Children of Divorced Parents – Assets, Liabilities or Bad Debts...?

This evening – on TV – I watched the movie “ONE FINE DAY” for the “N^th” time.

The film is a romantic comedy that depicts the parenting problems faced by divorced single parents and emotional fluster of children of divorced parents. 

This reminded me of a story I had written long back on a similar theme – from the Point of View (POV) of a small boy whose parents are divorced.

I called the story BADMINTON

Read on...

BADMINTON

A Small Boy Narrates his Life Story

Short Fiction

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Badminton is a game where you volley a shuttlecock back and forth over a net 

BADMINTON – A Story By Vikram Karve

Part 1

DIVORCE 

BADMINTON SINGLES

My life is like a game of badminton. 

I am the shuttlecock – and my mother and my father are the two opposing players.

Let me explain.

My parents are getting divorced. 

Now – both are highly qualified MBAs – and have very meticulously divided their assets – and very painstakingly shared their liabilities. 

Except me. 

They don’t know how to divide me – so they are fighting it out in court – battling it out for my custody. 

And – till they finally decide this way or the other – I am being tossed from one parent to the other – like a shuttlecock is tossed from one player to the opponent in a game of badminton.

From Monday to Thursday – after school is over – I take the Aundh Bus to stay at my mother’s place.

On Friday – I take the Kondhwa Bus to spend the weekend with my father.

On Sunday evening my father has to drop me off at my mother’s place before 6 o’clock.

And – if we are late even by one minute – my mother raises a hue and cry against my father – and she complains to the family court.

After Two Years

Part 2

REMARRIAGE

BADMINTON MIXED DOUBLES

My life is still like a game of badminton. 

But now – after 2 years – there is a slight difference. 

Now – instead of badminton singles – it is a game of badminton mixed doubles.

Let me explain.

On one side of the badminton court – are my real father and step-mother.

And – across the net – on the other side of the badminton court – are my real mother and step-father. 

And – I am still the shuttlecock – being tossed from one side of the badminton court to the other side of the badminton court – back and forth. 

However – there is also a big difference. 

Earlier – when they used to play badminton singles – the rallies were short and sweet – the volleys were gentle – and each player wanted the shuttlecock to fall on their own side of the court. 

Now – in badminton mixed doubles – the rallies are long and painful – the smashes are hard – and the players – especially the new players – want the shuttlecock to fall on the other side of the court – across the net.

Do you want me to explain...? 

I don’t think I need to.

I am sure you have got the drift of what I am trying to say. 

Now you tell me one thing:

Am I an “asset” to be divided...?

Or – am I a “liability” to be shared...?

And then – a terrible thought comes to my mind – of a third option.

And I feel afraid of one thing. 

In the game of badminton – the shuttlecock may get worn out. 

Then – the badminton players toss the shuttlecock out of the court – yes – the players throw away the old shuttlecock – and they get a new one.

Oh my God...!!! 

Will this happen to me...?

Once they have their own children – what will happen to me?

I will become like an old shuttlecock – to be discarded – and to be replaced by a new shuttlecock.

Yes – once they get rid of the old shuttlecock – maybe the mixed doubles partners will stop playing mixed doubles with the old shuttlecock.

Now they may start playing badminton singles with each other with their own new shuttlecocks.

Soon – both couples – my real mother and stepfather – and – my real father and stepmother – they will have their very own children.

And then – they may abandon me forever. 

Yes – I am really scared that I will be abandoned forever. 

I will no longer be an “asset” to be divided.

I will no longer be a “liability” to be shared.

But – I will become a “bad debt” to be written-off from the balance sheets of my biological parents’ lives.

EPILOGUE 

Please answer the small boy’s question – and  solve his predicament.

Once parents get divorced – and then they remarry someone else:

1. Are children of their first marriages ASSETS to be divided...?

2. Or – Are children of their first marriages LIABILITIES to be shared...?

3. Or – Are children of first marriages like BAD DEBTS to be written-off from the balance sheet of each parent’s life...?

Dear Reader – please comment – and do let us know your views. 

VIKRAM KARVE

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Disclaimer:

This story is a work of fiction.  Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

This Story was Written by me Vikram Karve nearly 5 Years ago in May 2011 and First Posted Online by me Vikram Karve in my blog at 5/30/2011 03:45:00 PM at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/05/badminton.html and susequently revised and re-posted online a number of times including at urls:http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/12/badminton-my-favourite-short-stories.html and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/04/marriage-divorce-remarriage-and-game-of.html and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/11/blog-fiction-badminton.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/12/badminton-story.html etc