In his room, Vine was pacing up and down, feeling choked up with anger.
"You need to be a good role model," he repeated Kiara's words over and over again, and each time he repeated them, they made him feel more furious.
He hit the table with a fist and before sweeping everything off the table, he firmly shut his eyes.
"I hate that girl!" he screamed to himself.
After having heard the noise of the items falling off the table, a bodyguard who was passing by ran to inform Gareth. Swiftly, Gareth went to check on his young master, and sure enough, he saw a very angry man walking up and down the room. Shirtless, his muscles seemed strained, his eyes blazing with anger.
"My young master, calm down and tell me everything." Gareth was already used to seeing Vine in such a state, so he was not too shocked.
Vine walked around the room before stopping and fixing his sight on Gareth. Gareth could have sworn that he had done something terribly wrong, for Vine's deathly stare was long and hard.
"Am I a good dad?" he asked Gareth.
"Why, of course, my young master. You are one of the best fathers I know."
"And why would you say that?"
"You always make time for your son. You play with him, you even go to the extent of changing his diaper. I mean, looking at your status, sir, no one could ever guess that you; Vine Lucas Pinkerton, the young master, the first and only grandchild of the great master Vice Leo Pinkerton…who would have ever thought that you could have time to play with a baby, to feed and change him?"
Vine allowed the praises to sink in, and he asked further, "do you think I will make a good role model to the little man?"
"You will, sir," there was doubt in Gareth's voice.
"What's with the low, fearful voice?" his deep voice was full of authority.
"It's just that, if I tell you, you may become angry."
"I will allow you to tell me the truth now, Gareth," Vine said, eager to hear what his servant was going to say.
"Umm, I would say, for the sake of the boy, my young master, you may consider reducing your alcohol intake." He became quiet. He was seriously scared, unsure of how Vine was going to react.
Although Gareth was twelve years older than Vine, the former feared the latter a lot, because the young man was unpredictable; there was no telling what he was capable of.
"I see," came Vine's calm response. "Is it not too late for me to consider quitting drinking?"
"It's never too late to make a noble decision, my young master." He let out a sigh of relief, happy that Vine was not angry with him.
"How do I stop?"
"Well," Gareth shifted his weight from one side to the other. "I think joining support groups can help. I can ask around for such groups."
"You will do no such thing," Vine jeered. You really think I am a person who can be seen in a support group with some worthless useless people who get drunk from some cheap wine?"
"Oh, I am sorry, my young master. How about we find you someone to work with you as an individual?"
Vine remained silent, seemingly in deep thought.
"What are the steps to reducing drinking?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, but I read somewhere where they said one can take in a lot of water and fruits, and when the urge comes to drink, take a soft drink instead of strong drinks. You may also reduce gradually, for example if now you're taking ten glasses per day, you aim to reduce them to eight, and then to six, going down until you get to zero. Physical exercise and keeping yourself busy also helps."
"I'm always in the gym," Vine sounded irritated. Indeed he was always exercising, for it mattered a great deal to him how he appeared physically. He always made sure to be in perfect shape, and the ladies drooled over his faultless physique.
"Yes, yes, I was just stating everything that I read," Gareth rubbed his hands together nervously.
"Get me help, Gareth," Vine stated.
Gareth's eyes widened, bulging so much that it looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. Never in his life had he ever thought that the young master was ever going to ask for help.
"Congratulations, my young master," he smiled and hugged Vine. The latter did not return the hug but rather remained standing, fixed to his position.
"I will definitely get you help. I am beyond happy. What made you change your mind? Who made you change your mind? What happened?" he fired one question after the other, letting his excitement show clearly.
"My son happened," Vine said.
"Oh yes. Your son, my young master."
Vine walked towards a couch and planted himself, crossed his fingers and as if talking to himself, started to say,
"That little boy means a lot to me. I will do everything within my power to become the perfect role model for him. If the child needs a good role model, then I will be that role model to him! If my son needs a father who does not abuse alcohol, I will be that father. My son shall grow up to be proud of me, and I will be to him what the world's greatest father is to his son. For that boy, I will do anything!"
"That's my young master!" Gareth applauded the younger man.
"Gareth," Vine went on. "Today I choose to start this journey, taking it one step at a time, until a time when my son shall be able to see perfection in me. I will finish up my university degree, which I never took seriously before, because I thought I did not need it. I might not really need it even now; I mean I have everything. But for the sake of Vincent Lisandro, I will do it. I will show him that Pinkerton men are driven by determination. We don't start something and leave it hanging. That's the lesson I need to drive to my dear son."
"Yes yes, you're speaking well!" Gareth was beyond himself with joy.
"Gareth, get me help. I want to do this." Vine said with willpower.
Gareth jumped up and down in excitement.
"I want my son to look at me and wish for no other man to be his dad, but me. My son is the best thing to ever happen to me in my entire life. My own flesh and blood, my very own. I never knew that I could love as much as I love now, and that was until I held that little man in my hands."
"That's good to hear," smiled Gareth.
He watched as his young master looked seriously determined to fulfill the vows that he was just making, and Gareth prayed in his heart that it may not be just a spur of the moment speech. He really wished for Vine to stop drinking too much and try to have a good control of his alcohol cravings. For Gareth, even if Vine did not stop completely, reducing his alcohol intake was good enough.
"One more thing, if you don't mind?" he said, hoping and praying that what he was going to say was not going to spoil the good moment.
"What?" Vine asked.
"If you can, please be a little nicer to your son's mother. You see, as he grows up, he will soon be able to tell that you are not nice to his mother, and trust me, he will not like you for that. All the effort that you are trying to make now will be in vain, because if you hurt his mother, he will hate you."
"Oh that one," Vine closed his eyes and turned his face upwards.
"Try your best, I know that you can. You don't love her, it's ok. But treat her well. You make her cry too many times, my young master, and I must confess that the girl is strong, for she has endured it all in silence."
"What do you mean? The way you say it, it's as if that girl was in a position to do anything to me."
Gareth shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. She could have told lady Pinkerton about the way you treat her, for example. But your grandmother has no idea that you say all those hurtful words to her. Ma'am Kiara is a good woman, please treat her well."
"I hardly ever talk to her."
"You don't, but on the few times that you do talk to her, you treat her really bad. I have witnessed it more than enough times, please trust my judgment, my young master.
Vine straightened himself and avoided a yawn. He rubbed his cheeks violently and in his mind, images of Kiara flashed. He saw her face, beautiful as ever, but full of fear. Her stunning eyes shone, but behind the two beautiful diamonds, Vine could see deep pain and anguish. There was trepidation too. He saw her singing sweetly to her child, but suddenly becoming silent when he, Vine, appeared. Vine hated the images. They were all too vivid and fresh. He heard her voice every time when she tried to make Vine understand that it was not her fault that she ended up in bed with him. He also saw in his imagination, himself telling her off for being a loose woman, a cheap waitress who jumped into bed with every guest who visited the Two-Sons Hotel. Vine violently shook his head. His aim was to shake the images away, but it proved to be in vain.
A clear image of Kiara flashed again, and in that image she was crying. And he was telling her that she could cry all she wanted, for he cared not. Vine immediately hated himself for how he had treated Kiara. He told himself that he was too hard on her.
However he had no intention of talking about it with Gareth, for he wanted to work it out and fix it by himself.
"Why are you still standing there? Go get me help," he gave an order to Gareth.