Homer's Speech

Winner: Hamna Fatima A1S2


"Well, kid, the day we thought would never be here has finally come.
*coughs*
I can't believe you've finally done it after repeating fourth grade, what fifteen?  No, that can't be right- twelve, thirteen.. oh yes, there was the time you burnt your exam sheet; hmm, what was I saying? Ah, Bart, I remember when you were born,  with that pasty face and that dagnabit wailing voice; I still get nightmares about your snotty, god awful cries, why you little--"

*Marge coughs*

"Right. Well, kid, a few words for your future failure of a life. I'll tell you what your grandpa old Simpson told me back when I finished school. We Simpsons, as you probably know are destined for greatness: my old man had a natural talent for being fraudulent among other vices, and me- well, I'm a great motivator. In fact, I think Smithers picked me only for my motivation skills. Everyone says they have to work a lot harder when I'm around.
I always said you'd be a wonderful radio announcer and- what? What was that? You want to be a rock star? Pfft, rock stars are losers. Although, that does remind me of my own hip hop days, Jesús I can still hear the rhythm, the beat; it was where I met your mother for the first time, you know? It was either that or the time I threw up in the grocery store, gah. I can't remember.

I want to share something with you son; the three sentences to get you through life. Number 1: Cover for me. Number 2: Oh, good idea, Boss! Number 3: It was like that when I got here.
Life is a tough old rotten donut, kid. You'll end up doing things you didn't think you would. Look at me, I expected studio tours and feisty female teenage fans when I was older, but now I'm working for awful evil Burns. Doh!

Well, it's not that bad; I have donuts.

And steaks!

Oh, and also you of course...

Eh, as your father, I love you, Bart Simpson. I'm just as proud of you as Marge was of me the day I didn't have any donuts. At all. Not even secretly at the back of the house, hiding in that dog's kennel after buying a box by stealing some of Lisa's pocket money.

Some part of me, son, is sorry about all the times I bullied you when Marge wasn't home or the time I strangled you to near-death.
My advice, to you? It's what the Hermit guy from that movie, Rushhorse or Rocketfell something, said: "Take aim on the rich boys (in college). Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy another backbone." Don't you let them forget it.

All the best in your life, kid, don't forget to give me money when I'm old and retired.

Doh! I'm hungry!"

Edited by: Rida Manzar

How It Shoud've Ended....

Second Position: Omer Atif of class A2S1

Ever feel that, that movie you've just watched isn't all that you expected it to be? You've probably wanted to close the television or leave the cinema. This was my situation with the Hobbit`s final installment: The battle of the five armies. Based on the book, the highly exaggerated series of films unfortunately went over the bar with this one.

Let me give you a very brief summary of the whole series so you don't get confused in any part of my alternate ending. You see, the story takes place in a land called Middle Earth which is exactly the same as the Earth itself except filled with everything you've dreamed or had nightmares of when you were little. Tall pointy eared elves, small greedy and furious dwarfs (well not that angry), giant walking trees who converse with each other and even talking dragons. So here it goes. In the past, under a huge mountain called Erebor, there was a mighty dwarf kingdom. The dwarves had a huge stockpile of gold, so huge that you would be flabbergasted at the unbelievable amount. That and the arkenstone (the birthright stone of the dwarves), which corrupted the mind of the king. The huge pile of gold caught the attention of the greedy dragon “Smaug” who wanted the mountain for himself and in doing so killed almost every dwarf in the kingdom and the people of a nearby city of Dale. The remaining dwarves were vulnerable and encountered the fierce race of Orcs due to which they grew even fewer in number. The remaining few fortunately had the heir to the king, Thorin. The remaining dwarves then took the guidance of Gandalf, a powerful wizard. He led them to Bilbo, a hobbit, because they wanted the burglar to steal the arkenstone and that “he had more to him than they knew”, according to Gandalf. A quest led them back to the mountain, along with two warrior elves, Legolas and Tauriel. Along the way Bilbo caught hold of a magical ring that made him invisible. The dwarves and the hobbit found a secret door to enter Erebor. Bilbo stole the arkenstone from the dragon and the dwarves. Fought the dragon but it flew away and went to burn the nearby lake town of Esgaroth, which was populated by the survivors of Dale, to demonstrate a show of power. 

Here is my vision of the ending. As the ranger of the town, Bard, prepped his bow to shoot the special long and heavy black arrow, which was apparently made only to kill dragons, from a tower, Smaug looked at him with hate. As he leaped and flew towards him, the ranger shot the arrow. Smaug saw the projectile and tried to dodge it but it gashed his flesh and did not skewer all the way through. Smaug was weakened but not defeated. He flew off into the sky and soon faded away. Smaug went to the leader of the Orcs, Azog, with whom he made a deal. Azog wanted Thorin and Smaug wanted the mountain hence, they formed a pact.

 The men and women who survived honored the ranger Bard and made him their leader. In order to rebuild their livelihood they sought Thorin, who had taken back the Lonely Mountain, and wanted the gold he promised them earlier. The elven king wanted his stolen jewels back from the Lonely Mountain, which were the heirloom of his people, and so he was eager to wage war if Thorin refused. The ranger went to talk to Thorin but the thought of the arkenstone and the sight of the gold corrupted Thorin`s mind so he turned him back. Gandalf was busy thinking of a peaceful solution with his council with the king and Bard when Bilbo came after having escaped from the mountain after sneaking past the dwarves with the arkenstone. He thought an exchange would be a solution. The next morning, Gandalf stepped forward with Bilbo to the gates of the mountains where Thorin was. Behind them was the combined army of men and elves. Bilbo approached Thorin and with uneasiness, told Thorin that they had the stone and an exchange was necessary. Thorin was infuriated and almost waged war with the thought that they stole his birthright stone but then Gandalf said, “Smaug is still alive Thorin”. Thorin thought this was a joke but then he saw an army of orcs as well as goblins in the distance and a vague black spot in the sky. He knew it. It was Smaug. He widened his eyes in disbelief. He knew that they were almost dead. His companions told him to come to his senses but he just stood there confused. It was in that moment that Gandalf screamed Thorin`s name and just like waking up from a dream, Thorin came to his senses. He agreed with the exchange and offered a brief allegiance with the people of Esgaroth and the elves in fighting the orcs, goblins and Smaug. They accepted the offer and on went the elves and the people of Esgaroth to fight. The Dwarves blew their horn and then came their kin from the east. Gandalf and Bilbo stood back, for any assistance in guarding Esgaroth. Gandalf soon took sight of a butterfly close by him and chanted a weird language and sent it away.

It was a fierce battle full of gore and bloodshed. In the midst of that battle was Azog and Thorin but Thorin was losing badly. The Orcs were winning and dwarves and elves were getting fewer by the number. Smaug was setting everything ablaze so there was no room of retreat from fear of the dragon. With a swipe of the sword and a kick to the chest Azog threw Thorin to the ground. It seemed like the end of the battle when the eagles came. Giant eagles with sharp talons and huge wings flew around the battlefield and fought the enemy as well as the dragon. The eagles were standing they’re ground against the enemy. They were all flummoxed at the sight and Azog forgot about Thorin. Thorin picked up his sword and killed the Orc leader. Smaug crashed in the gates of the mountain in an attempt to retreat but got stuck under a bunch of falling rocks. The battle went on for a few more hours until the enemy was defeated. The dwarves came back to the mountain to finish off Smaug. They saw that the arrow that had gashed him was still there so all at once, they took hold of the arrow and began to further puncture in, in order to finish him off but at the last moment Smaug used his claws to grab hold of Thorin. “Finish him off! Now is your final chance to avenge our kin” is what Thorin shouted. The dwarves were confused at this sight and Smaug was beginning to regain his strength. Thorin took out his sword and flung it at Smaug`s eye. With an unsettling clamour, he let go of Thorin and the dwarves used all their strength to push the arrow and kill Smaug at last. There was dead silence which was a signal of victory.

With this the battle was over, all exchanges were made and allegiances finished and the arkenstone was given to Gandalf for keeping it safe and away from the dwarves so that their minds remain free of corruption. Bilbo bid his farewells and tried to hold in his tears but failed. Before he went home he told them, “If any of you want to visit anytime, my house is open, tea is at four and do not bother knocking”. He went back to his home, the shire, with the aid of Gandalf. Along the way Gandalf told Bilbo that he knew about the magical ring all along and that it held great significance. “You must keep the ring safe and a secret Bilbo” Gandalf said. When Bilbo reached home, everybody was selling his possessions until he showed himself and proved that he did exist. Then he finally settled himself and stayed in his little hobbit home for a very long time.

Edited by: Rida Manzar

Fall seven times, get up eighth

Third Position: Sitwat Atiq of class A1G1

'You're amazing and strong, and I'm so proud of you'

She screamed at the top of her lungs as the smoke of her burning heart infiltrated the facade of composure she had adapted. She was in undefinable pain. This was her battle against the destructive monstrous path of life. She felt like the walls were closing in on her. She did not know where she was heading or the exact moment, when the pretentious journey of this sinful life would end up abandoning her. She had been damaged and isolated one too many times before, to the point where her own trepidation overpowered her obsequious imagination. Life felt like this never ending loop of desires, hope and destruction. All she wanted was to be released, all she wanted was for the pain to end. She smashed the lamp off of the wall and stormed to the bathroom destroying everything in her path, she picked up the bottle of sleeping pills and swallowed as many as she could. She had read that it hurt less that way. She picked up the blade and put it to her wrist and right then and there, when she was about to cut herself and get it all over with, her mother rushed into the room, tears streaming down her face, and embraced her.

They curled on the floor and cried and in that moment she wished she could undo the pain that she had caused her mother. She did not understand where the selfishness had surfaced from, could she be that selfish? Hurting the one person she had sworn she would always love in the process of finding an escape to her own pain and suffering? Was she capable of committing an act so cruel? Was she capable of putting someone she loved through that kind of pain? In that moment she clearly understood that life was simply a choice, while death was a decision. She was hurt, trampled on and broken but she was not weak, and in that moment, all her ambivalence was swept away. If life was truly a battle, she would give her all. Maybe she would lose a couple fights along the way, maybe she would burn to pieces and fall apart, maybe it would leave her speechless and broken but she would not give up without a fight. She would never capitulate to the injustice. This was the moment that she realized that we should smile for a change even though we all are different and the smiles are not the same, even though deep inside we are broken we can still smile through the pain because the only thing that is constant in this life is change. Every situation you find yourself in, all the fear and the pain in the world is temporary and we should not allow it to stop us from taking chances and being happy. How could we possibly know how something might end up if we are afraid to try it in the first place? In that moment, she understood that failure and imperfections are okay, they are not curses. They are gifts that we fail to understand the values of. One must know the pain of failure to truly cherish the pleasures of success. It helps people work hard for what they want and once a person goes through something themselves, they understand what it truly feels like and are generally kinder to others and have a lot more compassion. She understood that she would never cause anyone the kind of pain that she herself was compelled to go through. She understood that it did not matter what other people said even though their words still hurt, she deserved way better and she should have known her worth all along from the very start. From that day she knew that she would always love the skin she wears, and her natural hair, the scars on her wrists and all the stretch marks that do appear because she is everything, and more. And her imperfections are parts of her that she should adore. She understood that she would never allow other people to define her capabilities and that her failures are only mild hitches to the final destination and she should learn from them. And if she does fall along the way, she will rise. And she will give it her all.

I opened my eyes and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

'You are amazing and strong, and I am so proud of you',

Edited by: Rida Manzar