25-12-2018, 06:01 PM
The damage to Anna's knee was horrible! First she needed to heal. Then it was going to take multiple surgeries and that was before extensive PT. It might take years before she was able to walk again. Years! Just to walk!
Jen tried to keep a brave face. She as much as anyone knew there was more to life than dancing. But she feared for his daughter's spirit. Anna was such a delightful, outgoing, happy, bubbly girl. But what would she be like after years of physical therapy? After years of just trying to walk again? Especially after being so athletic before. Knowing what she had lost. Would it break her spirit? Ruin her happiness?
Jen tried not to cry. She forced away the tears. She had to be strong. She had to be brave for all of them, to help Anna through this.
Jen heard Mike with Anna in the TV room. With a tilted head, she went to see what they were doing.
"Banana, want to try something?" Mike asked Anna, sitting down next to her on the sofa.
"Sure," Anna said. Her leg was in a cast and propped up on the ottoman.
Mike handed Anna his iPad. There was a game playing on the screen. "This is Candy Crush," he said. "You swipe the screen to match candies. It gets harder as you go along."
Anna nodded, talking the iPad from him. She quickly got the hang of it and moved through the first levels. Then it got harder. She was clearly frustrated as she got stuck at level 7.
"Here, let me show you," Mike said. He swiped a pattern across the touchscreen and a window popped opened. It was an icon-based GUI. He selected and moved around a few icons. Then he gave the iPad back to Anna.
Anna got through level 7, then 8, then 9. She got stuck again at level 10. "What did you do?" she asked her father, clearly frustrated again.
"I'll show you," Mike said. He swiped across the screen to bring back the window. "I hacked into the game's software," he explained. He showed Anna how to do it. Anna was only a beginning reader so she couldn't write code. But, Mike's icon-based GUI captured all the principles, elements and logic of software.
Anna was smart and intuitive; she quickly got the hang of it. She selected and moved icons around. When one pattern didn't work, she tried another. When things didn't go exactly as she wanted, she made more changes. Soon Anna was all the way up to level 67 of Candy Crush. She actually had more fun playing with the icons than the game.
"Daddy I LIKE this!" Anna said enthusiastically. "What's it called?"
"It's called writing software," Mike told her.
"I LIKE writing software! I LIKE it!" Anna gushed excitedly. "Will you teach me more?!"
"I will teach you Anna," Mike said, kissing the top of her head. He was tearing up but he hid it. "I'll teach you everything I know."
In the hallway, Jen turned away, her hand going to her mouth, silently weeping. Her tears were of joy, and hope. Because now, maybe, Anna had something new to dream about. Something to inspire her. Something to keep her spirit fresh and alive.
And her tears were for the love of her husband. Because once again, Mike had saved them. He was her hero.
~~~~~~~ The End ~~~~~~~
Jen tried to keep a brave face. She as much as anyone knew there was more to life than dancing. But she feared for his daughter's spirit. Anna was such a delightful, outgoing, happy, bubbly girl. But what would she be like after years of physical therapy? After years of just trying to walk again? Especially after being so athletic before. Knowing what she had lost. Would it break her spirit? Ruin her happiness?
Jen tried not to cry. She forced away the tears. She had to be strong. She had to be brave for all of them, to help Anna through this.
Jen heard Mike with Anna in the TV room. With a tilted head, she went to see what they were doing.
"Banana, want to try something?" Mike asked Anna, sitting down next to her on the sofa.
"Sure," Anna said. Her leg was in a cast and propped up on the ottoman.
Mike handed Anna his iPad. There was a game playing on the screen. "This is Candy Crush," he said. "You swipe the screen to match candies. It gets harder as you go along."
Anna nodded, talking the iPad from him. She quickly got the hang of it and moved through the first levels. Then it got harder. She was clearly frustrated as she got stuck at level 7.
"Here, let me show you," Mike said. He swiped a pattern across the touchscreen and a window popped opened. It was an icon-based GUI. He selected and moved around a few icons. Then he gave the iPad back to Anna.
Anna got through level 7, then 8, then 9. She got stuck again at level 10. "What did you do?" she asked her father, clearly frustrated again.
"I'll show you," Mike said. He swiped across the screen to bring back the window. "I hacked into the game's software," he explained. He showed Anna how to do it. Anna was only a beginning reader so she couldn't write code. But, Mike's icon-based GUI captured all the principles, elements and logic of software.
Anna was smart and intuitive; she quickly got the hang of it. She selected and moved icons around. When one pattern didn't work, she tried another. When things didn't go exactly as she wanted, she made more changes. Soon Anna was all the way up to level 67 of Candy Crush. She actually had more fun playing with the icons than the game.
"Daddy I LIKE this!" Anna said enthusiastically. "What's it called?"
"It's called writing software," Mike told her.
"I LIKE writing software! I LIKE it!" Anna gushed excitedly. "Will you teach me more?!"
"I will teach you Anna," Mike said, kissing the top of her head. He was tearing up but he hid it. "I'll teach you everything I know."
In the hallway, Jen turned away, her hand going to her mouth, silently weeping. Her tears were of joy, and hope. Because now, maybe, Anna had something new to dream about. Something to inspire her. Something to keep her spirit fresh and alive.
And her tears were for the love of her husband. Because once again, Mike had saved them. He was her hero.
~~~~~~~ The End ~~~~~~~
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