Carlos couldn’t believe what was happening. He was standing in the store with his mom behind him. The man in front of him told him that he was a Samsung representative and that he was told about what Carlos was doing with their tablets.
He felt his hands start to shake as sweat beaded on his brow. He knew that the jig was up and that he would face repercussions for his actions. But when the representative opened his mouth, he could never have imagined what he would say.
Salvador, Brazil, is home to 2,7 million people. But one family of 4 had no idea that their lives would change in their city at the most unexpected time. The family in question was the Cardoso’s.
The parents of the family were Manuel and Sofia. They both worked hard to earn a living not only for themselves but for their two children – Juan and his younger brother, Carlos.
Carlos Cardoso was the youngest in his family at age 13 and often felt hard done by. He knew that his parents didn’t have a lot of money and tried where they could, but he felt that he needed certain luxuries that he saw other kids at school have.
He went to a public school that was close enough to walk to every day. He noticed that his classmates had nicer clothes, and some even had expensive phones. Those were luxuries that he dreamed of. But he had no idea what his desperation would lead him to do.
To Sofia’s surprise, her youngest son started coming home late from school. He would come home one or sometimes even two hours later than the school day should have ended.
She questioned her son about what was going on. But he just shrugged his shoulders and told her that he was doing “school work.” She wanted to believe her son, but she felt that there was more to it than her son was letting on.
Carlos’ mother was right. Carlos wasn’t being entirely honest with her. He was hiding something. Every day after school, he would say goodbye to his friends and start walking.
But Carlos wouldn’t walk home. He would walk in the opposite direction of his house and rather walk to the closest strip mall instead. His mother had no idea what he was getting up to, but more than just her would take note of his actions.
Carlos walked down the street after school every day. He always walked until he got to a strip mall that wasn’t too far from the school. He would find the same tech store and walk inside.
He would greet the employee and take a look at the items. He was never there to buy anything. He would just “browse.” But he would always end up with his eyes glued to the same tablet. But the employee had no idea what he was actually doing.
It was the same tablet that Carlos would use every day. He would walk into the store and start using it. The employee would ask him if he needed any assistance, but he always said he was fine.
But after spending two hours every day after school at the tech store, the employee felt that something strange was going on. And he was keen to find out.
The next time Carlos entered the store, the employee made him make an account if he wanted to use the tablet again. Carlos put his mother’s phone number on the account and gleefully went back to the tablet.
But when the employee finally noticed what Carlos was doing on the tablet, he felt that he had no choice as to what to do next. He would pick up the store phone and dial a number that Carlos was all too familiar with.
Carlos’ mother got a call one Saturday morning. Carlos could hear her, and his heart immediately dropped when he overheard, “he’s been doing what?” He knew that his lying had come to an end.
She got off the phone and came into the room. He expected her to start shouting. But it was far worse. She told him to get in the car. They were going to the store he had been visiting every day.
Carlos reluctantly walked out of the house to the car. He had never seen his mother like this before. She wasn’t angry. She was quiet. Quieter than he had ever seen before. He couldn’t imagine what punishment he was going to receive.
They pulled up to the store, and he got out of the car. With his mother standing behind him, he walked into the store. But what he saw waiting for him would change his life forever.
Carlos couldn’t believe what was happening. He was standing in the store with his mom behind him. The man in front of him told him that he was a Samsung representative and that he was told about what Carlos was doing with their tablets.
He felt his hands start to shake as sweat beaded on his brow. He knew that the jig was up and that he would face repercussions for his actions. But when the representative opened his mouth, he could never have imagined what he would say.
The man told Carlos’ mother what he had been getting up to at the store. That he had been spending two hours every day glued to one of their tablets. But when he explained what her son had been doing while on them, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
For two hours every day after school, Carlos had walked 30 minutes to the tech store to use their tablet. But he had been writing his homework. He needed a tablet for his homework.
Carlos had been writing his homework on the tablet because it had Microsoft Word. He liked to submit his assignments as typed-up documents that he’d print at an adjacent store.
He found it a necessity because he hated his handwriting but loved technology. Knowing that he could type rather than write meant that he was happy to use the tablet every day, as long as the employee didn’t mind.
The sales representative had a smile on his face when he told Carlos’ mother about what he had been doing. Carlos was worried he would be in trouble. But it seemed like quite the opposite was about to happen.
The man picked something up from the counter and handed it to him. Carlos scrutinized the box. Then it dawned on him. He was holding a tablet that looked a lot like the one he had been using.
The representative told Carlos that the company had heard about his dedication to his school work and decided to reward him. They wanted to give him his very own tablet that he could use at home.
He wouldn’t have to go to the store anymore, and he could do his homework wherever he wanted with his own device. Something he sorely lacked. Carlos couldn’t believe it. His life had changed for the better.
