"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Relationship Spotlight: Adan & Laila (A Stray)



If I recall correctly, the only other Relationship Spotlight I’ve done on a human-animal duo was Friendless and Brown Eyes from Go West.  I’ve gotta figure that, once I’ve done “a boy and his cow,” it’s only logical to circle back and do “a boy and his dog.”  Of course, in this case, we don’t see the “man’s best friend” dynamic at work in the typical way (some spoilers.)

Right from the start, Adan wants nothing to do with the dog that will eventually come to be known as Laila.  Not that he means her any harm – it’s a complete accident that he runs into her with his car, but if it weren’t the passing pedestrian who sees what happened urging him to do his Christian duty (figuratively speaking,) it’s hard to say what he would have done.  Would he still have taken her to the vet and then wound up getting stuck with her?  As it is, he at first argues to the pedestrian, “I’m not touching that!” and even as he begrudgingly acquiesces to helping Laila, he makes good on his initial claim:  he throws a spare shirt over her so he can retrieve her from beneath the car without touching her with his bare skin.

Because of dogs being unclean in Somali culture, this use of makeshift “barriers” whenever Adan has to touch Laila is a recurring theme.  He uses the shirt a lot, either specifically to pick her up or try and hide her when he doesn’t want someone to know he has a dog with him.  He also takes to carrying her around in a small duffel bag with only her head poking out, and even then, he has words with her when he thinks her head is too close to him, twisting the duffel bag around and exhorting her to “face that way!”  Eventually, he gets a leash for her and lets her run around at a dog park, but he freaks when he sits down on the grass to rest and she comes running up to him.

Laila, of course, is blissfully devoted to Adan.  No matter how clearly he conveys his alternating digust, wariness, and alarm, she adores him.  When he tries to drop her off somewhere, she trots after him until he gives in, and she deploys her puppy eyes with ruthless efficiency.  It’s such a great depiction of unconditional dog love, and it’s really sweet to see her gradually wear down his defenses.

But the operative word here is “gradual.”  Adan goes through a lot on Laila’s behalf and every fed-up “I’m done!” moment always ends with him taking her back, but that doesn’t mean it’s all sunshine and roses.  This might sound really awful, but I love that he continues to bag on her even as he finds himself caring for her, very tentatively starting to play with her, and even naming her.  In a casual, offhand tone, he keeps up a running commentary reminding her that she’s ugly, has no brain, and is completely useless as a pet.  It’s something about that curmudgeon/softie dichotomy, because although he does take care of her and gets his life turned completely upside down on her behalf, it’s not because she’s won him over, not entirely.  Maybe it’s Adan clinging to his last vestiges of distance, putting her down to remind himself that he doesn’t like dogs.  It’s also worth noting that, while his words aren’t nice, his tone is fine.  He’s conversational, talking to her like a person even as he complains that dogs are stupid and have no language, and she doesn’t hear anything amiss in the sound of his voice.  I don’t know, but for whatever reason, it’s weirdly charming to me.

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