JAMES

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.