I would recommend C as the first programming language to learn. Despite its age and various quirks that even Kernighan and Ritchie regretted in print, it is a well-designed, small language, and the most portable language in the known universe.

C has been so profoundly influential that most present-day imperative languages have grammar and syntax that resemble C.

I recommend buying The C Programming Language, by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie, Second Edition. It is the standard definition of the language, concise, and clearly written. Well, some find it a bit _too_ concise, more like "terse."

I recommend setting up a computer with Linux. People are scrapping computers that are perfectly suitable for Linux. The Linux box provides access to free programming tools including text editors, more complete development environments, and your choice from over 15,000 free software packages. You can download Linux for free or, for a copying and shipping fee, get a Linux CD or DVD.