Karma, what is it anyway?

I'm Buddhist, but I'm probably not a good one if I say I don't really understand the concept of Karma; how they all connect together from previous lifetime, affect the present life, and will continuously affect the afterlives with no boundaries.

Take this as an example. My parents fight (Surprise, surprise! What else is new?) and somehow at some certain point my mom said it's because of the "Karma" they still have toward each other (possibly from previous lifetime? I don't know) and they both need to compensate until all is paid off (possibly in next lives? or after that? I don't know either). That's why they're suffering right now.

Or something like it.

It's okay if she believes that. Isn't Karma a big part of Buddhism anyway? But I'm not sure if I do. It's all very simple here. She married someone and discovered the ugly side of that someone. They fought because they have different viewpoints and don't understand each other. They're still together because they decided to take the shit of that person and tolerated. That's it. It's all about THEIR decisions. THEIR choices. THEMSELVES. What's Karma gotta do in this?

And the thing about reincarnation, I'm not really sure about it either. The point is, I won't be able to remember whatever happened in my past lives or will happen in my next lives (if there are ones) anyway. All I have is RIGHT HERE and RIGHT NOW. I don't know why some people think that if their life sucks, they still hope for the next lives to be better. Seriously? Will you be able to remember any of these in your next lives? Why don't they think about trying to make things better in THIS present life? Right here and right now? Starting from their own thoughts and actions?

I remembered once I asked my friend if there was anything wrong with her because she looked upset. She answered me that she thought she deserved her Karma. (Or translated literally in Thai กรรมตามทัน "Her Karma has followed her")

I honestly couldn't form a word for that answer.

I don't claim that I know what exactly Karma is. More likely, there are much more on the topic that I'm still left unknown and unaware of. All I'm saying is, I don't really understand it. Trying to look at it differently, it can be just another alternative way of explanation. They use Karma to explain the consequences of things, but I don't.

Apparently, I'm more inclined to believe in the power of free will, which, surprisingly, not too long ago I was told that "free will" is another important principle in Buddhism.

Interesting. I may have to find out about that later.