The Computer

The Computer
by Doris Ruth Mackey

         Today was Aaron's birthday. As he drove home he wondered what he would find when he got there. Emma and the kids always made such a big fuss about birthdays. They haven't said anything about my birthday, he thought, maybe they've forgotten. Then he laughed out loud, "Yeah right, that'll be the day."

         When he got home, he started to ask why there was a bed sheet hung around the desk, but Emma said, "Don't worry about it. You'll find out after dinner." When they finished eating dinner, she brought out a chocolate cake with a large 40 written on the top with red decorating gel.

         "There were only five candles on it because we couldn't get a permit from the fire department to use the full forty," sixteen-year-old David said laughing.

         Next the family led him into the living room, and David pulled away the sheet revealing the computer saying, "Happy Birthday, Dad. You can use it for your writing, it has the very best word processing software."

         Aaron looked at his wife and silently moved his lips to ask, "Why?"

         Emma laughed, "You're going to have to be very patient with him, David. Your father doesn't deal well with change."

         Twelve-year-old Susan and seven-year-old Bobby each took him by a hand and pulled him over to the desk. "Come on, Daddy," said Susan, "It won't bite."

         Aaron sat down and David began showing him how to use it, "You push this button to turn it on, then wait for the icons to come up on the screen."

         Aaron looked up at Emma again and silently pleaded, "Help me."

         Emma laughed and kissed him on the cheek, "Don't worry, Love, you'll get the hang of it."

         David presented him with a booklet titled, How To Get the Most Out of Your Word Power Software, and spent the rest of the evening trying to teach his father how to use his new computer.


         When Aaron woke up, the glowing numbers of the alarm clock on the dresser told him that it was only 1:30am. He tied his robe closed, while carefully making his way through the dark to the bedroom door, quietly closed the door and turned on the hallway light. He didn't want to wake Emma or the kids. He used the switch at the end of the hall to turn off the hallway light and went into the living room. Since he couldn't sleep, he might as well do some writing. He turned on the lamp next to the desk and sat staring at the computer.

         Now, just remember what David showed you, he told himself. Aaron reached over and pushed the button and watched the flickering lights that told him that it was working. Soon an array of icons appeared on the screen. He moved the mouse around and finally got the small arrow to touch the icon labeled Word Power. He pressed the left button on the mouse. A big smile spread across his face, he actually managed to find the word processor without any help, but that smile slowly faded as he stared at the screen, trying to remember what was he supposed to do next? Was he supposed to use the mouse or the keyboard? He looked down at the keyboard. This board had more keys on it than a typewriter, and he had no idea what to do with most of them.

         He had always done his writing in his loose-leaf binder, the same one he used when he started writing in high school, and Emma had always done the typing for him. This process continued with each rewrite until the manuscript was ready to be sent to the publisher.

         Aaron looked back at the screen. Where did those swirling colors come from? He sighed and opened the desk's side drawer, took out his green loose-leaf binder and two pens, and carried them over to the couch. He sat down, kicked off his slippers and stretched out on the couch. Now, he thought, this feels better. He put one pen behind his left ear, opened the binder and began writing, Yes, this is more like it.

         For the next four hours, he sat writing. Words seemed to flow from his pen. When he read what he had written, he thought to himself, Not bad for a first draft. He put the pens and binder on the coffee table, then stretched out on the couch and fell asleep.

         When Emma came out to the living room at 7am, she saw the swirling colors of the screen saver. She tapped the mouse with her finger, and the screen saver vanished revealing the word processing screen. She smiled at her sleeping husband and whispered, "Good try, Aaron." Then she picked up his binder and began reading. This is really good, she thought as she leaned over and kissed him, being very careful not to wake him. She carried the binder over to the computer. Why mess with a system that works, she said to herself and propped up the binder and began typing.