Gitali Borpatra Gohain
MACJ
This is
a story about a boy named James. 12 years old, James was a bright kid and had a
dream of becoming a footballer and play for his country. His favorite team is
Argentina and FC Barcelona just because he patronizes Lionel Messi and wants to
be like him. James parents were both working and the family lived in a plush
3BHK apartment in Juhu. James was provided with everything he could ask for as
both his parents were earning. But his parents used to work for long hours and
they hardly had time to sit with James and listen to his ambition of becoming a
footballer. Also for the past three years, James parents were not going along
each other and every night James hear them shouting at each other. James loved
both his parents and was sad that they hate each other now. James father has
become a drunker since the past one year and every night he use to come
drinking. James use to remember his childhood when he and his father used to
watch English Premier League matches on television and how both of them used to
cheer his Father's favorite team Manchester United. But now, James watches
football alone while his parents are always fighting in their bedroom.
Sometimes James mother use to come outside and just yell at James for no reason
and ask him to go to sleep and not letting him to watch his matches. James was
helpless and he wasn't able to do anything to make his parents love each other.
He heard them saying getting divorced which sent shockwaves throughout his
body. He became depressed at the very thought of his parents getting seperate
because he doesn't want to loose his mother who loved him like an angel and his
father who was his icon. James was no longer in the fantasy world he thought of
as a kid and was getting the bitter taste of reality. At school he became a
silent kid and stopped discussing football with his friends. He lost
concentration in studies and was very much dazed and confused about what to do
about his situation. He couldnt tell this to anyone as he has no siblings and
his relatives stay in West Bengal. He stopped practicing football or watch on
television and most of the time he kept himself locked in his room. His parents
failed to notice this change in James as they had little time for their beloved
child. At the half-yearly, James failed to pass. Suddenly James was numb and he
shivered at the thought of revealing this to his parents who are already
troubled. James being no longer able to cope with his situation started taking
drugs. He continued like this until one day his mother caught him taking drugs.
There are many kids like James who
become victims of parental conflict, negligence and domestic turbulence.
Society should think of what rights they need to have to protect such kids.