Maham Saqib
Class 3112 mahamsaqib.95@gmail.com Outline * Issue of smoking. A chain smoker needs to make a decision about quitting * He starts off young, there is no going back. * The turning point is when his daughter is born. Decision is not forced upon him, rather he has the foresight to quit for the betterment of his daughter and to be an ideal father figure.
FORESIGHT STRUCTURE: ROUGH DRAFT It started on a lazy afternoon when my friends and I went to the neighborhood cricket ground. The Karachi sun beat hard on the ground and I had to squint to see clearly. Akmal revealed a cigarette and Zain produced the lighter. I had my first smoke that day. It was all forward beyond that point. I went from two to six to twelve a day- I was addicted. In the beginning, I was afraid of what my parent would say if they ever found out. I hid around, smoked in the bathroom before a shower, or after everyone was asleep. I laughed at my naivety; they were bound to find out. And as sure as the sun that rises, my dad eventually discovered my habit. Boy, was that a rough time for me. I would be admonished and punished and my pocket money confiscated. I was restricted from meeting up with my friends. But it was a habit I couldn’t let go of. It’s not that I wasn’t aware of the consequences; it’s just that they didn’t seem real enough to me. And so I continued, my parents eventually caved in as they realized they weren’t going to get anywhere with me. My father was disappointed, and I did try to keep my habit out of his way to respect his wishes. That was as far as I was able to go. Today as I entered into the hospital room, I felt a weird numbing sensation in my body. My heart drummed loudly in my chest, and the blood pounded in my ears. My wife lay in the bed with my baby girl in the crook of her arm. My joy was unprecedented; I had been waiting desperately for the moment I would hold my child in my arms. But nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. My wife transferred her into my arms and, though it is the most over-used phrase it was perfect for what I felt- I was the happiest man on the universe. Her pink rosy cheeks and the soft, pleasant baby smell had me mesmerized. The scene changed. My peaceful, happy bubble burst as her body shook in my arms and she coughed. She wailed out, and coughed some more. I froze. I tasted my own smoke-and-nicotine tinted breath, and it seemed to darken the atmosphere. The gloominess crept into her rosy innocent aura and made me feel stale. I handed her back and rushed out. I’m looking with pride at the stack of cigarettes and lighters in the waste bin. I chose to take the plunge rather than dawdle at the shallow end. My daughter gave me more fuel than any support group for recovering smokers could have. I will cleanse myself. Putting my own life at stake is one thing, harming others is not something I can do. I smile with nostalgia, a baby hardly a few hours old made me do what my parents and countless adverts couldn’t do.

Maham Saqib
Class 3112 mahamsaqib.95@gmail.com FORESIGHT STRUCTURE- FINAL DRAFT
It started on a lazy afternoon when my friends and I went to the neighborhood cricket ground. The Karachi sun beat hard on the ground and I had to squint to see clearly. Akmal revealed a cigarette and Zain produced the lighter. I had my first smoke that day. It was all forward beyond that point. I went from two to six to twelve a day- I was addicted. In the beginning, I was afraid of what my parent would say if they ever found out. I hid around, smoked in the bathroom before a shower, or after everyone was asleep. I laughed at my naivety; they were bound to find out. And as sure as the sun that rises, my dad eventually discovered my habit.
Boy, was that a rough time for me. I would be admonished and punished and my pocket money confiscated. I was restricted from meeting up with my friends. But it was a habit I couldn’t let go of. It’s not that I wasn’t aware of the consequences; it’s just that they didn’t seem real enough to me. And so I continued, my parents eventually caved in as they realized they weren’t going to get anywhere with me. My father was disappointed, and I did try to keep my habit out of his way to respect his wishes. That was as far as I was able to go.
It’s been ten years since. Today as I entered into the hospital room, I felt a weird numbing sensation in my body. My heart drummed loudly in my chest, and the blood pounded in my ears. My wife lay in the bed with my baby girl in the crook of her arm. My joy was unprecedented; I had been waiting desperately for the moment I would hold my child in my arms. But nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. My wife transferred her into my arms and, though it is the most over-used phrase it was perfect for what I felt- I was the happiest man on the universe. Her pink rosy cheeks and the soft, pleasant baby smell had me mesmerized.
The scene changed. My peaceful, happy bubble burst as her body shook in my arms and she coughed. She wailed out, and coughed some more. I froze. I tasted my own smoke-and-nicotine tinted breath, and it seemed to darken the atmosphere. The gloominess crept into her rosy innocent aura and made me feel stale. I felt disgusted by my own odor. I handed her back and rushed out.
I’m looking with pride at the stack of cigarettes and lighters in the waste bin. I chose to take the plunge rather than dawdle at the shallow end. I wanted to quit immediately. My daughter gave me more fuel than any support group for recovering smokers could have. When I held her, I felt like a monster for exposing her to such a thing. Agreed, she wasn’t going to copy me instantaneously, but I have to be the protective father. I want to be flawless, her ideal, someone whom she will be proud of to call her father. I now have the foresight to see that my actions can have a variety of effects on other. I will cleanse myself. Putting my own life at stake is one thing, harming the ones I love is not something I can do.
I smile with nostalgia, a baby hardly a few hours old made me do what my parents and countless adverts couldn’t do.