson studied him. He'd been roughed up some, no doubt, and the kid couldn't possibly have an ego left after something like that.

"Leave me alone please," Picardy mumbled. Hudson opened his mouth and then closed it. Who was he to say anything to the contrary? Did the kid need to be left alone? Probably not. Did he maybe need a minute to recover? Probably. The coach poked hi head in, grunted, and left. He didn't even ask what happened.

"We'll be close by," Hudson stated and walked out to his locker, passing Bonville who stood rigidly, holding the bat like a club and apparently ready to use it. Picardy's head was in his arms, head bobbing with muted sobs. Bonville had no idea what to do.

In the end, both of them simply hovered more or less out of view until the others left. Both had an itch to confront the coach, but neither wanted to leave Picardy unguarded, so the coach would have to wait. After Picardy had washed his face and gotten his things, they shadowed him until he reached his car and left.

"Lets go eat first, moms should have dinner. Call your moms, come over and eat." Bonville threw his bag in the back of Hudson's car, and Hudson followed suit.

"What happened?" Eriq's mom was a regular looking lady. She had pushed three screaming kids into the world and occasionally awakened them in the middle of the night to tell them so. She wasn't large and in charge, nor was she a diminutive woman who seemed like a force of nature. She was about as average as you can be, until you riled her. Then no large and in charge or force of nature could stop her.

"What kind of screwin'?" She asked as she set plates out for them. She pointed at the crockpot so as not to interrupt the tale she wanted to hear from her son. Between mouthfuls of stew both boys gave her the whole story, or as much of it as they knew.

"That poor boy. That Coach of yours needs a swift kick to his joy bubbles is what he needs." She turned her head, "Luther? Luther, come here. You have got to hear this."

She stood up and fetched a small bowl from the cabinet and put it next to the crockpot. After retaking her seat she glanced from one boy to the other. They refilled their bowls and ate in silence, the only sound that of the announcers on the television. A moment after the game went to commercial Luther, her husband, shuffled in. He was a mechanic and was dressed for the end of day lounging-- boxers and a tee shirt, socks optional.

"Someone lay a hand on you, boy? You better have whacked em, but good!" Luther sat at the table, but kept his eyes focused on his child.

"No, wasn't me. Kid named Picardy, Alain Picardy. I don't even think he's gay, he just can't stick up for himself." Bonville replied. Hudson scraped the bottom of his bowl and shot a questioning glance at Mrs. Bonville.

"I don't know what we can do about it," Hudson told her, "Eriq and I been watching out for him the last few days some, but they get him anyways."

"He told Picardy if he got himself a girlfriend, people wouldn't do shit like this to him," he glanced at his mom, "'scuse me mom."

"Luther, you should have a talk with the coach or this boys parents," She looked at them both, "Why aren't his parents doing anything? Do they know what's happening to their son?"

"Boys, you need to make it your business. You're too young to remember your Aunt Gabriella, my sister, but you should know. She was too delicate for this world. She got lots of things said about her. She was too pretty, all the boys wanted her and when they couldn't have her..." She sighed deeply and looked down at the table. Luther snaked a hand over to cover hers, and she squeezed it. "They took from her what she wouldn't give willingly. That was bad enough, but after...all those boys...they were on her like wolves on an injured deer. She died young you know.

"It was me that found her." she whispered while fingering the intricately knotted gold charm at the base of her throat.

"Your Aunt, she was so unhappy, so sad. I was always jealous of her as a child, envious of her good looks and her easy charm. I wanted to be on the receiving end of some of the looks those boys gave her. But I was the one that found her, after she took our Daddys' revolver and...well she put a stop to it all."

She rocked a little and a tear tracked down her face. Hudson and Bonville stared, astonished at her tale. Luther stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them and trying to soothe his wife.

"The thing is, boys, that even something like suicide, like dying...it's not the end. It near killed Daddy, since it was his gun. Momma couldn't take it. Our whole family disintegrated over her death. You have to promise me," Her hands stretched out and took one of each of theirs in her own, "You have to promise. If he starts acting different, if he says anything, you have to tell someone. You have to stay with him. He thinks his pain will be over if he does that, but all it does is bring more pain.

They watched for Picardy all day, they barely glimpsed him before school and the sightings between classes were mere glimpses. At lunch they found him seated alone, with a book and his home packed lunch."

"I'm relaxed about it. I forgot my glove this morning, I have to run home after school. I'm trying to finish this book though, before school ends today. I've been working on it slowly, but I really want to finish it."

Hudson and Bonville exchanged a glance and let his weird cheerfulness pass by them as they let him read while they ate. Hudson and Bonville bantered, it was like breathing for them, and they felt something was off so it helped with their nervous energy. As the clock steadily wound the lunch period down they gathered their garbage and got ready to go back to class.

"Oh, Cam!" Picardy struggled with his watch, "I wanted to give this to you, you said you liked it." He held it out to Hudson. "I just got a new one, but I put this one on out of habit. Please, take it. You'll be doing me a favor; I won't put the wrong watch on again."

Hudson glanced at the watch and at Picardy's face questioningly and slowly reached for the watch. Picardy reached out further and draped it on his open palm.

"I hope you enjoy it. Think of me when you look at it!" Picardy smiled broadly and went to dump his trash and go to his next class. Hudson looked at Bonville.

"You did say you liked the watch, seems kind of insulting not to wear the watch someone literally pulled off their wrist and gave to you."

"Yeah," Hudson muttered, unsure of himself. Something wasn't right. He slipped the watch on and smiled down at it. It was still warm from Picardy's wrist.

The warning bell rang and all thought fled his mind as he dumped his trash and headed to his next class. It wasn't until a lull the period after that when he found himself regarding the watch on his wrist.

There wasn't anything special about the watch, it wasn't gold, old or valuable. It wasn't shiny or glittery, no stone to cut metal set into the twelve o'clock position. The band was fabric and the crystal was plastic, but he'd always liked it anyway. The face matched the band, like the band was the face. That was all Alain's watch had going for it, but Hudson had liked it just the same. He frowned as he looked at the watch. The bell signaling the end of the school day rang and he packed his things and went to his locker to dump his books. As he headed to the locker room his unease grew.

"Well, he did tell you to think of him everytime you looked at it..." He trailed off and they both looked at each other with increasing unease.

"I need to talk to you mom," Hudson pulled his cell out and dialed Bonville's home number. After three rings his mother picked up.

"I just ran with a hamper of clean clothes, which I spilled, and didn't have time to check the caller ID before I answered this here phone and that annoying, shrill ring it has. If this is a telemarketer, god help you I will find you and slay your family until the sixth generation."

"I had something weird happen with Picardy, I need to ask you about it. He was all cheerful today, and he gave me his watch."

"Cameron Gabriel Hudson you listen to me, you go to his house and find him. If you don't know where he lives, you find out and do it now." She inhaled deeply, almost choking back a sudden bout of sobbing, "Gabriella gave me this necklace I wear the morning she died. She was in a great mood before I left for school, and she said she wanted me to have it. You find him, Cameron, you understand? Do you understand?"

"Yes Ma'am, I understand." He hung up and addressed Bonville's concerned expression. "Your mom said that gold pendant she wears was given to her by your Aunt the morning she killed herself. She said she was in a great mood, no cares, just like he was at lunch. We have to find Picardy."

"I don't know where he lives. I don't think he hangs out with anyone from the team, fastest way is to go to coach," Bonville was already striding to the coach's office.

"Get a date on your own time," The coach said without looking up. Bonville slammed the door shit and Hudson slapped his hands down on the coach's desk, and towered over him.

"Listen to me now. He's going ot kill himself. Probably a lot of that has to do with what you let the team get away with when it comes to him. You give me his address now, and maybe I don't tell the cops and the lawyers that will come after what you say and allow down here," Cam reached across the desk and yanked hard on the coach's whistle, "Maybe."

"Picardy! Alain! Hello?" They ran around the house, slapping their hands on windows and doors. They cupped their hands and tried to peer in. Climbing over a fence they found themselves in the backyard and found Picardy sitting on a picnic table, pistol in his hand.

"Alain? Alain it's me, Cam." Cameron and Eriq approached the solitary figure. He looked up at them with red rimmed eyes.

"Stop, don't come any closer." His gun hand twitched. They both stopped and put their hands out to show they were empty.

"It is the way to go, I know it is," he looked up at them with tears slowly trekking down his face. "You don't understand."

Picardy looked at him miserably. "It never stops. The fag comments, the spray painting my stuff, the ripping my clothes...the shit the team does to me. No one cares. Coach..."

"Yeah, well, he doesn't stop any of it. He never does," Picardy looked up at them, "I really appreciate you guys trying to be nice, I really do. You saying you liked something to do with me was the nicest thing anyone has said to me at school all year, and it wasn't even about me."

"Yeah, everyone knows you are. I guess you know how to back it up, or at least you have friends that will back you up."

"I know this is the right thing to do. My parents won't have to deal with my embarrassing failures, no one at school can hurt me anymore," his eyes overflowed with tears that he wiped away and looked at his witnesses. "The team told me that if I let anything get past me at short they were gonna gang rape me. When they tied me to the sink they said they were just practicing. Said they had to wait till the end of the season 'cause coach said no damage till after the games are over," he sobbed.

"So I know this is the right thing, but it's hard. I've been looking at it for twenty minutes," He inhaled sharply, then coughed. "I came out here so my parents wouldn't have to clean up."

"That's nothing compared to how they'll feel if you do this," Hudson replied softly. "They are going to wonder what they did wrong. If it was their fault, why they didn't see the signs. You do this and you will ruin their lives."

"Well, it's true you have to know people before you can be there friend, but I figure if I can put up with Cam, you're a cakewalk," Bonville smiled and moved slowly towards Picardy.

"Why don't you give me the gun, and lets go inside and talk about it?" he reached out and left his hand hanging. "I'm offering to get to know you, to let you know...we both are letting you know you aren't alone, if you don't want to be."

They remained in silence, tension lacing the air and building until Picardy slowly stood up and placed the gun in Eriq's outstretched hand.