Wait for it to charge

The little plastic tab on the side of the laptop was very clear: she needed to let the laptop charge for awhile before she used it. Much as she wanted to start using it right away, Becky followed the instructions and busied herself with other tasks while she waited for the computer to charge.

She framed her diploma in the special frame her mother had purchased for her and set it on her bedside table. The laptop wasn't charged. Then she finished the laundry, folded the clothes and put them away. Not yet. She tidied up her room, and finally - after peeking several more times and being disappointed - the laptop was finally charged and ready for her to use it.

Becky flopped down on her bed and opened it up, staring at the screen. Her smile could have brightened the night sky: the young woman had never had much of her own before, and now she had a completely new computer that she could use, just for her. She logged in - it already had her name on it, all she had to do was push the button - and was ready to start using it.

Despite her excitement, Becky knew that before she could truly enjoy her new gift, she needed to be polite and thank her uncle for his generosity.

While not technologically savvy, she did know enough to open up her email. She clicked the browser at the bottom left, and clicked the Email link that was already conveniently saved in her favorites. Becky didn't even have to log in - she could see her name at the top of the site, and an inbox already waiting for her with several new emails. It looked different from the email that she used for school, but it made sense to her that her laptop would have an email for her as well.

One was from her uncle:

"Hi Becky,

I hope you're enjoying your new laptop! I know you already have an email address, but your mother probably has the password and I wanted you to have a private one just for you. I also set up a couple accounts for you on other sites, too.

I want to be more active in your life, and hope this shows I'm serious about that. I know your mother and I don't talk much any more, but I can still be there for you. If you need anything, please let me know.

Eric"

The other emails were from the other sites that he had set up for her. Some were shopping websites (complete with wishlists that she could set up) and others were instructions for some of the programs that were installed on her laptop.

Becky quickly typed an email to make sure her uncle knew that she was grateful for his generosity:

"Hi,

I can't believe you got me my own laptop and I love it! It will be great for college in the fall, and I can use it to keep in touch in the meantime. I can't thank you enough for this.

Becky"

After she hit send on the email, Becky started digging through the other emails, reading about all the new things that her uncle had set up for her. Especially the shopping websites - even though she didn't have a credit card and couldn't afford to order anything even if she did, she wanted to see what was on there.

But before she could even get going, the young high school graduate noticed a reply from Eric:

"Hi Becky,

I'm glad you got it! I was worried your mother had gotten hold of it and kept it from you. It's been a few years since I saw you. You've probably grown like a weed since then, but I haven't seen any pictures of you. Can you send me one?"