The tin box loves me

The image of the rag picking tin box has still not left me. It makes me smile every time I think of ‘Wall-E’. Who would not surrender to his innocence? Poor fellow goes about doing his chores, looking for those tiny little treasures, picking and tucking them away in his own tiny world hidden away from the malevolent world. No one is around to see that the tin box has a heart too and that he dreams as well.

And one day his world is rocked. It is turned upside down as Eve arrives in his little world. Smitten and totally bewitched by this curvy, slick lass, he can not help but be hopelessly charmed, unguardedly admit his wonder and awe going ‘Evaaaaaa!’, lying totally vulnerable to this futuristic beauty. He stands no chance against her superiority and sophistication. Still he manages to get Eve to step out of her slick cast and fall for the rustic him. Sheer innocence!

What a luxury! To have someone ready to lay his life at the drop of your hat. To be hopelessly in love with you like you were the only one in the whole wide world. The security, assurance, unconditional commitment. To be the centre of someone’s universe. Deep down we all want tin boxes for lovers, who are there for you no matter what. Tin boxes, who don’t throw tantrums. Who wait for you when you walk out on their face saying obnoxious things in anger. Who pamper you, care for you. Who understand your mood swings, hear unsaid words. Respond to your touch and words like magic. Who miss you, remember you, relish your company.

So the movie ends, Wall-E and Eve pretty much walking into the sunset hand in hand. Happy ending, huh? However, it left me thinking. What afterwards? One day, the tin box will stand there and see Eve jetting around in all her slick glory, blasting things and doing all those wonderful acrobatics she is designed for. That day, the tin box will ask her not to go too far, too often as he does not have jets, he has just a pair of rusty old chain wheels. He feels left out while she flies. He is left behind with just a roach to talk to. Eve frowns. She is puzzled, taken aback. Her eyes narrow in interrogation. ‘But didn’t you fall in love with me for what I were? Weren’t you spellbound the first time you saw me like this? So, why do you want me to be a tin box now, like yourselves?’

Tin box doesn’t know what to say. He is silent. He has no answers to her questions. He is hurt and his heart cries. All he knows is that he wants her by his side now, to walk along with him. He wants all those things from her which he has in his heart to give to her. He secretly DOES want her to be a tin box. Her slick, curvy appearance and her boundless flights leave him lonely and insecure.

The stupid fellow should simply say it to her, I would say. Plain and simple. Maybe she doesn’t realize what he wants. Maybe. But then, shouldn’t she have realized it by herself? Maybe not. And after all, is it fair to ask her to walk when she can fly. Will she be happy that way? How long would she walk along with him? Hmmmm. I think its unfair of Wall-E to demand such a thing. She will feel smothered. Allright, Wall-E’s insecurity and frustration is misplaced. End of discussion.

Ummmm…not quite! As luck would have it, Eve despises his rag-picking. He still keeps stuffing their place with all this garbage he thinks are a little treasure. Irked, she starts to sleep outside of their little condominium. ‘What good are these pieces of crap you keep piling up?’. Wall-E looks at her in utter bewilderment and disbelief. ‘Didn’t you use to find this habit of mine adorable? Wasn’t this, what made you think I had a beating heart inside my tin body? Should I stop collecting it?” She won’t utter a word further. Too proud to ask him for anything that might go down as a favour. She prefers to sleep outside instead. I think she should have said it, plain and simple. Maybe he doesn’t know how she despises it. Maybe. But then, shouldn’t he have realized it by himself. But maybe……blah blah blah.

Maybe it is a mismatch. Maybe Wall-E and Eve are not meant to be together. But maybe Eve would still have wanted an Adam to become Wall-E, had she had one. Maybe Wall-E would not have realized his desire for a tin box had been hooked up to a (f)Wall-E..….. Maybe, we all want tin boxes for lovers but we never want to be one ourselves….