Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 09:38:24 -0400
From: crazy4u <rnielsen47@gmail.com>
Subject: The Man From Swift Current Chapter 70, GM College, High School

Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to the author,
Russ Nielsen (rnielsen47@gmail.com).  To read more of my stories you can
find them at my story site - http://www.saskboystories.blogspot.com

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similarities to persons living or dead are coincidental.  If it is illegal
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This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between adult
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*** ***

Chapter Seventy – Ben and Janice

Ben was so excited about going out with Patty and Irene he couldn't
concentrate on his studies.  He kept looking over at his cousin, and
shaking his head in amazement.  Glenn had always come through for him.
Finally, he closed the textbook he was trying to read, and called Zach.

"Hey, Zach, do you want to go early to hockey practice, and take a few
spins around the ice before the rest of the team gets there?"  Ben asked.

"Sure.  I don't mind getting in a little extra practice.  I'm pretty
excited to be going to see the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus tonight.  I've
heard a lot about them.  I wish Todd were here to enjoy it with me.  Do you
want me to pick you up, or are you going to walk over?" Zach asked.

"Would you pick me up, please?  I'm bringing a change of clothes for the
concert, so I can change into them after we practice," Ben said.

"What about Glenn?  Is he coming with us?" Zach asked.

Ben turned to me and asked, "Do you want to watch us practice this
afternoon?"

"Yeah, sure," I replied.  "I've finished my homework already, so I'm good
to go."

"Yes, he's coming with us, so you'd better get Mark, too," Ben said.

"Sounds good," Zach said.  "See you in a few minutes."

Ben grabbed some nice slacks and a collared shirt out of our shared closet.
"What are you wearing to the concert?

I was having a difficult time deciding.  I'd laid out a couple of outfits
on my bed.  "I can't decide.  What do you think?"

"I think you're over analyzing it, and need to just choose an outfit," Ben
said pointing to the pair of slacks and shirt that mirrored his.  "I like
this one.  That way we'll look like twins!"

"Twins?  I don't think so!  I'm taller than you, still!" I exclaimed,
laughing at Ben's hurt expression.

Ben couldn't stay serious for long.  "I guess you're right.  You might be
taller, but I'm the better looking one anyway!  Go ahead and wear whatever
you like."

I punched my cousin in the shoulder.  "You had better remember who set up
this little soirée.  Besides, who was complaining about his inability to
get the cute girls to go out with him?"

Ben laughed.  "Not me!"

I went to slap him up the side of the head, and he ducked under my arm,
tackling me onto my bed and knocking the wind out of me.  "Hey!  Remember,
I'm the one you asked to help you get a date!" I said, laughing when I got
my breath back.

"I'm just making sure that you remember who has the superior body strength
and by far the best physique!"  Ben laughed, as he pulled me back to my
feet.

I grinned at my cousin.  "I'll grant that you have the superior strength,
because I've not been as diligent at working out at the gym as you;
however, I think Zach has the best physique."

Ben poked a finger at my chest.  "Only a gay guy like you would notice
that!"

I replied, "No, I think the girls will take notice, too.  You're good
looking, Ben, but Zach is absolutely stunning!  I know he has a boyfriend,
but I can't help admiring his beautiful body!"

Ben grinned and said, "It's a good thing Zach's gay!  That way I can have
all the girls to myself!"

I quickly changed into the outfit that matched Ben's, and was combing my
hair, when we heard Zach's knock on the door.  Ben said, "Let's go, Glenn."

Ben ran down the stairs with his gym bag and opened the door.  He
impatiently waited for me to come outside.  Seeing his look, I said, "I'm
hurrying!  It's not like we're going to be late to an important date or
anything.  It's just hockey practice!"  Ben has been badgering me about
being more punctual, lately; and it's starting to get on my nerves

Ben replied, "That's true; but I'm trying to get you to be on time, since
you have a tendency to always run late!  Rick asked me to keep an eye on
you, and part of that is trying to break you of bad habits."

As we climbed into the backseat of Zach's car, I grinned at Ben and
replied, "I don't have any bad habits, so you'll have to find someone else
to reform."  I paused for moment, grinning.  I continued, "Someone such as
Zach or Mark, for instance."

Mark glanced back at us from the front seat with a raised eyebrow.  "What
exactly are you two talking about?"

Before Ben could answer, I said, "Ben's trying to reform me.  He says I've
got bad habits that need fixing, like being perpetually late.  I like to
think of it as being fashionably late.  No one wants to arrive early to a
party, or you might give your hosts the impression that they aren't
organized enough, or make them uncomfortable, as they finish their last
minute preparations."

Mark laughed.  "Ben, you're sure one to talk.  You have a couple of bad
habits yourself, so don't go trying to reform your cousin, without at least
working on some of your own bad habits."

Ben said, "I'm just trying to keep my promise to Glenn's boyfriend to keep
an eye on him, and keep him from missing Rick too much.  I thought helping
Glenn in the self-improvement arena would be a nice surprise for Rick when
he comes home."

I responded, "I'm aware of my faults, cousin.  I do appreciate your
willingness to help me, but I'm happy with who I am.  Can I improve in some
areas?  Maybe, but let's not worry about those, for now.  I want to have a
great time watching you guys practice."

Zach pulled into the Mariucci Arena parking lot, and chose a space close to
the entrance.  The guys went to the locker room to change into their gear,
and I went into the arena.  I found a seat by the coaches.  They greeted me
and continued their discussions about the different players, and what they
needed to work on for the next game.

I love watching Ben's team practice.  Hockey is one of my favorite sports.
Unfortunately, I'm just not a good hockey player.  I was so wrapped up in
watching the team practice that time seemed to fly.  Soon the guys came off
the ice, and headed back to the locker room to get showered and ready for
the concert.

We left the car at the arena and walked over to the bookstore to meet the
girls.  Patty looked wonderful!  I whistled when I saw her.  She blushed,
but laughed at my reaction.  "Thank you for the compliment," Patty said,
her dark eyes sparkling.

Irene looked great, too!  Mark said, "Irene, you look great tonight!"

Irene smiled up at Mark and said, "You look pretty good yourself, Mark."

Patty, turning to the three girls standing next to her said, "Let me
introduce you to our friends from the dorm.  This is Janice, Donica, and
Holly.  Girls, this is Ben, Glenn, Zach and Mark."

Janice had curly brown hair that framed her heart-shaped face.  Her warm,
brown eyes seemed to draw you to her.  She was a couple of inches shorter
than me, with a slender build and very long, beautiful legs.  Ben reached
out and shook Janice's hand.  "I'm glad to meet you."

Donica looked like she stepped off the cover of Ebony Magazine.  She had
jet black, shoulder length hair and stood a couple of inches taller than
me.  Everything about her screamed, "I'm a fashion model," from her
excellent posture, well coifed hair, manicured nails, and perfect face.
Donica nodded her head in acknowledgement of our introductions.  She smiled
and said, "I'm charmed to meet you."

 Holly was the same height as Donica, but had bleached blonde hair and blue
eyes.  I was beginning to get a complex about my height with so many taller
girls around me who made me feel short!  I looked a little closer at
Holly's round face and noticed that it was completely covered with makeup.
I tried not to stare, but I'd never seen anyone with that much makeup on
their face.  Holly asked, "How do you do?"

I replied for all of us, "We're great.  Thanks for asking, Holly.  Where
are you girls from?"

Janice said, "I'm from Toronto.  I grew up in the city and love it.  I'm
studying computer graphics and art."

Donica said, "I'm from Detroit, and I'm studying fashion design."

Holly said, "I'm from Huntsville, Alabama, and I'm studying business
management."

Patty said, "I'm from Los Angeles, and I'm majoring in music."

"I'm from New Mexico, and majoring in music as well," Irene said.

"We've told you where we're from.  How about you guys?" Patty asked.

Zach and Mark both said, "We're from Duluth, Minnesota."

Zach continued, "I'm studying sports medicine."

Mark said, "I'm studying physical education and sports medicine, too."

We all started walking, so we would get to the concert on time.  We talked,
as we went.  Janice and Ben walked ahead of us.  I watched Ben talking
animatedly to her about hockey.

Donica and Holly were walking with Mark who was all smiles, as the two
girls told him about their classes, etc.  Zach and I walked with Patty and
Irene.  Patty looked over at me and asked, "Glenn, can I ask you question?"

"Sure.  Go ahead," I replied, wondering why she was acting so weird.

"Are you gay?" she asked.

"Yes.  Why?" I asked.

Zach answered, "Glenn, don't be dense.  She doesn't want to invest a lot of
time chasing you, just to find out you're gay!"

Patty nodded her head, "Zach's right.  I'd hoped we could be more than just
friends.  I'm somewhat disappointed, but I still think we're going to be
great friends."  Patty smiled and took my hand, entwining her fingers with
mine.

Irene smiled and said, "I won my bet with Patty.  I told her you were gay
the moment I met you."

Patty stuck her tongue out at her friend.  "Go ahead and rub it in!"

Irene laughed and said, "Don't be such a sore loser.  Zach, are you
straight or gay?"

Zach winked at her and laughed.  "What do you think?"

Irene looked at Zach for a moment trying to decide.  "I'm not sure."

Zach smiled and said, "I'm gay and have a wonderful boyfriend."

Irene sighed, "Why do all the best looking guys have to be gay?  Why?"

Zach and I laughed at her question.  I replied, "I don't have an answer to
that question.  My boyfriend is the best looking guy I know.  He's in the
Marine Corps, and has ten months left on his tour of duty overseas.  I
can't wait for him to come home."

Patty said, "That's so cool that you're waiting for him.  I thought that
most gay guys never committed to just one guy.  Most of my gay friends are
always jumping from one relationship to another it seems."

"I've been with Rick for a little over a year now," I said, smiling
proudly.  "I hope that Rick will ask me to marry him when he gets back."

Zach said, "Todd and I were together for two years, and then split up last
year.  We just got back together last weekend."

Irene asked, "Is Todd going to school here?"

"No, he's attending college at the University of Minnesota in Duluth.
He'll be coming down next weekend to stay with me.  I'll introduce you to
him," Zach said.

Irene smiled, "I'd like that.  I do have a favor to ask of you, Zach.  Will
you introduce us to some of your straight teammates?"

Zach laughed, "Sure.  I'll warn you though that some of them are real
womanizers.  I don't think you want to get involved with a
love-them-and-leave-them type of guy."

Patty replied, "You're right.  I want someone to go out with me.  You know,
someone to have fun with on weekends, and who'll become a good friend.  I'm
not interested in a serious relationship, but I do want to have someone to
go out with and enjoy college life."

Irene agreed, "Patty's right.  Neither one of us wants, or needs a serious
relationship right now.  College is a time to experiment and have fun.  I
don't want to be tied down by a serious relationship."

We chatted about the guys on the hockey team.  Zach gave a pretty good
summation of each one's strengths and weaknesses for the girls.  I listened
just as carefully as the girls.  Not that I'm interested or anything, since
I have a boyfriend, BUT one never can be too prepared!  By the time we
reached the concert hall, Patty and Irene had identified who they wanted to
meet of Zach's teammates.  I'd also made a mental check list of who I
wanted to meet, as well, since Zach also talked about his gay teammates.
It seemed that my time in Minnesota was going to be wonderful!

I asked Zach, "So you never hooked up with anyone on your team?"

Zach made a face and responded, "No.  I was totally miserable all last
year.  I never did try to get with anyone here; because I was still in love
with Todd, and wanted him back something terrible.  I just couldn't bring
myself to admit that I was wrong when I told Todd to get lost.  So, I
avoided him as much as possible every time I went home.  My Mom knew I
still loved Todd, and kept inviting him over to our house for parties and
stuff.  She tried pretty hard to get me to talk to Todd.  It wasn't until
Robbie threatened to move in on my ex-boyfriend that I decided I needed to
do whatever was necessary to get Todd back."

Patty said, "Wow!  You guys sound just like a straight couple.  I guess I
never thought that it didn't matter if you were straight or gay to have
relationships between two people who love each other get so complicated.  I
had a relationship go sour on me, just like you did Zach, but we never did
get back together.  I'll be twice as careful getting emotionally involved
with someone next time!"

We arrived at the concert hall.  We picked up our tickets at the will call
window and found our seats.  We had just gotten settled, when the house
lights were dimmed and the performance began.  To say that I was totally
blown away by the excellent performance would be an understatement!  After
the program was over, I told Zach that I would meet them out front, since I
wanted to go down and meet some of the performers.

I managed to find my way backstage.  I asked one of the choir members how I
could audition for their group.

"Pardon me, can you tell me how I can audition for the chorus?" I asked a
slender young man who looked like he was just a little older than me and
about the same height.

He pushed his blonde hair out of his pale blue eyes and grinned at me.
"Auditions are in two weeks at the First Christian Church at 2201 1st
Ave. South, Minneapolis.  If you need directions, here's my cell number,"
he replied handing me his business card.  "Also, you can check out our
website at www.tcgmc.org for more information about the chorus.  The guys
are great, and if you make it through the audition, I think you'll really
enjoy being part of the show.  You can be a volunteer to help us with the
shows, even if don't sing with us."

I read the name on the card he handed to me, Justin Cardin, Computer
Specialist.  "Nice to meet you Justin," I said.  "I'm Glenn Nielsen."

He shook my hand, "I'm glad to meet you.  Are you going to college here?"

"Yes, today was my first day of classes.  I'm a transfer student from
Georgia Tech."

"Cool!  I graduated last spring, and just started my first job working for
a local computer firm.  I apologize for being so forward, but are you
dating anyone?" Justin asked, smiling at me.

"Thank you for asking, Justin.  I would love to date you, but I'm in a
committed relationship at the moment," I said, smiling at the handsome
young man in front of me.

Justin's smile had slipped a little, but he quickly recovered.  "Thanks for
being honest with me.  If you ever change your mind, I would love to have a
chance to get to know you better."

I said, "Justin, can we at least be friends?  I don't know very many people
here."  I hoped Justin would say, `yes,' since he seemed like such a nice
guy.

Justin's smile returned.  "I would like that.  It's just that sometimes
when guys are in a committed relationship, they don't want to hang out with
single guys like myself."

"I understand why you might feel that way about committed couples.  My
partner is overseas on active duty with the Marine Corps, and has ten
months left before he comes home.  It's been really hard for me the last
four months, since he left.  You're right about couples though.  Before
Rick left, we didn't associate with many single guys.  I've been pretty
lonely since he left," I said, trying to keep my voice from betraying me.
As I said the words, the truth of them really hit home.  I blinked my eyes
quickly to try and stop the tears from escaping.  I partially turned away
from Justin hoping he hadn't noticed.  I rubbed my eyes, while I worked to
get my emotions under control.

Justin waited, until I was more in control before he said, "I'd be honored
to be your friend.  I can see that you must really love your partner.  He's
a very lucky man!"

I smiled.  "Thank you, Justin, for your kind words.  I'm sorry for letting
my emotions get out of control.  I'm not normally such a cry baby."

Justin put his arm around my shoulders and said, "You can call me anytime
you need to someone to talk to when things get tough, or you just need a
shoulder to cry on.  I'll talk to you soon."

"Thanks, Justin," I said, and made my way back to the front of the concert
hall to find Zach and the girls.

Zach was telling jokes, and had the girls laughing pretty hard, as I came
up behind them.

Zach said, "Well, Glenn, did you find some cute guy to hang out with?"

"No, but I did get some information about auditioning to be part of the
chorus," I said.

Zach guffawed, "Do you really think you sing well enough to be part of
their group?"

"No, but I plan to try anyway.  It can't hurt.  Besides, if I don't make
it, I can be a volunteer to help out with their shows," I replied,
answering Zach's question honestly.

Irene said, "Good for you, Glenn.  I'm glad you're going to try out.  I
think you might just make it.  You play the violin really well.  Maybe you
could become part of their show by playing your violin with them."

Patty agreed, "That's a great idea!  Why don't you suggest it to them when
you audition?"

I replied, "I think I will do just that.  Thanks for the idea!"

Ben, Janice, Mark, Donica and Holly joined us.  Ben and Janice were holding
hands, and it was pretty obvious that they liked each other.  Donica and
Holly were still vying for Mark's attention.  Mark had a girl on each arm.
The look on his face confirmed that he was enjoying himself very much.

We escorted the girls back to their dorm, and headed back over to the
Mariucci Arena to pick up Zach's car.  He dropped Ben and me off at our
house, and they returned to their dorm.

Ben and I found Taka sitting at the kitchen table writing a letter to his
parents.  I sat down and asked, "How difficult is it to learn Japanese?"

Taka said, "We begin learning to write Japanese in primary school.  We
learn the Katakana and Hiragana, which are simplified phonetic forms of our
language.  Later, we learn to write using Kanji, which are based on Chinese
characters and are much harder to learn.  I think that Japanese is very
hard for foreigners to learn, because of the many Kanji that exist in our
language.  There are nearly 50,000 of them.  We teach foreigners to speak
Japanese using the Katakana and Hiragana."

"Wow!  I didn't know Japanese was so complicated.  I guess I won't complain
about learning French and Spanish, which use the same alphabet that we do
in English," I said.  "Why are you writing a letter to your parents?  Can't
you just send an e-mail or make a phone call?"

Taka looked up from his letter.  "My parents made me promise to write a
letter home every week, so I wouldn't forget how to write Japanese.  They
think that I will become lazy and not uphold the family honor."

Ben looked surprised and asked, "Why would you dishonor your family if you
forgot some of the Kanji?"

"It would be dishonorable to write a letter using Katakana and Hiragana,
because they are only used by children and foreigners.  I must show the
proper respect for my ancestors by learning to write properly using the
Kanji characters," Taka said, very seriously.

I was surprised to hear Taka talk about honoring his ancestors.  I'd never
heard of that concept before.  Of course, I've never studied anything about
Japanese culture either.  "Is it very important to always bring honor to
your family?" I asked.

"Yes.  It means everything to my parents.  My parents are not happy with
me, since I didn't pass the entrance exam to the University of Tokyo, like
my older brother.  Rather than disgrace the family by going to a lesser
university in Japan, I chose to come to the United States to go to college.
I can still honor my ancestors by doing well here.  I hope to work for
Nippon Telephone Company, when I return home to Kobe.  They are looking for
businessmen who speak good English, and can work well with Americans."

"I hope you can realize your dream of working for Nippon Telephone.  Are
you doing well in your business classes?" I asked.

"Yes.  I have all A's so far.  My parents say that my classes must be too
easy, since I'm getting all A's.  They want me to find harder classes to
take, or transfer to another university where the classes are harder," Taka
said.

Ben asked, "What will you do about Midori, if you transfer to another
university?"

"Midori will wait for me.  We can't get married until I have saved at least
$50,000 dollars to give gifts to all of her family," Taka said, seriously.

I was shocked.  "Why do you need so much money?"

"The more gifts a man gives to the bride's family, the more honor he brings
to his family and to the bride's family.  Most of my friends have not
married, because their parents insist that they must save $100,000 dollars
before getting married, so they won't bring shame to their family," Taka
said.

"So what do you do in the meantime?" I asked.

"We will just live together, until I have saved enough money to get married
properly," Taka replied.

Ben asked, "How long do you think it will take to save that much money?"

"Midori and I think that it will take about seven years, if I get a good
job with Nippon Telephone Company.  If I don't get that job, I don't know
how long it will take," Taka said, looking very worried.

"Will Midori wait that long to get married?" I asked, wondering if I could
wait that long for Rick to ask me to marry him.

"Yes.  I think she will.  She says that she loves me, and will wait for me
to save my money for her," Taka said, with great certainty.

Ben said, "I'm glad we don't have that custom in Canada.  I don't think I
could wait for seven years to get married, if I found the right girl."

"I don't know if I can wait that long before Rick asks me to marry him," I
said.

Ben replied, "Why are you waiting for him to ask you?  Why don't you ask
him to marry you instead?"

"I would ask him to marry me, but I want to know that Rick will say `yes,'
when I ask him.  I also want him to be ready to be married when I ask him.
I know he still isn't completely comfortable with the notion of marrying a
guy.  I know he loves me very much, and I think we will stay together
forever, but the marriage thing has Rick a little nervous," I replied.

Ben laughed, "It sounds like he's a little afraid of making a permanent
commitment to me!  Maybe, we'll need to encourage him a little.  I'm sure
the rest of our family will help us, because they really like Rick."

I smiled, "I'd like to wait a while, before putting pressure on Rick.  I
know that he'll eventually warm up to the idea.  Ben, you sure took a
liking to Janice tonight."

Ben's face lit up like a hundred watt light bulb.  "Yes, I really like her.
I think she really likes me, too.  We're going on our first official date
tomorrow night."

I whistled, "You didn't waste any time did you, cousin?"

Ben blushed, but managed to respond, "I just wanted to make sure Janice
knew I was interested in dating her."

I said, "Ben, I don't think you have anything to worry about.  She only had
eyes for you tonight.  After we were introduced to her, she didn't even
acknowledge that anyone else was at the concert except you!"

"You're right, Glenn.  She and I really hit it off from the moment we laid
eyes on each other," Ben said, smiling broadly.

"Cool!  I hope things work out for your two," I said.  "I'm going to bed.
I'll catch you later, Taka."

Taka said, without looking up from his letter, "Okay."

I headed upstairs to our bedroom.  Ben followed me.  "Thanks for helping me
meet someone new, Glenn," Ben said, giving me a quick hug.

"You're welcome, Ben," I said, returning his hug.

I sat down at my computer, and logged into my blog.  I started writing
about my day.  Ben sat down at his desk to do some more studying.  We
finished about the same time, and called it a night.

*** ***

Rick was startled by the appearance of what seemed to be a whole platoon of
MP's who entered the mess hall.  Rick had come for his usual cup of coffee
and a quick breakfast.  He was even more surprised when they approached the
table where he and his friends were seated.

They stopped, and Sgt. Riehle said, "Corporals Lernier, Kelly, Butler,
Smith, Bacon, and Fischer, please follow me."

I looked at my buddies, and saw the same look of surprise on their faces,
as I'm sure showed on my own.  We left the mess hall, and were surrounded
by the MP's.

They escorted us to their offices, where we were placed into separate
rooms.  I hadn't been waiting very long when the Judge Advocate (JAG)
officer showed up.  I stood and saluted him.

"At ease corporal," Capt. Letcher said.  "Please be seated."

Rick sat down, as did Capt. Letcher.  "Do you know why you're here?"

"No, sir," Rick replied.  He was starting to get worried, since the JAG
officer had showed up.

"I'm here to represent you, and the rest of your friends.  You are being
investigated with regards to Corporal Meyers' death and for trafficking in
illegal drugs," Capt Letcher said.

Rick was totally and completely taken by surprise by what Capt. Letcher had
just said.  His mind couldn't grasp that he was the subject of such an
investigation.

Capt. Letcher continued, "Each of you will be held in solitary confinement
until the investigators finish their work, and a determination has been
made whether or not to convene a court martial.  Do you have any
questions?"

Rick looked across the table at Capt. Letcher.  "I have a lot of questions,
but, right now, I'm so completely stunned I can't think of what to ask."

Capt. Letcher replied, "Well, let me see if I can answer some of the
questions that I normally get in these kinds of situations.  You have the
right to be represented by a military attorney.  At the moment, I've been
asked to serve as your legal counsel.  If you aren't satisfied with me, you
may ask for another military attorney, or in some circumstances, you may
request a civilian attorney to represent you.  Sgt. Riehle has already
interviewed you, so it's too late to tell you that you could have requested
legal counsel to be present during questioning."

"How long can they hold you in solitary confinement?  That will depend on
your commanding officer, and the circumstances surrounding your case.
Sgt. Riehle has presented sufficient evidence to warrant placing you under
arrest.  What rights do you have?  Those are defined in the military code
of the United States.  I have a copy that I will leave with you to read.  I
will return tomorrow to answer any additional questions you might have.  I
recommend that you request that I be present during any additional
interrogation sessions.  I'm here on base, and will be available to you at
any time," Capt. Letcher said.  He stood up and Rick stood as well and
saluted the superior officer.

Rick looked around the room for the first time since he entered.  There was
a cot in the corner besides the table and two chairs.  He wondered if this
was where he would be held.  His thoughts were interrupted by the door
opening.  He turned to look at who had come into the room.

He started to get up when, he recognized Sgt. Riehle.  Sgt. Riehle said,
"Don't get up."

Rick sat back in his chair, as Sgt. Riehle took the chair opposite him that
Capt. Letcher had just vacated.

Sgt. Riehle looked him in the eyes and said, "We need to talk, corporal."