Island Blues and Greens- VegasPete

Chapter 7

"Really, your guess is Macau?" I ignore him.

"Why are you telling me about these things anyway? And are those things even true? Why pick a child based solely on opinion? What if that child ends up becoming incompetent?" I ask

"I'm telling you because you can't tell anyone who doesn't already know. And besides, it you tell them, they'll think you're a gossip king" he grins at me.

"And about Agong choosing an heir, it's all for the purpose of the game. Regardless if the chosen heir is competent or not, it'll still be a bloodbath if any other grandson wants the position. Agong only said the position was for a grandson and did not announce to the association which one. Do you get where I'm going with this? I believe only Agong, the heir, and their most trusted people know. And since the Association doesn't know which one, the grandsons still have time to steal it from the real heir."

He poured me a glass of tequila and poured one for himself. He looked at the sea from the window and sighed.

"I almost grew up here, you know? My nanny almost ran away and took me here. My father wanted to throw me away until he found out the supreme leader ring's heir is one of the grandsons."

He said out of the blue. I stayed quiet as Vegas chugged on a glass, not even a shot glass of tequila. Drunkard.

"My life wouldn't have been so fucked up, then. I wonder if we would've been friends" he chuckled as he continued.

I started to drink too, not knowing what to say. Why has the mood changed so much?

VEGAS' FLASHBACK

Vegas' mother died when he was only six years old. He cried day in and out the whole time.

"Pa,  when is ma waking up?" He kept asking his father.

"Never" his father answered which caused the boy to cry even more.

"Stop crying!" His dad raised his hand as a warning to slap the little boy.

Although he was scared of his father, he couldn't help but be sorrowful as he ran towards his mother's photo, placed on a big stand made of glass in front of too many flowers.

The nannies and bodyguards try to stop  Vegas but as there were many people passing by, they couldn't get a hold of the child who simply ran past the small gaps in the crowd.

When he finally reached the photo stand, he went and jumped on it trying to reach his mother's photo. The glass stand falls backward to the tiled floor making a loud breaking sound, startling the guests and Vegas himself as he choked on his sobs.

He looked up to the figure of the man whose shadow darkened his surroundings and saw his grandpa.

"What an insolent child." The old man shook his head at the fearful child.

"Pa, I'll take care of him." His father grabs him, pulling him away from his grandpa.

"It's useless teaching him now. He won't change. He'll be stupid and stubborn like his mother. Throw this one away. It's a good thing you have another one. Teach that one instead." The old man said while letting out a little hiss and shaking his head.

Pa doesn't like it when Agong's mad. Vegas thought as he was getting  dragged away.

Vegas felt his father's grip on his shoulder get tighter and he yelps a little from the pain.

"Didn't I tell you to tone it down? Can't you behave just a bit? And how dare you glare at Agong? Huh? You think you're all that?" His father kept pushing his forehead with two fingers as he cried louder.