There are many courses that are free -- the only payment is at the end if you want a certificate.
Lua is as good as any other language to start with. Python, Ruby are also popular starting languages. If you're going to continue to program, then you'll probably change languages several times in your career. What's important is to learn the generic concepts of programming, such as input/output, looping, functions; once you are familiar with concepts, changing languages isn't a big deal. Start anywhere and build from there.
Would love to see Symbian come back. S30+/Mocor really is garbage; KaiOS has a very small but loyal following; but Symbian would make all these reboots of classic feature phones wonderful. I wonder if open source Symbian could be hacked into modern screen phones as an alternative for LineageOS, et al?
The wealth, stability, and growth of the US was built first on slavery and then on desperate people willing to work undesirable jobs for less than minimum wage in unpleasant or even hazardous conditions. When those desperate people are rounded up and deported, maybe it’s time to rethink the basis on which this society depends.
Peter Corris, Heroin Annie