Your help is needed to bring William home

Article content

Margaret Haylock Capon

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Your help is needed to bring William home Back to video

My computer, last week, became the innocent victim of an accidental abduction. This drama unfolded after I had delivered “William” as I had named him, to Andrew’s Phones at Printcraft for resolution of a minor issue. With Andrew’s expert touch the problem was quickly resolved and my computer was ready to come home.

It was a busy Friday for me and when a friend kindly volunteered to pick up William I was more than happy to accept the offer. A short time later, I was startled when my friend appeared at the door declaring an urgent situation, I was told that through an unbelievable error on my friend’s part William had been computer-napped.

Flushed and flustered, William’s taxi driver excitedly explained what had happened. After picking up my computer, my about to be former friend had mistakenly deposited it in the back seat of the wrong vehicle, then climbed behind the wheel. Instantly realizing the error, said friend hastily exited the car, leaving William behind.

While I could readily understand how easy it would be to enter the wrong car, (there are hundreds of silver grey Ford Escapes and look-alikes) I could not comprehend how William had been left behind. The backseat of my friend’s vehicle bears close resemblance to a dump site. Having once been a passenger in it, I could distinctly recall old grocery bags, a roll of paper toweling, an umbrella, and a case of bottled water. Surely, the interior of the wrong car was much tidier.

I also found it hard to believe that having entered the wrong car just seconds after depositing William in the back seat, my friend blithely could have forgotten about him.

It has been more than a week with no word of William. There has been no ransom note or any report of a sighting. When last seen William, who was accompanied by a brand new keyboard named Kensington, was in a yellow, No Frills plastic tote bin. An innocent abroad he is not password protected and would be happy to tell a finder his home address, if connected. He is an elderly Acer now past his tenth birthday and still running Windows 10. He has been reported missing to police in the event that a perplexed finder seeks help in getting him to his owner.

William is greatly missed. A new Acer Aspire has been acquired but can never take his place. Until this new computer can be set up, I am reluctantly forced to use a replacement loaned to me by the friend who lost William. It runs Windows 11 and is causing me no end of trouble. It has numerous bells and whistles scorned by reliable old William and delights in depositing my e-mail messages in strange places as I attempt to compose them. This computer has no name but I have several suggestions.

Hope for William’s return is fading. Having watched numerous episodes of Criminal Minds I know the outcome is rarely favourable if the victim is not found within 24 hours of his or disappearance, The person who has William may have had no occasion to look in his or her back seat.

If any reader of this column owns a silver grey car and was at Printcraft at approximately 5 p.m. on Friday, May 3, please call 613-393-2254 if you have discovered a hard drive and a new keyboard in your back seat. Your help is needed to bring William home.