Through It All

TWENTY SEVEN

Adam's father was not happy. When he arrived from New York, he did not say a single word to his own son. And frankly, Adam did not want to speak to him either. Their relationship had cracked. Since that day Mr. Lancaster Sr. decided to hire a prostitute for Adam, Adam no longer wanted that bond there once was. Mrs. Lancaster did not seem to notice their sudden distance towards each other, but John, Adam's little brother, did.

John walks inside the carpentry, hands in his immaculate uniform, head hanging low. Adam looks up from his sketching and smiles, but the boy does not smile back.

"What's the matter?" Adam asks putting his pen down, all his attention on his brother.

John shrugs.

"Come on, something is in your mind, tell me what it is," Adam insists.

John looks up, his eyes red from tears. Adam stands rapidly and kneels before him. "What's wrong? Did someone bother you at school?"

"No," he replies in a tiny whisper.

"What is it then?"

John rubs his eyes and speaks, "Are you and father fighting?"

Adam sighs trying to come up with an appropriate response. "We had a minor disagreement. That's all, nothing to worry about."

"Then why was father telling mother that you were being difficult and that you wanted to be as far away from him as possible."

"He said that?" Adam asks more to himself than to his brother. "Well, it will blow over. Father and I are more different that people think. You don't need to worry yourself about all this. Next thing you know, it'll all be over."

"Really?" asks John quietly.

"Of course, you'll see."

"John, please excuse us," Mr. Lancaster's voice comes from behind Adam, Adam's back tenses. He doesn't want to see him.

"Yes sir," John replies and runs off swiftly out the door.

"Adam we need to talk."

Adam stands and turns slowly, his father stand before him looking so perfect as usual.

"I believe you misunderstood me when I asked the concierge to intercept your letters, I was doing it for us," his father explains.

Adam shakes his head and almost wants to laugh. "This has nothing to do with the letters." His father looks confused so he continues. "This has to do with you hiring a prostitute and letting her in my room."

His father looks taken aback. "Well, I just thought you needed to relax a bit."

"Oh, you thought you were doing me a favor by leading me to temptation?" Adam replies nastily.

His father laughs, Adam's patience is wearing thin. "Temptation? Oh no son, please, I was merely offering you an escape from that bothersome hotel."

"An escape?" Adam spits angrily. "You are the one who insisted I get married. You basically forced me to marry Sophia. Now you push these women my way, I can't comprehend your intentions."

"I truly think you are over thinking everything. Marriage is a contract between a man and a woman, the women promise to take care of the family, and we promise to treat them well. You got married because you needed to settle down and have a family. Sophia married you because she wanted a man to support her financially. See?"

Adam rubs his eyes in frustration wondering where the prostitutes took part in all this. "At my wedding, we promised each other to be for each other in sickness or in health, to be loyal to each other no matter the circumstances. To be faithful until death do us apart. Don't you see father? Faithfulness is what makes a marriage."